Team principal Frederic Vasseur has hit back at Mercedes’ Toto Wolff over Ferrari’s upgrade rate, calling his comments “quite ironic”.
Wolff questioned how Ferrari can bring so many upgrades each weekend and thinks they “need to be running out of cost cap money soon”, such is their development.
Lewis Hamilton’s victory two races ago in Barcelona was aided by an eight-item aerodynamic upgrade package, which came after circuit-specific upgrades in Monaco.
Last time out in Austria, Ferrari had four more revised items and had a new cooling inlet to this weekend’s event at Silverstone.
Mercedes, by contrast, have introduced four car changes in total since their last big update at the Canadian Grand Prix four races ago, although continue to be the team to beat with Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull – who brought the biggest update to Austria and found sizeable gains – all eager to catch up through in-season development.
All teams must adhere to a yearly budget cap, which was raised to $215m (£161m) for 2026 owing to the scale of the new chassis regulations, or face sanctions.
“I found it quite ironic coming from Toto and Mercedes,” said Vasseur.
“But when Red Bull is developing or when Mercedes is developing they are geniuses; when we are developing we are cheating! I think you have to calm down with this. We didn’t bring more parts than Red Bull or another one.
“I don’t know if it was a joke or…”
Asked if he thought Wolff was accusing Ferrari of cheating, he said: “If you think that we overshoot the cost cap, for me, it’s going into this direction.
“I think it was better to avoid to speak.”
Vasseur: Everyone is in the same boat
Ferrari are 98 points behind Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship after eight races, with Hamilton’s Barcelona victory the only time the Silver Arrows have been beaten in a Grand Prix this year.
But, Ferrari certainly appear to be closer to Mercedes compared to the start of the season on outright pace and could become serious title contenders if they continue their upwards trajectory.
Vasseur, who is friends with Wolff, says people should ask the Mercedes boss “why he spoke about me” and finds his comments “a bit puerile.”
He added: “I think we are all in the same boat. If we can bring something at the beginning, we do it. It’s better to have a couple of tenths for five races than just for the last two.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to find performance, sometimes a bit less. Sometimes you can have the feeling we are bringing a big upgrade but it is just the modification of some parts.”
Sky Sports F1’s British GP schedule
Saturday July 4
9.30am: F3 Sprint*
11am: British GP Sprint build-up*
12pm: BRITISH GP SPRINT*
1.40pm: F2 Sprint*
2.50pm: British GP Qualifying build-up*
4pm: BRITISH GP QUALIFYING*
6pm: F1 Academy Race 1
6.45pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday July 5
8.20am: F3 Feature Race*
9.55am: F1 Academy Race 2*
11.10am: F2 Feature Race*
12.55pm: Grand Prix Sunday: British GP build-up*
3pm: THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX*
5pm: Chequered Flag: British GP reaction
6pm: Ted’s Notebook
*also on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1 is in Silverstone for a Sprint weekend at the British Grand Prix – live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky One – with Sunday’s race at 3pm. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
