Fred Vasseur felt pretty good about Ferrari’s performance in the Chinese Grand Prix, especially the way his drivers fought each other so cleanly, even though, as he admitted, it could’ve ended up looking like a disaster.

Ferrari started the race in third and fourth, and, right from the get-go, both drivers didn’t hold back. They actually got ahead of the Mercedes for a bit, but it didn't last; they ended up getting passed again. In those early laps, the two Ferraris were stuck between the Mercedes cars: Kimi Antonelli stretched his lead while George Russell stayed glued to their tails.

Lewis Hamilton led George Russell early on, and those two swapped places a bunch of times. Ferrari’s drivers did, too. There were moments when they went side by side, pushing the absolute limit, without ever making contact. Honestly, they kept at it almost the entire race. The last big move happened on Lap 40. Hamilton passed Leclerc and held onto third place, finally putting a red car on the podium for the first time this year.

Even with all that fighting, both Ferraris came home without a scratch. The drivers both said they had a blast; it was tough, hard racing, but always clean.

Vasseur, who runs the show at Ferrari, was quick to praise them. “Huge respect for both of them,” he told the press. “They’re total pros, and it just made sense to let them race. Sure, sometimes you risk looking stupid if things go wrong, but that’s a chance I’m willing to take.”

He was clear about his philosophy early in the season: you’ve got to let the drivers race. No team orders from the pit wall, just a chance to let them build up the team spirit by pushing each other. “This is how you make real progress,” Vasseur said. “As long as they race like they did today, I won’t freeze the positions. Even on the radio, they were telling us they were having fun.”

Once Hamilton got past Leclerc on Lap 40, the order was set. Hamilton got his first podium for Ferrari, which was huge even if his first season with them had been tough so far. Vasseur wasn’t worried, though.

“It’s so much easier the second year,” Vasseur explained. “He’s been part of the project for a while now; he started working with us as far back as mid-2025, doing simulator runs. He’s got more of a stake in this now compared to when he just turned up last January, and the car was already built. He knows everyone better, and working with the team is just smoother.”

But Vasseur knows Ferrari still has a big gap to Mercedes. The team has shown some solid pace in these first two races, but closing that gap will take time. “We’ve got to keep chipping away with those small gains, that’s how we’ll catch up.”

Right now, Ferrari’s battles out on track aren’t causing any problems. As the season goes on, though, Vasseur’s going to have to keep a lid on any tension because the championship’s heating up. Ferrari trails Mercedes by 31 points, and Leclerc and Hamilton are both chasing Russell for the drivers’ title, sitting 17 and 18 points behind.

If Ferrari’s going to have any shot at beating Mercedes, they’ll need to be on it every step of the way and stay ready to jump if their rivals make a mistake.

Lewis Hamilton’s performance in the recent race marked his best since joining Ferrari, yet he’s clear that the team still faces some issues needing attention. He clinched his first podium with Ferrari, finishing just behind Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. While Hamilton praised Antonelli’s victory, many fans were equally thrilled to see the seven-time world champion back among the top finishers.

The standout moment was Hamilton’s fierce duel with teammate Charles Leclerc, showcasing a sharpness we haven’t seen from him in a long time. Leclerc sees their battle as a positive sign for Ferrari, but Hamilton is keen to sort out certain car-related concerns sooner rather than later.

Talking about his podium finish after the Chinese Grand Prix, Hamilton admitted it came after a tough fight. Despite being happy with the team’s race management, he highlighted some struggles mid-race, where he slipped behind Russell and Leclerc before fighting back to third. He acknowledged there’s room for improvement, especially during the mid-stage on medium tyres, where he felt something was off.

Hamilton emphasised, “My race pace has been solid, especially on the hard tyres in these early races, but on the mediums, I need to extract more performance.” Battling back from fourth to third, he described it as “a hell of a push". The podium was a big milestone for him, and he extended a heartfelt thank you to Ferrari for making it happen.

On a more personal note, Hamilton shared how he brought his mother to the Chinese Grand Prix, and for the first time in over two decades of racing, he walked her through the preparation process. She was genuinely amazed at the sheer volume of work and mental effort involved. Hamilton likened it to studying for a test every day, something he’s never really been comfortable with, but driving is his strength.

Seeing Hamilton’s hard work pay off must be a rewarding moment for his family, as he clearly appears to be finding his rhythm again with Ferrari. His current edge over Leclerc, combined with both drivers showing strong form early in the season, offers optimistic prospects for Ferrari’s challenge against Mercedes moving forward.