Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has faced criticism following the disappointing end to the Scuderia’s 2025 F1 season, which saw them finish without a race win and in fourth place in the constructors’ standings. Former driver Riccardo Patrese believes that Ferrari needs strong technical leaders like McLaren’s Andrea Stella to turn their fortunes around.
At the beginning of the 2025 season, Ferrari had high hopes of challenging for the championship after narrowly missing out the previous year. However, the SF-25 struggled on track, with Charles Leclerc claiming all seven of Ferrari’s podium finishes while Lewis Hamilton had a challenging debut season without a single podium.
Patrese acknowledged that the blame for Ferrari’s struggles cannot solely be placed on Fred Vasseur. He mentioned that while Vasseur has been slow to react to difficulties, the team lacks a clear technical reference point, which is crucial in modern Formula 1.
He emphasized the importance of creating a cohesive working group and the need for a strong technical leader within Ferrari. Patrese pointed to Andrea Stella’s success at McLaren, where he played a key role in the team’s consecutive constructors’ titles in 2024 and 2025.
While there have been suggestions that Ferrari could have addressed their leadership issues by signing renowned designer Adrian Newey, Patrese believes that the focus should be on improving the internal structure rather than relying on individual names.
Fred Vasseur took over as Ferrari’s team principal in 2023 and saw initial success with a race win that year. However, the team faltered in 2024 and 2025, ultimately finishing fourth in the constructors’ standings. Despite the disappointing results, Ferrari extended Vasseur’s contract in July 2025 ahead of the 2026 regulation changes.
Vasseur explained that Ferrari’s decision to shift focus early in the 2025 season towards the 2026 regulations had a significant impact on their performance. While mechanical updates continued, aerodynamic development was frozen, posing a challenge in maintaining motivation throughout the season.
Looking ahead to the new season, Ferrari’s focus is now on whether their early sacrifice in 2025 will pay off under the new regulations. With pre-season testing approaching, the team aims to translate their efforts into a more competitive package on track.
The future of Ferrari under Fred Vasseur’s leadership remains uncertain, but the team is hopeful that their strategic decisions will lead to improved performance in the upcoming season.
