Frederic Vasseur explains Ferrari’s culture shift: “We can’t be afraid to innovate”. Ferrari’s mindset revolution: Frederic Vasseur explains why the team must take more risks.

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has been working to break a mindset that was too cautious when it came to innovation

Vasseur working to reshape Ferrari’s mentality

During the opening phase of the 2026 Formula 1 season, Ferrari has stood out not so much for its results, but for its willingness to introduce innovative technical solutions. From the much-discussed “Macarena” front wing to the small winglet mounted near the exhaust—an idea influential enough that the FIA is reportedly considering banning it from next season—Ferrari has shown a growing appetite for experimentation.

These are not revolutionary game-changing concepts, as team principal Frederic Vasseur likes to point out, but they reflect a constant search for marginal gains and, more importantly, a broader cultural shift inside the Scuderia.

For too many years at Maranello, the willingness to experiment appeared more limited than at rival teams, perhaps due to a fear of failure. It is precisely this approach that Frederic Vasseur, with support from Loïc Serra, has been determined to overturn. Now in the fourth year of his leadership, the Frenchman’s influence is becoming increasingly visible.

Frederic Vasseur’s comments

“It’s not that there was a culture of fear or of pointing fingers at someone, but perhaps we were a little too defensive,” Frederic Vasseur explained in an interview with The Race.

“The first thing that struck me when I joined the group was the margin we were leaving ourselves on every single issue, simply because we didn’t want to expose ourselves. So, to be safe, we would add an extra kilogram of weight, or half a litre of fuel, open up the sidepod more, or something else. And when you put everything together, it was worth two tenths.”

The Ferrari team principal then underlined just how significant those margins can be in modern Formula 1.

“You always need some safety margin—you can’t run at zero. But between zero and two tenths, there’s one tenth. And when you consider that the average gap between us and the teams ahead of us last year was three hundredths of a second, you can imagine the impact one tenth can have over a season.”

Frederic Vasseur made it clear that changing this mentality remains one of his core objectives.

“I’m trying with all my strength to convince everyone that this mindset is fundamental to the success of the project. And it’s also Loïc’s mentality. We have to push as hard as possible in terms of innovation, without fear. If an engineer has something to propose, they should say it. We never blame anyone if someone has an idea and it doesn’t work. We’ve already seen some examples on the SF-26, and more will come.”

As Ferrari continues to evolve under Fred Vasseur’s guidance, the focus on marginal gains marks a significant departure from the conservative strategies of the past. By fostering an environment where technical risks are encouraged rather than penalized, the team is positioning itself to be more agile in the 2026 development race. With new upgrades on the horizon and a refined architectural philosophy, the Prancing Horse aims to close the gap to the frontrunners by turning “defensive tenths” into aggressive performance gains.