Jean Alesi has not held back with his fierce criticism of Ferrari after the Qatar Grand Prix in Formula 1. The former driver described Ferrari’s attitude as “embarrassing” and highlighted the questionable explanation given by Frédéric Vasseur, who had pointed out that development of the SF-25 had effectively stopped months ago. According to Alesi, this was a “very weak excuse” used to cover up the team’s failures.
Between Las Vegas and Lusail, Ferrari has been hit by yet another storm. Results are not arriving, the frustration of the drivers is becoming increasingly obvious, and for Frédéric Vasseur it now seems harder than ever to calm the waters, both outside and inside Maranello. All eyes have been fixed on 2026 for a long time already, effectively accepting sporting defeat in the battle with McLaren.
The issue is that the SF-25 has not only been beaten by the McLaren MCL39 this year. Mercedes and Red Bull will also finish ahead of the Prancing Horse in the constructors’ standings, denying the Scuderia the minimum objective repeatedly promoted by the team principal himself. While Brackley and Milton Keynes continued to work on their cars, Ferrari shifted all its resources to next season as early as April.
Alesi: “Ferrari embarrassing, I’m worried about the future”
After the Qatar Grand Prix, Jean Alesi painted a troubling and unsettling picture in the pages of the Corriere della Sera. The former Ferrari driver first praised Max Verstappen, a driver who “never gives up, pushes the team forward and is in perfect symbiosis with the people around him,” before highlighting the difficulties of the Scuderia.
“I thought that the criticism expressed by the president toward the drivers would have pushed the team to react and to give Leclerc and Hamilton a more competitive car. Instead, in Qatar we witnessed the worst Grand Prix in living memory. A complete disappointment for us fans, both thinking about how Ferrari appeared on track at the start of the season and how it behaved afterwards.”
“Lewis may have some responsibility, but he has won seven World Championships, while Ferrari had not won anything. And that is not all: I am seriously worried about the future. Saying that all development was interrupted to prepare next year’s car seems like a very weak excuse. All the teams carried out double work in 2025, improving on track while also pushing ahead with their 2026 car. Ferrari’s attitude makes me think of an embarrassing attempt to protect this failure.”
With only Abu Dhabi left, the focus inside Maranello is already fully on the new regulations. But for Jean Alesi – and a huge section of the Ferrari faithful – abandoning the fight so early has left a bitter taste that won’t disappear overnight.
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