Ferrari’s 2025 Formula 1 campaign will be remembered as one of the most disappointing in the team’s modern history, despite the enormous expectations created over the winter. The words of Frederic Vasseur and both drivers had suggested a convincing, well-structured project capable of taking the Scuderia back to the top. The arrival of Lewis Hamilton had ignited unprecedented enthusiasm around Maranello, but the reality of the season quickly brought everyone back down to earth.
Ferrari, the view of the former insider
Lewis Hamilton experienced a difficult season from start to finish, ending without a single podium in a Grand Prix and taking only one success in the Sprint Race in China. The SF-25 did not live up to expectations, leaving the British driver fighting in the midfield on too many weekends. Charles Leclerc, more accustomed to navigating inconsistent seasons, collected seven podiums but could not do much more. Ferrari, expected to be a title contender, instead slipped to fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship.
According to engineer Luigi Mazzola—a key figure of the Schumacher era and part of Maranello from 1988 to 2009—the Scuderia’s campaign was far below the minimum standard. “Ferrari was the disappointment of the championship,” he told his friend and colleague Fabrizio Cicciarelli of Il Tempo. “Not only for the fans, but because this car went from fighting for a world title to finishing fourth, with Lewis Hamilton never able to show his real value. The technical inconsistency is deeply rooted now, especially in trackside management.”
The seven-time world champion paid the price for a combination of factors: a difficult car and a slow adaptation to the internal dynamics of Maranello. Luigi Mazzola did not mince his words: “Ferrari never managed to find the thread to untangle things. You cannot end up in Q1 in qualifying with Leclerc among the top six or seven. I cannot question a seven-time world champion, so I must question the technical management, and it leaves me perplexed.”
Many had imagined an impact similar to the Schumacher era, with Lewis becoming the natural leader of a new cycle. Luigi Mazzola, however, urged a more realistic interpretation: “The problem is that Hamilton today is slower than Charles Leclerc, who is the only one at Max Verstappen’s level, and therefore he loses authority in being followed. Michael was clearly superior to his teammates, and that made it natural for the team to be guided by him.”
Mazzola: “Ferrari lacks a technical director who can lead his army”
The question of Ferrari’s technical culture—and the key differences compared to British-based teams—remains central. Luigi Mazzola, now a regular pundit on Sky’s Race Anatomy, dismantled several clichés: “Italy has excellent engineers. But if you fail to win with Vettel or Alonso and several technicians leave, a reputation forms. Those who arrive want full freedom. I thought Newey would come to Ferrari to end his career by winning, but he wasn’t given guarantees of autonomy.”
One of the biggest issues, according to the former Ferrari engineer, is the absence of strong, authoritative technical leadership: “The first thing I notice is the lack of a technical direction. On paper there is Loic Serra, but we have barely seen him. A technical director must manage the team and the strategy with a clear pyramid structure, involving his ‘army’. Brawn did this incredibly well—he made you feel important and pushed you forward.”
Luigi Mazzola also highlighted the importance of being physically present in the factory: “You need someone next to the people who work day and night to understand them and motivate them. Looking at this year’s development path, I’m not convinced that such a presence exists. It’s just a feeling—I’ve been out for a long time—but after a season like this, it’s hard to believe the structure is functioning as it should.”
Looking ahead, 2026 will represent a decisive crossroads for Ferrari and for Fred Vasseur: “A regulation change this big always helps those behind. If Ferrari is not competitive, I can’t imagine they will continue with this organization,” Luigi Mazzola concluded. The new car—designed in a fragmented environment full of uncertainties—will determine whether the current project has a solid foundation or whether the team will need yet another managerial shake-up, the latest in the past twelve years.
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