Ferrari eye Dutch GP redemption amid performance struggles

Despite a challenging first half of the season, Vasseur expressed optimism about the final 10 rounds, indicating that the team were working relentlessly to improve their performance.

Heading into the summer break, Ferrari faced significant setbacks. Their much-anticipated upgrade package, designed to enhance performance, fell short of expectations.

Instead of providing the hoped-for gains, the upgrades reintroduced the persistent issue of car bouncing, forcing the team to reconsider their approach.

Vasseur, however, has remained confident that Ferrari have the ability to bounce back.

He acknowledged the difficulties but emphasized that addressing the bouncing problem would unlock crucial performance improvements. "To fix the bouncing is a step in performance," Vasseur told the media.

"We are pushing like hell to bring something, and we'll do it as soon as possible."

With the Dutch Grand Prix on the horizon, Ferrari aim to meet the same goals they had set for the Belgian Grand Prix, to score vital points and avoid falling further behind key rivals like McLaren and Red Bull. Ferrari collected 23 points at Spa-Francorchamps, slightly edging out Red Bull by three points, but they fell five points short of McLaren, who extended their lead in the constructors' championship by 21 points.

The season begun with Ferrari being considered the second-fastest team on the grid, but recent rounds have seen them slip to fourth-best. Despite these challenges, Vasseur remains optimistic, highlighting the narrowing gap to Red Bull as evidence of Ferrari's potential to recover.

Using the Belgian Grand Prix as an example, Vasseur pointed out how even small improvements could drastically change a team's performance. "Spa-Francorchamps is the best example," he said. "As soon as you fix something, or make a small step, you can recover from P7 to P1."

Vasseur stressed the importance of paying attention to every detail, noting that the competitive field made even minor gains crucial.

"It's not like two years ago when you were finishing 60 seconds behind Max Verstappen. Now, we're finishing 20 seconds behind. We need to keep everything under control and not overreact."

As Ferrari look ahead to the upcoming races, including favourable circuits like Monza, Baku, and Singapore, Vasseur has remained hopeful that the team can regain momentum and challenge at the sharp end of the grid once more. 

The Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort on August 25 could be a critical test for the Scuderia in their pursuit of redemption.