Fred Vasseur ahead of Barcelona: We at Ferrari must continue to focus on ourselves

The seventh round of the 2026 Formula 1 season takes place at the Spanish venue in Montmeló, a circuit regarded as one of the most complete tests on the calendar due to its mix of high, medium and low-speed corners and a long main straight.

Ferrari land in Spain after positive results in Monaco and Canada, with Vasseur believing there are grounds for optimism while warning against complacency: "We arrive in Barcelona after two race weekends in which we have shown encouraging signs in terms of competitiveness.

"In Monaco and Canada we got good results, but we know there is still a lot of work to do and that we must continue to focus on ourselves. As always, our objective will be to maximise the car's potential and continue making progress," Vasseur said.

Had fate not intervened at Monaco, the great Italian team might've had scored a double podium at the Monaco Grand Prix, last Sunday. Instead, Leclerc shunted while Hamilton finished P2, to score his 205th F1 career podium. The seven time F1 world champion has not won a GP since the Belgian GP in 2024, as a Mercedes driver.

The Barcelona-Catalunya circuit is familiar territory for teams and drivers and hosted the first official running of the new 2026 Formula 1 machinery during pre-season testing in January.

Its varied layout has traditionally made it one of the sport's benchmark venues, providing teams with a clear indication of a car's overall competitiveness.

Ferrari will also use the weekend to continue developing young talent, with Ferrari Driver Academy member Dino Beganovic scheduled to take part in Friday's opening practice session.

The 22-year-old Swede will replace Lewis Hamilton for FP1 as part of Formula 1's rookie driver requirements, which mandate teams to field less experienced drivers during selected practice sessions throughout the season.

Currently competing in Formula 2, Beganovic will make his first on-track appearance in Ferrari's SF-26 after previously working with the car only in the simulator.

While Barcelona continues to host a Formula 1 race this year, Spain's national Grand Prix has moved to Madrid for 2026, with the new Madring circuit due to stage the event in September.

The Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix remains on the calendar and marks the latest stop on the championship's European leg.

Track action begins on Friday with two practice sessions before qualifying on Saturday afternoon. Sunday's race will cover 66 laps of the 4.657-kilometre circuit, a total distance of 307.236 kilometres.

Ferrari heads into the weekend seeking to build on its recent momentum while continuing to close the gap to the front-runners in the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship championship.

Meanwhile, while P2 in the Consttriuctors' standings is flattering, their 165 points compared to leaders Mercedes on 244 is the reality, as is the fcat that Ferrari have not won a Grand Prix since Mexico 2024, when Carlos Sainz did the business for the Reds.