Jacques Villeneuve has expressed criticism over the ongoing disappointments at Ferrari. The 1997 Formula 1 World Champion does not understand why the Italian team, despite years of mistakes, still does not learn from the past. “Ferrari cannot afford to focus solely on 2026.”
“Ferrari never learns,” Villeneuve believes. “They always create expectations that they subsequently cannot meet. In 2023, they claimed to have built the fastest Formula 1 car ever, but that SF-23 turned out to be terrible. They keep making the same mistake. And I don’t understand why.”
Even in 2025, Ferrari cannot meet high expectations. Charles Leclerc has only been on the podium three times so far, and Lewis Hamilton’s sprint victory in China has so far been nothing more than a band-aid on the wound. The pressure is therefore increasing in Maranello, the position of team boss Fred Vasseur is reportedly even under pressure, and according to Villeneuve, that is completely logical.
However, the Canadian understands that Vasseur is backed into a corner. “In theory, it would make sense to focus entirely on 2026. But Ferrari cannot afford that luxury. Not for themselves and certainly not for the Italian fans,” Villeneuve states. “Vasseur is now in his third year. That is usually the moment when Ferrari bosses are fired. The pressure is only now really being felt.”
According to Villeneuve, Ferrari is a team of extremes: “Either you achieve exceptional success and become a hero, or you’re out – just like Vettel, Alonso, Prost, and Mansell.”
