With 2025 already set aside, Ferrari is putting everything on 2026. The next season could be a make-or-break moment for team principal Frédéric Vasseur.
The 2026 season will be a real test for Ferrari: the new technical regulations will bring major changes, and the team will be judged from the very first races not only on results but also on its ability to react and stay united. In such a turbulent context, according to Jenson Button, internal leadership and the atmosphere inside the garage will be decisive factors for the Scuderia’s path forward.
The start of the 2026 Formula 1 season will be a crucial test for both Ferrari and Fred Vasseur. That is the view of former world champion Jenson Button, who believes the team is entering a delicate and decisive phase in its sporting history. According to the British driver, the Scuderia must prove that it has built a solid foundation after a 2025 season marked by inconsistency and growing internal pressure. Button, now an analyst for Sky Sports F1, hopes that Vasseur will be able to “weather the storm” and guide the team toward renewed stability.
“You can’t be afraid to fail,” said Button. “And that’s what I sense at Ferrari. I think a lot of people are afraid of being pushed out the door, and that’s not a healthy feeling for a team at this level. You need consistency in every department — only then does trust grow, even between the drivers.”
“I hope they stay united for the entire next season because between the first and the last race a lot of things will change. It’s a great team with strong leadership, and I don’t think there’s a better driver pairing than the one they have now.”
Expectations were high at the start of the year. After narrowly missing the constructors’ title in 2024, finishing just 14 points behind McLaren, Ferrari seemed ready to return to the top. The arrival of Lewis Hamilton had reignited enthusiasm in Maranello, forming with Charles Leclerc one of the strongest driver pairings on the grid.
Reality, however, turned out to be more complicated than expected. The SF-25 has struggled to show its potential, delivering inconsistent results that now see Ferrari slipping to fourth place among the leading teams. At present, the Scuderia trails McLaren by 352 points, with Mercedes ahead and Red Bull dangerously close, just eight points behind.
Charles Leclerc has secured five podium finishes, while Lewis Hamilton has only one victory — in the Sprint race in China — and has yet to reach the podium in a Grand Prix. This situation is increasing the pressure on Vasseur despite his contract renewal signed in July.
The car’s technical difficulties and the lack of clear answers on how to improve it have created uncertainty within the team. This could complicate preparations for 2026, when the new technical regulations will come into force.
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