How Ferrari heads Into April break with momentum after Japanese GP

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur believes the Scuderia has earned a significant morale boost heading into Formula 1’s April break after Charles Leclerc fended off Mercedes in a hard-fought Japanese Grand Prix.

While Mercedes has opened the season in commanding fashion, Ferrari’s response in Japan offered tangible proof that it can take the fight to one of the benchmark teams under the new regulations.

Leclerc delivers under pressure

Kimi Antonelli and George Russell swept the opening two races in Australia and China, underlining Mercedes’ return to form. Antonelli continued that momentum in Japan with another dominant victory, extending the team’s winning streak.

But behind the race winner, the battle for the final podium position carried strategic and psychological weight.

Leclerc secured third place by just half a second over Russell, combining outright pace with disciplined energy management to keep the Mercedes at bay. It marked Ferrari’s third consecutive podium finish — a run of consistency that Vasseur believes is beginning to shift the narrative after a disappointing 2025 campaign.

"It's the third podium in a row. We want to get more, but I think it was a very, very strong drive from Charles at the end with Russell," Vasseur said. "It was important for us to keep Mercedes behind and Russell behind us."

The Ferrari boss highlighted the closing stages as particularly significant.

"The last 10 laps, it showed also to everybody at the factory and to the team that we can do it. It means that it's important and it's the best way to prepare for the break."

Smart racecraft makes the difference

Vasseur singled out Leclerc’s tactical awareness in the final phase of the race, pointing to moments where the Ferrari driver managed track position to maximise his overtaking potential.

"It was a good fight overall and he was very clever sometimes to let Russell in front in the last chicane to be able to overtake into Turn 1. He managed this very well with the overtake mode on Russell. We can be happy and he can be proud of what he did today. It was a very, very strong drive."

In a season where the gap to Mercedes has made it difficult for Ferrari’s tifosi to fully celebrate progress, holding off one of the silver cars offered a clear sign of competitiveness.

A crucial month ahead

The timing of the result adds further weight. Formula 1 now enters a month-long break due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with racing set to resume in Miami on the first weekend of May.

That pause comes at a pivotal phase of development.

"We have a lot of work like everybody in the paddock. It is the beginning of the homologation of the car. It means that we have tons of things to improve," Vasseur explained.

With three races completed, Ferrari now has clearer data on where it stands.

"Now, we have good data after three races to understand the competitiveness of the car, where we are okay-ish and where we are not. It means that performance is coming from everywhere, but we have to do a step in every single area of the performance. It will be true for everybody on the grid, so it is a matter of doing a better job than the others and to take a step."

As teams prepare significant upgrade packages for Miami, Ferrari leaves Japan with more than another podium. It departs with evidence that it can outfight Mercedes on track — and with renewed belief at Maranello that further gains are within reach.