What Frederic Vasseur has ordered Ferrari staff to do behind the scenes after double DNF in Canada

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Ferrari came into the Canadian Grand Prix off the back of one of their best weekends in F1’s ground effect era. Charles Leclerc had won his home race in Monaco, with Carlos Sainz coming home third to give the Scuderia a double podium.

They had closed to within 24 points of a deeply out-of-sorts Red Bull in the constructors’ championship, sparking talk of their first title since 2008. There were even murmurs about a fight for the drivers’ crown as Leclerc cut Max Verstappen’s lead to 31.

Some saw Ferrari as the favourites in Montreal, another track that didn’t appear particularly well-suited to the RB20. Indeed, Verstappen missed out on pole for just the second time this season, and he needed errors from rivals to win the race.

But Ferrari weren’t there to capitalise on Red Bull’s vulnerabilities. Instead, they endured their poorest weekend of the season so far, both in terms of performance and points.

Leclerc expressed his frustration on the radio after the team used up their new tyres on the first run in Q2 before slipping into the elimination zone. But in truth, they had been struggling for pace ever since the final practice session.

The race itself ended in a double DNF for the first time since the 2023 Australian GP. Leclerc slipped out of points contention because of an engine issue and a mistaken gamble on the slick tyres, while Sainz crashed out at the turn six and seven chicane.

Ferrari now in ‘race against time’ to bring upgrade to Spanish Grand Prix

According to Formu1a.uno, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has taken decisive action after their Montreal woes. He’s ordered them to bring forward an upgrade that wasn’t due to go on the car until the British Grand Prix at the start of July.

Instead, he wants the ‘most important’ new parts ready for the next race in Spain, the first leg of a triple-header. This has sparked ‘very frenetic’ scenes at their Maranello base.

• READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

Ferrari’s staff face a ‘race against time’ to meet the request, with the production department in for ‘a lot of work’. The aim of the updates is to find a ‘better aerodynamic compromise’ for the SF-24.

Barcelona was a weak circuit for the Italian marquee last year, with Leclerc suffering a shock Q1 exit and only managing to finish 11th. Sainz qualified 2nd alongside Verstappen but ended up slipping to P5 in the race.

Ferrari part comes under scrutiny from Red Bull

The Canadian GP weekend was a timely reminder of what it takes to keep up with Red Bull. Ferrari need a versatile car that can compete at each race weekend, and they need to cut out operational errors too.

Ferrari introduced their first major upgrades of the new season at Imola last month, but it wasn’t until the following race in Monaco that they made a noticeable step forward. They might not expect an immediate upturn from the next raft of developments, then, particularly if they have to be rushed through.

But the earlier they get them on the car in a representative F1 session, the sooner they will be able to understand and optimise them. It’s clear that Vasseur is impatient as he bids to make the Prancing Horse the class of the field once again.

One part on the SF-24 has already caught the eye of Red Bull. Rival engineers have spotted the front wing flexing significantly, and this has led to ‘heated discussions’ in the paddock about compliance with the regulations.

Helmut Marko expects his team to reassert themselves at ‘classic’ venues like Barcelona, Spielberg and Silverstone after struggling (by their standards) at ‘atypical’ tracks. It will be particularly significant, then, if Ferrari can keep the RB20 in their sights in the coming weeks.