Ferrari continue to search for solutions to the problems that have plagued both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc since the beginning of the 2025 Formula 1 season. The SF-25 had been billed as the car that could finally bring an end to Ferrari’s long wait for a world championship, but so far the reality has fallen well short of expectations.
After coming close to overtaking McLaren in the battle for second place in 2024, Ferrari entered this season with renewed hope. The arrival of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was expected to provide the final push to take the team back to the very top. At the same time, Charles Leclerc had closed the previous campaign in outstanding form, arguably as one of the fastest and most consistent drivers on the grid. However, despite such strong foundations, the early months of 2025 have not unfolded as Ferrari had planned.
As the calendar moves deeper into the season, the Scuderia are still waiting for their first race victory of the year. With McLaren maintaining an imperious run of performances, there is a growing fear within the paddock that Ferrari could end the campaign winless before Formula 1’s regulations are reset in 2026. Team principal Frédéric Vasseur recently extended his contract to lead Ferrari into this new era, but alongside the optimism about long-term leadership comes a wave of questions about how he intends to turn the team into a consistent, championship-winning outfit.
Among those offering their views is former Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, who believes that the solution to Ferrari’s struggles may be simpler than many expect. According to Villeneuve, the key lies not in radical technical innovation, but in the driver-engineer relationships at the heart of the team’s race operations.
Villeneuve’s advice: change Hamilton and Leclerc’s race engineers
During coverage on Sky Sports F1 ahead of the third free practice session at Zandvoort, Villeneuve was asked what three changes he would make at Ferrari to help them rediscover a winning edge. The Canadian champion responded by suggesting that Ferrari should consider replacing both Hamilton’s and Leclerc’s race engineers. In his view, the team would benefit from engineers who connect better with the drivers and allow them greater freedom to work in partnership. Villeneuve stressed that too much interference from outside voices was limiting performance and that what Ferrari really needed was a stronger, more natural bond between the drivers and their immediate trackside engineers.
Lead commentator David Croft interpreted Villeneuve’s point as an argument against micromanagement, highlighting that the priority should be putting the right people in the right roles. Villeneuve agreed, insisting that Hamilton and Leclerc should be trusted to build an effective working relationship with their engineers without an external third influence trying to manage both cars identically. He concluded his comments by noting that beyond such changes, the rest would be down to hope, patience, and the natural progression of the team.
The current engineer pairings at Ferrari
The subject of Hamilton and Leclerc’s race engineers has already drawn significant attention this season, largely because both drivers have frequently expressed frustration over team radio about ongoing issues with the SF-25.
Lewis Hamilton, who made the high-profile switch from Mercedes to Ferrari this year, is now working with Riccardo Adami. This represents a major change for Hamilton, who had spent more than a decade alongside his trusted race engineer Peter Bonnington at Mercedes. Adami, who was recommended to Hamilton by Sebastian Vettel following their collaboration at Ferrari, is an experienced figure, but their partnership has not yet developed the same chemistry that Hamilton once enjoyed with Bonnington. Throughout 2025, several of Adami’s radio calls have been criticised for being unclear or confusing, and although Hamilton has publicly stated that there is no personal issue between them, the lack of natural synergy has been evident.
On the other side of the garage, Charles Leclerc continues to work with Bryan Bozzi, who replaced long-time engineer Xavi Marcos last season. Rumours have circulated for months that the relationship between Leclerc and Bozzi is not entirely smooth. Despite Ferrari’s attempts to make adjustments behind the scenes in order to support both drivers more effectively, tensions remain, and the communication has not always appeared seamless during key race moments.
Villeneuve’s comments underline a broader concern that Ferrari’s internal structure is still not functioning in the most effective way. In his view, the issues cannot simply be blamed on car performance, but also on the operational and interpersonal dynamics within the team. For him, it is the responsibility of Fred Vasseur to address these problems without delay if Ferrari are to give their star drivers the platform they need to fight consistently for victories.
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