Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has surprised fans and the media with his comments on the Maranello team’s 2025 Formula 1 campaign, offering a clear attempt to defend his group and shield them ahead of the 2026 season.
The Scuderia left Las Vegas with Charles Leclerc finishing fourth and Lewis Hamilton securing eighth. Not exactly the results expected, especially considering that Sin City was seen as one of the circuits where Ferrari could potentially fight for victory or at least demonstrate the peak competitiveness of the SF-25 this season.
As the championship approaches its conclusion, Ferrari, which had started the season as the second-strongest team in the Constructors’ Championship, has struggled. In the last two races, Maranello has been overtaken by both Mercedes and Red Bull, now sitting fourth in the standings with limited opportunities to recover ground on their rivals.
From the very first races of 2025, it became evident that the SF-25 cars were not the machines expected before the start of the season, nor capable of occasional wins as their predecessor achieved in 2024.
This context makes Fred Vasseur’s comments after the Las Vegas Grand Prix stand out: “Certainly, we are not in a situation where we scored no points last weekend, but two weeks ago we were second in the championship. It’s not a complete disaster – for me, disaster isn’t the right word. The difficult part is that in the last two weekends we scored only six or seven points.” – the French manager pointed out.
“But before these recent races, in the Constructors’ Championship we were ahead of Mercedes and Red Bull – which means it’s not so dramatic. I fully understand that the drivers want more, and believe me, I am also quite strict during Monday morning meetings at the factory. But it is in our DNA to always want more, and I think on Monday morning even Max will try to get more from the team and from everyone to do better: this is the DNA of everyone in the paddock. It’s not a disaster.”
Fred Vasseur’s words are likely to spark debate, because calling the current season “not a complete disaster” may contradict the views and expectations of those who deeply care about Ferrari. However, it is important to remember that 2025 is nearly over, the championships have already been decided, and a critical technical and sporting challenge awaits that must be addressed correctly.
With the introduction of the new technical regulations on January 1, 2026, Ferrari will have the opportunity to start fresh, just like all other teams. Fred Vasseur trusts his team and knows that pointing fingers now would be useless, as the people involved are already committed to giving their best to restore the Scuderia to its rightful position at the front.
Protecting the team for 2026
It is clear that the French manager is protecting the members of the Racing Department, fully aware that Ferrari cannot afford to fail in the new technical cycle. Ensuring that the entire team rows in the same direction, towards the same objective, is now more important than ever.
Publicly tearing into engineers or strategists now would achieve nothing except fracture morale ahead of the most important technical challenge in years. Instead, Fred Vasseur is shielding his people, keeping heads clear and energy focused on the one goal that truly matters – making sure Ferrari hits the ground running when the new era begins in 2026.
Whether fans agree with the tone or not, the message from Maranello is crystal clear: no panic, no blame game, just full commitment to the next fight. The real judgement on this group starts in Bahrain next March.
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