{
  "id": 16663379,
  "title": "Fred Vasseur reveals two costly moments that denied Ferrari US GP double podium",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/fred-vasseur-reveals-two-costly-moments-that-denied-ferrari-us-gp",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-26T21:37:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Motorsport.com",
    "slug": "motorsport-com",
    "url": "https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/fred-vasseur-blames-a-q3-disaster-and-a-broken-cadillac-for-robbing-ferrari-of-a-us-gp-win/10868569/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ferrari's US Grand Prix performance at the Circuit of the Americas showcased both success and missed opportunities. After a highly competitive weekend, the Scuderia was just two laps away from securing a double podium finish. However, a crucial decision during qualifying led to a costly moment that denied Ferrari the opportunity they so desperately sought.\n\nFrederic Vasseur, Ferrari's team principal, laid out the two key moments that ultimately cost them the double podium finish. The first issue occurred during qualifying when Ferrari failed to secure the right track position in Q3. This critical lap was considered the most important of the weekend, as it determined their starting grid position for the race. Missing out on this position forced Ferrari to burn their tires fighting through traffic, while their main rival, Charles Leclerc, cruised to the front unchecked.\n\nThe second moment of contention came during the race itself. With Lewis Hamilton on Leclerc's tail, the championship battle for the final podium spot was heating up. However, a late virtual safety car (VSC) completely altered the race dynamics. The VSC, triggered by Valtteri Bottas' mechanical failure, halted the action and neutralized the race, saving Max Verstappen's third-place position. Without this crucial pause, Hamilton would have had a better chance at securing that elusive double podium.\n\nDespite these setbacks, Vasseur remains optimistic about Ferrari's prospects moving forward. He acknowledges that the team's heavy investment in the aero upgrade package brought significant pace improvements. However, he emphasizes the need to fine-tune their strategies and execution to capitalize on this newfound speed. Vasseur believes that with a better performance in qualifying and avoiding more mechanical issues, Ferrari could very well be a dominant force at the upcoming Mexican Grand Prix.",
  "summary": "The United States Grand Prix was a wildly successful weekend for Ferrari, if you strictly go off the timing sheets. The newly upgraded car possessed blazing-fast race pace, tyre degradation was fully under control, and Charles Leclerc dragged his machine to a brilliant second-place finish behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. But inside the Scuderia garage, there is a lingering feeling of \"what ...…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}