F1 | Vasseur: “I understand the drivers’ frustration, we need to react”
The Qatar Grand Prix marked what was probably the lowest point of Ferrari’s 2025 Formula 1 season, with Charles Leclerc finishing only eighth and almost a full minute behind the race winner. This result also mathematically confirmed that the team cannot do better than fourth in the Constructors’ Championship.
The Qatar weekend was, without doubt, one of Ferrari’s most disappointing events of the year. While the Chinese Grand Prix had brought the frustration of a double disqualification for excessive plank wear, the pain was softened by Lewis Hamilton’s Sprint victory — the only bright moment of an otherwise forgettable 2025 so far. Under the floodlights of Lusail, however, the situation collapsed completely. Across both the Sprint and the Grand Prix, Ferrari collected only four points thanks to Charles Leclerc’s eighth place, finishing almost one minute behind Max Verstappen.
This small haul confirmed Ferrari in fourth place in the Constructors’ standings. Red Bull, boosted by the Dutchman’s victory, extended the gap to +44 points with only 43 left to fight for next weekend in Abu Dhabi. The outcome is undeniably disappointing for team principal Frederic Vasseur, who highlighted how severely the SF-25s suffered from the extremely high tyre pressures imposed by Pirelli on a track so demanding that it even forced a mandatory double pit stop for all teams.
“Honestly there is nothing positive to take away from this weekend, which we already knew was going to be more difficult than the previous ones. We weren’t able to find the right setup at any point. We struggled a lot to get the car into the proper operating window with the very high pressures imposed for this Grand Prix, and we took a clear step backwards compared to the previous races. Two races ago we were still on the podium, and now we were fighting for tenth place, so it was definitely a difficult weekend,” Fred Vasseur told Sky Sport F1.
However, the Frenchman hopes things will return to normal next week at Yas Marina for the final race of the season. “I think this weekend, not just for us but for everyone, was mainly about the tyre pressures, which were much higher than in previous races. Next week we return to standard conditions, and we can hope that the best team will win.”
When asked whether it is more important right now for Ferrari to remain calm or to ensure that the 2026 car will be competitive, he replied: “I think it’s a bit of everything together. We certainly need to react as a team, and I completely understand the frustration of the drivers, the engineers and the mechanics after a weekend like this. But starting tomorrow morning we will go back to work to do our best in Abu Dhabi. As you know, 99% of our workload is already focused on next year, so we must prepare the full potential of the 2026 car.”
Finally, Fred Vasseur addressed the very difficult moment Lewis Hamilton is experiencing, with three Q1 eliminations in the last two weekends: “It all comes down to the fact that the last two weekends have been difficult for us. Both cars were much further back, and that made life a lot harder for everyone. Obviously the frustration increases when you get knocked out in Q1. We need to react and work even harder starting tomorrow. It’s a key aspect for Abu Dhabi, but also for the winter and for all of us. We have to remember that more than 1,000 people are working very hard at the factory, and we must push everyone in the same direction.” – the French manager concluded at the end of the Qatar Grand Prix.
