Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur likely did not enjoy how qualifying unfolded at the 4.909-kilometre Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix last weekend.
For the first time in Ferrari’s history, neither of their drivers started in the top 10 at Imola. Lewis Hamilton delivered an excellent performance to finish fourth on Sunday, while Charles Leclerc appeared more frustrated, crossing the line in sixth.
Both drivers were unhappy with their one-lap pace at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, a recurring issue throughout the 2025 season.
Hamilton and Leclerc currently rank fifth and seventh respectively in average qualifying position this season, including Sprint qualifying sessions.
The seven-time world champion is even behind Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli in that classification, underscoring how hard it has been for Ferrari to extract performance from the SF-25 over a single lap. The team seems to struggle with getting the most out of new tyres, which could explain why they appear more competitive mid-race.
Fred Vasseur and his technical team at Maranello are frantically searching for answers as to why they’ve fallen so far down the pecking order since last season.
It seems that a key figure involved in the design of last year’s car, who has since left the team, is now being blamed for Ferrari’s current difficulties.
Fred Vasseur ‘blaming’ Enrico Cardile for Ferrari’s 2025 F1 struggles
A report from Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport has shed more light on what’s happening behind closed doors at Ferrari.
According to the report, Fred Vasseur’s public statements are “not convincing” many observers that the team fully understands the root of the car’s problems. Furthermore, they suggest that Vasseur has been “busy blaming” former technical director Enrico Cardile for the poor state the team finds itself in this year. Enrico Cardile joined the Maranello team’s F1 program in 2016 after spending more than a decade working on the company’s GT car projects.
He served as head of the aerodynamics department until last season, before being hired by Aston Martin as their new chief technical officer.
Ferrari has prevented Cardile from starting work at Aston Martin until July of this year. He joins high-profile names like Andy Cowell and Adrian Newey as part of Lawrence Stroll’s ambitious project.
However, Italian daily newspaper Il Corriere dello Sport questions how the former Ferrari technical director can be blamed for this season’s shortcomings, considering he was among those who helped Ferrari make significant progress during the second half of last year.
Will Enrico Cardile be a success at Aston Martin alongside Adrian Newey?
Cardile will be under pressure to deliver results quickly once he begins working at Aston Martin this summer.
Newey is reportedly focusing exclusively on Aston Martin’s 2026 car, as the technical regulations change over the winter.
Still, it’s been speculated that Newey may have been consulted regarding this year’s Aston Martin after their strong update package at Imola.
Aston Martin currently boasts one of the strongest technical teams in the paddock. Andy Cowell, once a highly sought-after figure, is now also part of the Silverstone-based outfit. There are questions, however, about whether Newey and Cardile will be able to collaborate smoothly, given their differing philosophies on aerodynamics. Nevertheless, if Ferrari continues to struggle and results don’t improve, Fred Vasseur pointing the finger at a former technical leader may not be well received by upper management.
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