Vasseur doubts Red Bull is the team to beat despite Verstappen wins
Ferrari principal Fred Vasseur stated that Red Bull is not the team to beat in Formula 1 despite Max Verstappen securing back-to-back victories in Malaysia and Singapore. Vasseur noted the competitive order has shifted multiple times this season among Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and now Red Bull, with four teams often close on pace.
Vasseur's assessment of the 2026 title fight
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said he is not sure Red Bull is the team to beat despite Max Verstappen's recent successes.[1] Verstappen won the Malaysian Grand Prix and both the Singapore sprint and grand prix. Red Bull introduced a major upgrade at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku before those results.[1]
Vasseur told Motorsport.com that Red Bull is performing well but does not represent the sole benchmark.[1] He pointed to the season's pattern of changing frontrunners; Mercedes dominated early, Ferrari and McLaren each secured two victories later, and Red Bull has now won two or three races.[1]
Competitive landscape
Ferrari challenged closely in Singapore, with Charles Leclerc starting second and staying near Verstappen early in the race.[2]
Related reading
- [1]Fred Vasseur 'not sure' if Red Bull is currently F1's best team (motorsport). Accessed 2026-10-14.
- [2]Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur says Red Bull 'not the team to beat' despite back-to-back wins for Max Verstappen (grandprix247). Accessed 2026-10-14.