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Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has refused to label Red Bull as the benchmark team in Formula 1, despite Max Verstappen converting pole position into victory in each of the last two races.
The four-time world champion secured his first win of 2026 with a dominant display in Malaysia, before following it up a week later with a sprint and grand prix double in Singapore. The Dutchman's rich vein of form, which currently stands at five consecutive podium finishes, coincided with a major upgrade package introduced in Baku. These results have brought the Austrian outfit to within just seven points of third-placed McLaren in the standings with six rounds remaining.
However, Vasseur believes this resurgence is typical of a season defined by frequent shifts at the front of the grid. The campaign kicked off with total Mercedes dominance, yielding victories in the first six rounds, before Ferrari and McLaren closed the gap. Both teams claimed two wins apiece during the European leg before Red Bull climbed back to the top step. According to the Scuderia boss, these fluctuations are simply down to teams rolling out upgrades on different development cycles.
Asked by motorsport.com whether Red Bull have now become the benchmark in Formula 1, Vasseur replied:
"I'm not sure. Honestly, they are doing a very good job, but I wouldn't say they are necessarily the team to beat. If you look at how the season has unfolded—Mercedes were flying, then we won two races, McLaren took two, and now Red Bull have won two or three. The picture is constantly shifting. Any upgrade package brought next week could shake up the order again. The most important thing is to stay focused on ourselves rather than dwelling on our rivals."
Vasseur's comments follow remarks from Mercedes driver George Russell, who suggested Verstappen's back-to-back triumphs across two vastly different circuits make Red Bull the clear favourites. However, the Frenchman—whose drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton crossed the line second and sixth in Singapore—emphasised that Verstappen's Marina Bay victory was effectively settled at lights out.
The Dutchman successfully fended off Leclerc's challenge into Turn 1, allowing him to dictate the pace on a narrow street circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult.
"It was crystal clear for us that even when coming up to lap backmarkers, as soon as you were within two or three seconds of another car, you lost grip. You lose time not only during the overtake itself, but in the dirty air behind them. That is precisely why track position out of Turn 1 proved to be absolutely decisive," Vasseur concluded.
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