The Qatar Grand Prix effectively closed Ferrari’s 2025 season, leaving the team unable to secure second place in the Constructors’ Championship. Overtaking Red Bull for third place now appears highly unlikely, given the current form of the RB21 and, in particular, Max Verstappen, who will be targeting the major prize in Abu Dhabi. Frederic Vasseur’s team now has a single objective: to finish this entirely negative season as positively as possible. Unless a miracle occurs, Ferrari will end the year with zero victories and just one pole position. The season has been disappointing, plagued by issues, and it has noticeably affected the drivers’ morale, and not just theirs.
The standout Italian performance in Qatar came mainly from Leonardo Fornaroli, who mathematically clinched the Formula 2 title, while Kimi Antonelli delivered a strong showing in Formula 1. It was impossible not to ask Ferrari’s Team Principal about potential interest in the young Italian driver. Fred Vasseur replied: “There was certainly interest, but we already have Rafael Camara, who won Formula 3 and will compete in Formula 2 next year. He will likely take part in a few FP1 sessions with us and certainly some TPC tests. We also have Ollie Bearman. We don’t think it makes sense to have too many young drivers under contract with us.”
The decision to halt development and the high-pressure challenges in Qatar
As noted immediately after the race, Vasseur identified the tyres as one of the main problems of the weekend. Pirelli’s regulations, which were 6 psi higher than those typically used throughout the season according to Vasseur, created difficulties for the Maranello engineers. “It felt like we were driving on balloons, and we could never hit the right window.” The Frenchman did not hide that this situation affected all teams, adding honestly: “We worked worse than others.”
Vasseur explained that the team tried to reverse the SF-25’s settings without success. Between Qualifying and the Sprint Race, parc fermé regulations limited adjustments, and in FP1, they could not even work optimally. “We had a power steering issue as well, which contributed to the setup problems this weekend,” he said. On race day, the feelings were “marginally” better, to use Fred Vasseur’s words, but clearly still far below expectations.
There has been much discussion recently about Ferrari’s decision to stop development in April, as Fred Vasseur revealed. “This only partially explains our problems,” he clarified. He emphasized that the Scuderia had reached the podium or been in contention in Austin, Mexico, and Brazil, while the last two weekends were more challenging, especially in Lusail. “No upgrades were brought; the cars are the same. It’s something related to the track, the setup, and, as I mentioned, the tyre pressures that caused us difficulties.”
Andrea Stella also highlighted the extreme competitiveness of the grid, which exposes teams to major risks if the work is not perfect. “In Qualifying, from P5 to P16, there were only two-tenths of a second. A small mistake can cost you ten positions. In the past, even differences of 2–3 seconds didn’t matter, but not anymore.” Fred Vasseur frequently referenced Brazil to illustrate this point: “You can see where we were in Brazil and what happened to Verstappen, eliminated in Q1.” The poor start to the weekend essentially condemned Ferrari, as the team was too far behind to recover.
Focusing on 2026 and driver support
Regarding the development halt, Fred Vasseur was clear: “We certainly missed something because we decided to focus on 2026, as we understood it wasn’t possible to catch McLaren.” The decision was made collaboratively, involving the drivers, who hope their sacrifices will pay off with better results on track next year. Fred Vasseur also defended Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, saying he fully understands their frustration. “If I had done the interview immediately after the race from the pit wall, I would have said the same things.”
He empathized with how Leclerc must feel after repeatedly pushing “like an animal” via radio, only to finish P8 or P9, “pushing harder than in races he ultimately won.” Despite current struggles, the former Renault and Alfa Romeo chief remains convinced that the decision was correct, even if he admits underestimating the psychological aspect. “Not in terms of motivation, but expectations. Not developing for so long was challenging. I remain convinced that if we asked the drivers today, they would make the same decision again.” He emphasized that post-race or radio comments are emotional, while strategic decisions are rational.
SF-25 in Qatar and lessons from Verstappen
Despite this ‘handicap,’ the SF-25 in Qatar was too poor to be credible, and setup and tyre pressures overshadowed the absence of upgrades. “The cars are the same as a week ago. I don’t think Red Bull or other teams brought upgrades.” Fred Vasseur highlighted Max Verstappen and Red Bull as examples of resilience: “In Budapest, they were P10–P11, but then they returned to winning races. Outside comments don’t help, but we need to stay in our bubble, united, and react together as a team.” Ferrari aims to finish the 2025 season positively, heading to Abu Dhabi with the goal of a stronger weekend.
Qatar race: limited overtaking and DRS changes
Ferrari’s struggles were compounded by the circuit layout, Pirelli’s lap limit, and the Safety Car. Despite Sprint Race adjustments, the SF-25 struggled to maintain an ideal tyre window, making overtaking nearly impossible. “Sprint data shows degradation of 0.020 per lap, less than the fuel effect per lap. Degradation was almost negligible.” Fred Vasseur cited dirty air as the main limitation during the race, noting how George Russell improved by 1 second when in clean air after Hadjar’s problem. The race effectively became a DRS train for all 57 laps.
“The worst scenario was a Safety Car on lap 7, as everyone would have pitted, forcing a second stop on lap 32 and a 25-lap second stint. That’s what happened,” Fred Vasseur explained. The Hulkenberg–Gasly incident further flattened the race, ruining Ferrari’s aggressive strategy with Lewis Hamilton starting on Soft tyres. McLaren’s alternative strategy failed to pay off. “Perhaps they feared penalizing a driver in pit lane; we clearly believed pitting under the Safety Car was best.”
DRS zones were another topic. Unlike previous years, the zone was reduced and not extended during the weekend. Fred Vasseur opposes these mid-weekend changes. “These decisions should be made at the start of the year, not discussed each weekend. If you have an advantage in Qualifying, like us in 2023, you push to shorten the DRS zone. Conversely, in a race, it’s different. Changes should only be for safety.” He cited Australia as an example, where the FIA removed a DRS zone due to high-speed bouncing issues.
Asked whether next year’s regulations might help overtaking on tracks like Lusail, Fred Vasseur responded: “At the start of the year, it will be a bit chaotic, with everyone developing their own energy strategies. Then there will be a rapid convergence in performance and race management. DRS zones won’t be the main topic.”
