Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has fired back at Mercedes boss Toto Wolff's comments on the Scuderia's aggressive car upgrades during the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Vasseur spoke at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone after Wolff expressed surprise following the Austrian Grand Prix that Ferrari could deliver major updates while staying within the $215 million cost cap.
"I find it quite ironic coming from Toto and Mercedes," Vasseur said. "When Red Bull is developing, or when Mercedes is developing, they are a genius - when we are developing, we are cheating."
Vasseur rejected any suggestion of exceeding the budget, calling the remarks ironic and urging calm. He noted that Ferrari had not brought more parts than rivals and stressed the value of early upgrades with much of the season remaining.
"We are all in the same boat that if we can bring something at the beginning, we do it," he added. "It's better to have a couple of tenths for five races than just a couple of tenths for the last two."
