Case of departures, Vasseur controversial: “Unfair changes. Without ‘blue lights’ some teams would still be stuck in China”

The question of departures In these first months of the 2026 season, which have been characterized by few races and many controversies, one of the most discussed topics has been that of departures. Since the pre-season tests we have seen how the new power units with the almost equal distribution between thermal and electrical components have enormously complicated life for many teams in the start phase. In the Australian GP there was a risk of a major accident on the grid with Liam Lawson’s car remaining practically stationary on its pitch and being dodged by Franco Colapinto’s Alpine by a few centimetres; in almost all the races teams like Mercedes and Red Bull struggled a lot at the start, with their respective drivers losing several positions at the start. Conversely, the Ferrari turned out to be clearly the best and most effective car when the lights went out. In Maranello, however, there is a lot of annoyance because before the championship the starting procedure was unilaterally modified by the FIA: for safety reasons, five additional pre-start seconds were introduced, to allow all the teams to sufficiently charge their turbos. Despite these measures, Ferrari remained the most effective car in this situation, but there is no doubt that the federation’s intervention helped the reds’ main rivals limit their problems at the start of the race. Ever since this change was approved, Fred Vasseur has complained about the disadvantage indirectly imposed on Ferrari, which had created its own power unit with the aim of maximizing starts. Now, in an exclusive interview given to the British website The Race, Vasseur has returned to the topic, pointing the finger at the FIA ​​and – above all – at the other teams. Injustice FIA ​​and “unfair” teams “The dilemma was: ‘we want to gain a tenth of a second [sul tempo sul giro] or lose five positions at the start?’ – declared Vasseur – if you ask the engineers, they will answer: ‘Let’s make a good start'”. However, Ferrari’s plan was ruined by complaints regarding safety brought forward by some teams, Mercedes and McLaren above all. Now Vasseur has removed more than a few pebbles from his shoes: “Imagine without the blue light, some cars would still be on the grid in China – the French manager commented ironically – but safety issues can be raised, it is the FIA’s right to intervene and I must just accept it. But in the end I think it’s also a little unfair towards us.” “A year ago I turned to the FIA ​​and we talked about it – revealed Vasseur – we talked about it in the SAC (Sporting Advisory Committee), we talked about it in the PUAC (Power Unit Advisory Committee). And I really appreciated the FIA’s response, namely that the car must be designed according to the regulations, not vice versa. I think it’s a great approach. So, then having half or 40% of the grid complaining, saying that it is extremely dangerous and so on…Politically it was a smart move, but not very correct.” Finally, the number one on the Ferrari pit wall dismissed those who contested him for not having made a stand against this change: “It was a question of safety. It is not necessary for me to accept it – commented Vasseur – it was a decision based on security reasons. It’s up to them to decide. Even if everyone was against it, they can still decide.”

Automobile Magazine – F1 English News , 2026-05-19 20:08:00