Frédéric Vasseur reflects on a disappointing season for Ferrari. It seems like only yesterday that Lewis Hamilton made his entrance in Maranello and posed for the legendary house of founder Enzo Ferrari. However, during 24 Grand Prix, the team rarely delivered; the Scuderia ended up in a mediocre fourth place in the championship, far behind McLaren and Red Bull. Vasseur acknowledges the disappointment and shifts the focus entirely to 2026.
According to Fred Vasseur, the year started off on a low note and the team never really became competitive again. “The season was generally difficult; from day one in Bahrain, the pace was not magical,” he sighed after the final race in Abu Dhabi. “The start of the season was also very tough for us, with the disqualification in China. Lewis Hamilton won the sprint race in Shanghai, but was disqualified during the main race, just like teammate Charles Leclerc. “After a few races, McLaren had already built up a lead of a hundred points,” Vasseur lamented. “But we are competitive. We want to achieve results and win races.”
The Ferrari team boss pointed out that the margins in Formula 1 were particularly small this year, so every mistake was ruthlessly punished. “In the end, one tenth nowadays makes the difference between P6 and P16. We saw that again in Abu Dhabi in Q1,” he continued. Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in the first qualifying round at Yas Marina for the third time in a row; an absolute low point for the seven-time world champion. “I think only McLaren and Max Verstappen had some room to correct mistakes at the end of the season. That’s the reality of Formula 1.”
Role of the Drivers
In the second half of the season, there was much discussion about the comments from Hamilton and Leclerc. Both expressed their dissatisfaction with the pace of the SF-25, which led to criticism from the top of Ferrari. “Less talk, more racing,” CEO John Elkann was quoted as saying in November. However, Vasseur emphasized that he wants his drivers to remain critical to help the team progress. “I would be devastated if the drivers told me we were doing well. At the end of the day, it’s up to them to say where we need to improve. I’m not here to proclaim that everything is going well. It’s in their DNA – and in my DNA – to motivate the team to perform better.”
For Vasseur, this is even an essential part of the premier class. “The most important thing for me is that a driver spurs the team on to do better work, to collaborate, and to achieve better results. Lando Norris and Max also push their teams to the limit; you can expect that from a Formula 1 team, it’s part of their job.” With this thought in mind, Ferrari is clearly focusing on the new era of 2026. According to Vasseur, the new regulations will bring about major changes within the team. “I think the philosophy behind next year’s car will be completely different,” he concluded significantly.
