Former Formula 1 driver Karun Chandhok has urged Ferrari to learn from its recent history and avoid repeating the technical and strategic inconsistencies that have prevented the Scuderia from ending its long-standing Formula 1 World Championship drought. According to the Indian former racing driver and broadcaster, the Maranello team must ensure it does not fall into the same pattern of development volatility that has undermined previous title campaigns.
Ferrari’s last championship success dates back to 2008, when the Italian team secured the Constructors’ Championship. Since then, despite multiple competitive phases, Ferrari has been unable to convert performance peaks into sustained title challenges, leaving them without a Formula 1 World Championship for nearly two decades.
In the current 2026 Formula 1 season, Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have managed to secure podium finishes in each of the opening three rounds. However, despite this consistency, the team has been unable to match the outright performance of Mercedes, who have dominated the early part of the season with victories across all Grands Prix so far.
Ferrari development concerns highlighted by Karun Chandhok
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Karun Chandhok questioned the long-term potential of Ferrari’s current project, particularly in the context of Formula 1’s evolving technical regulations. He reflected on Ferrari’s performance trajectory during the previous regulatory cycle, noting how quickly their early competitiveness faded.
Karun Chandhok explained that Ferrari entered the 2022 Formula 1 season with one of the strongest packages on the grid and, for a significant portion of the year, possessed what appeared to be the fastest car. However, he also emphasized that operational errors, strategic missteps, and reliability concerns ultimately prevented the team from sustaining their early advantage.
As the season progressed, Ferrari’s performance level declined steadily, allowing rivals to close the gap and eventually surpass them in the development race. Karun Chandhok expressed concern that a similar pattern could emerge again if Ferrari fails to maintain stability across the full 2026 Formula 1 campaign.
He stressed that avoiding a repeat of that downturn should be a key priority for the Scuderia, especially given the increased competitiveness of the current field and the fine margins separating the leading teams.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc expected to deliver championship results
Karun Chandhok also underlined that Ferrari has no structural excuse for underperformance in Formula 1, given the scale of its resources, technical infrastructure, and driver line-up featuring Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. In his view, the combination of elite driving talent and financial strength should consistently place Ferrari in championship contention.
He noted that Ferrari possesses one of the strongest operational foundations in the sport, including world-class facilities, extensive engineering expertise, and one of the largest budgets on the Formula 1 grid. Despite this, the team has repeatedly fallen short of converting potential into titles.
Karun Chandhok highlighted the paradox of Ferrari’s recent history by pointing out that even smaller or less resource-heavy projects, like Brawn GP’s championship-winning campaign, have achieved Formula 1 World Championship success more recently than Ferrari. This comparison, he argued, illustrates how unexpected Ferrari’s long title drought has become in modern Formula 1.
He concluded that Ferrari should not be viewed as an underdog in any sense. Instead, the expectation should always be that Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are fighting at the very front of the Formula 1 World Championship, competing directly for both Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles each season.
For the Italian side, the challenge moving forward in the 2026 Formula 1 campaign is not only to match Mercedes’ current dominance, but also to ensure that development consistency, operational execution, and strategic clarity are maintained throughout the year. Only then, according to Chandhok, can the Scuderia realistically end its long wait for another Formula 1 World Championship.
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