Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur is optimistic that the team’s bold decision to debut its latest rear suspension upgrade at the Belgian Grand Prix will deliver stronger results in Hungary, where slow-speed corners dominate.

Ferrari introduced the new component at Spa-Francorchamps despite the challenges of the Sprint weekend format, which limited practice time. The risk appeared to pay off with Charles Leclerc finishing third, while Lewis Hamilton recovered from a poor qualifying to secure seventh place.

“You have some upgrades that work from lap one, and others need more fine-tuning,” said Vasseur. “We’re still in the process of understanding the behaviour and adjusting factors like ride height and brake balance.”

Vasseur admitted a traditional race weekend would have been ideal for rolling out the upgrade. “But we don’t control the calendar,” he said. “It was still the right call to do it in Belgium to prepare better for Budapest.”

Leclerc echoed Vasseur’s sentiment, saying the new suspension should prove more effective at the twisty Hungaroring circuit. “We still have room to improve in low-speed corners, but I’m confident the data collected at Spa will help us take a step forward,” Vasseur added.

Meanwhile, Hamilton continues to push for progress in his debut Ferrari season. “I refuse to be another driver who comes here and doesn’t win a title,” said the seven-time world champion, who has been actively providing feedback to engineers.

Former teammate Nico Rosberg praised Hamilton’s commitment. “He’s still motivated, and Hungary is one of his strongest tracks,” Rosberg said, predicting Hamilton could end his podium drought this weekend.