Fred Vasseur on Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton: pushing Ferrari to its limits in 2026. Fred Vasseur explains that Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton’s feedback is essential for improving the team.

Ferrari finally closes the 2025 season with a disappointing record. Out of 24 Grands Prix, the team managed only seven podiums, all delivered by Charles Leclerc. It has been a year to forget for the Scuderia, marked by clear struggles on track, communication issues, and public reprimands, including comments from Ferrari president John Elkann directed at the drivers.

From the high hopes of February, team morale gradually declined. However, team principal Frederic Vasseur assures that the factory effort remains at maximum capacity. The drivers are also doing their part, providing feedback that Fred Vasseur considers constructive and crucial for Ferrari’s development ahead of the 2026 season.

Fred Vasseur on the drivers’ role

“We keep moving forward. I would be devastated if the drivers told me that we’re doing a good job. For a driver, the summary of the season is always finding where we can improve. I’m not here to say we’re doing a good job. It’s in their DNA and mine to challenge the team to do better. They have to come to us and push the team to the limit everywhere,” Fred Vasseur told reporters.

“Their reactions on TV? I don’t pay much attention. They speak five minutes after the session, and sometimes emotions come out. The most important thing for me is to have a driver who pushes the team to work better, to collaborate fully, and to strive for better results. I think Max and Lando are pushing their teams to the limit: as an F1 team, that’s what we expect—it’s part of their job. It doesn’t matter if you’re in first or tenth, the debriefing at Alpine, Williams, Red Bull, or here is the same. We are simply trying to do better work in every pillar of performance: we all have to push.” – the French manager pointed out.

Fred Vasseur’s message is clear: a driver who is happy with a mid-grid car, something is seriously wrong. With a completely new technical package arriving in 2026, the Ferrari boss believes the constant pressure from two of the grid’s biggest talents is exactly the fuel Maranello needs to close the gap to the front.

After a season that started with genuine title hope and ended in disappointment, Fred Vasseur’s calm acceptance of driver criticism might just be the most positive sign coming out of the Scuderia this winter.