Ferrari struggles continue as Fred Vasseur resists major changes amid John Elkann pressure
At the start of the 2025 Formula 1 season, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur believed the Scuderia would be genuine contenders for both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships. However, as the season unfolds, the iconic Italian team finds itself fighting not for titles, but merely for a second-place finish in the standings. The gap between expectation and reality has left Ferrari fans and insiders questioning whether the Maranello outfit can regain its former dominance.
McLaren has continued its strong performance in 2025, clinching the constructors’ championship at the Singapore Grand Prix and successfully defending the trophy they narrowly won over Ferrari by just 10 points last season. This year, the gulf between Ferrari and McLaren has widened dramatically, with the Woking-based team leading by an astonishing 352 points. With six Grands Prix and three Sprint races remaining, the Scuderia now faces an uphill battle to maintain second place, as Mercedes has cut the deficit to 27 points and Red Bull has also narrowed the gap to just eight points. Over 18 rounds in 2025, Ferrari has amassed 143 points fewer than they did across the same number of races in 2024, highlighting a steep decline in competitiveness.
The drivers’ championship is equally out of reach for Ferrari stars Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. The Monegasque currently sits fifth in the standings, trailing McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by 163 points with a total of 173 points, while Lewis Hamilton ranks sixth with 125 points. The dream of reclaiming the drivers’ crown now appears highly improbable, given the substantial advantage held by the front-runners and Ferrari’s ongoing struggles with car performance.
Ferrari’s 2025 campaign has also been marked by a lack of victories, leaving the Scuderia as the only team among F1’s current top four without a Grand Prix win this season. Charles Leclerc has contributed all five of Ferrari’s podium finishes, underscoring his status as the team’s key performer. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton’s sole highlight came in China, where he secured a victory in the F1 Sprint during the second round of the season, emphasizing the challenges both drivers face in extracting maximum performance from the underperforming SF-25.
According to recent reports from the Italian news media outlet Autosprint, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has refrained from demanding substantial changes that could improve the team’s performance. Sources indicate that within Maranello, there is a pervasive hesitation to speak out, with staff and management alike wary of upsetting Ferrari chairman John Elkann. This cautious approach has created a risk-averse environment in the Scuderia’s Gestione Sportiva headquarters, making it difficult to implement bold technical or strategic changes that might restore Ferrari to the front of the grid.
This culture of caution has also hindered Ferrari’s ability to recruit top engineering talent from rival teams. Over the past year, several high-profile figures turned down Ferrari offers: Adrian Newey opted to join Aston Martin, Gianpiero Lambiase remained at Red Bull, and Giuseppe Pesce stayed with McLaren. Ferrari’s challenges have been compounded by the loss of some of their own senior engineers to competitors, creating a talent gap that could impact the team’s ability to adapt to the new 2026 F1 technical regulations.
The pressure on the French manager is mounting, despite having signed a contract extension in July that runs through 2027. The 57-year-old, who was brought in to stabilize Ferrari after years of inconsistency, now faces renewed scrutiny as chairman John Elkann reportedly considers a high-profile replacement. According to sources, Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, could be available to join Ferrari as early as 2026, following an agreement to shorten his “gardening period” with Red Bull. Horner, 51, has built a reputation as one of the most successful figures in modern Formula 1, and his potential arrival highlights Elkann’s determination to restore Ferrari to championship-winning form.
Elkann’s commitment to reviving Ferrari is clear. The Italian powerhouse has now endured a 17-year drought in constructors’ championships, having last won the title in 2008. The drivers’ championship has been even longer in coming, with Kimi Raikkonen’s 2007 triumph over Lewis Hamilton by a single point remaining Ferrari’s most recent drivers’ crown. For Fred Vasseur and the Scuderia, the 2025 season has become a litmus test: failure to turn performance around could lead to significant leadership changes and a complete re-evaluation of the team’s strategy as Ferrari eyes the technical reset of 2026.
With the championship deficit growing and internal pressures mounting, Ferrari faces a critical crossroads. The team must balance cautious management under Fred Vasseur with the urgent need for competitive upgrades and strategic decisions. How Maranello navigates these challenges in the final stages of the 2025 F1 season may well determine whether Ferrari can once again challenge for world titles and reclaim its status as Formula 1’s premier team.
