Fred Vasseur sets Ferrari firm instruction ahead of major Belgian GP upgrade

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has told the team it must "maximise potential from the get go" as it prepares to deploy a major upgrade package at the Belgian GP.

Between the British and Belgian rounds, Ferrari has conducted testing at Mugello with a new rear suspension design being evaluated ahead of a potential introduction at Spa. 

The reasoning behind the tests was that the Belgian weekend is a sprint event, meaning there are just 60 minutes of practice before sprint qualifying begins, with the other on-track sessions then being the sprint itself before grand prix qualifying and the race.

As such, teams are sometimes averse to bringing upgrades to sprint weekends, but Ferrari is set to bring the new parts, which are hoped to help create a better balance and enable the team to lower the ride height and find performance from the ground effects.

With the limited time available, Vasseur wants to see Ferrari hit the ground running in the Ardennes Forest.

"We have worked hard at the factory to bring an additional upgrade package for the SF-25," Vasseur confirmed.

"Therefore, a point of focus this weekend will be to make sure we maximise its potential from the get-go. 

"As always with a Sprint weekend, getting off to a strong start with a smooth free practice session will hold the key to the rest of the weekend. 

"The margins between the teams are very close at the moment, therefore, every small detail can make the difference, so we’ll stay focused on ourselves to give our best in every phase of the weekend, on a track where the weather could also play its part."