Luigi Mazzola interview: Ferrari and Frederic Vasseur facing the ultimate test amid pressure and title ambitions
The Miami Grand Prix left a bitter feeling inside Ferrari, and while technical discussions continue to dominate the Formula 1 paddock, another question is becoming increasingly impossible to ignore: what does the future hold for Frederic Vasseur as team principal of the Scuderia?
Expectations around Ferrari’s long-term project had been extremely high, especially after John Elkann publicly pointed toward 2026 as the target for a genuine Formula 1 world championship challenge. Yet after another frustrating weekend, doubts are inevitably growing.
Now, former Ferrari engineer Luigi Mazzola, drawing from decades of experience inside Maranello, has offered a brutally honest yet realistic analysis of Ferrari’s internal situation, the mounting pressure surrounding Frederic Vasseur, and the complicated future facing the Scuderia leadership.
Frederic Vasseur: a gamble that is currently failing?
Frederic Vasseur arrived at Ferrari with the responsibility of rebuilding the team. Over time, he gradually shaped the organization around his own vision, bringing in many trusted figures and establishing what Luigi Mazzola describes as a very clear structure.
However, according to the former Ferrari engineer, the results achieved so far have not matched the expectations or the ambitious statements made at the beginning of the project.
“By now Vasseur has fully installed his own team, many French people if we want to say it clearly, many French figures,” Mazzola explained. “He built his entire structure and placed all his bets on this season because, if I’m not mistaken, this is already Vasseur’s fourth year at Ferrari. So he bet on this year being the one where Ferrari could truly fight to win.”
Mazzola then offered a very direct assessment of Ferrari’s current competitive situation.
“At the moment, it feels like a bet that has partly failed, because yes, Ferrari has scored a few podiums, but one driver struggles while the other, if everything goes perfectly, maybe finishes third and sometimes second — and even that is becoming increasingly difficult now.”
According to Luigi Mazzola, the biggest issue is that replacing the French manager would not simply mean changing one person at the top of the organization. It would potentially trigger another complete restructuring cycle inside Ferrari.
“Changing him means changing everything,” Mazzola warned. “You can say many things about Vasseur, but you cannot say he is not intelligent or not careful with the decisions he makes. He built his entire structure around himself. So if you replace him, you replace the entire system, and then you begin another cycle lasting three or four years all over again.”
Pressure and important appearances: signs Ferrari cannot ignore
Pressure has always existed at Ferrari, but according to Luigi Mazzola, the way that pressure manifests itself has changed dramatically over the years.
The former Ferrari engineer recalled an era in which the direct involvement of Ferrari’s top leadership created a constant atmosphere of urgency and accountability throughout the team.
“Back then, in situations like this, you had a president who would literally grab you by the ear and tell you clearly that things were not going well,” the former Ferrari engineer said. “He was present, constantly pushing people because he had charisma, authority, and real understanding of Formula 1. The pressure inside Ferrari at that time was enormous.”
Mazzola then looked back at the Ferrari years dominated by Jean Todt and Michael Schumacher.
“There were people still working in the office at nine, ten, even eleven o’clock at night. You had no free time. Everyone was completely focused on finding performance.”
The presence of both John Elkann and Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna during the Miami Grand Prix weekend did not go unnoticed inside the paddock either.
“In Miami they were both there — John Elkann and Vigna,” Luigi Mazzola observed. “And it was not exactly a great result. Not good, not even close. We are in the territory of bad, although not catastrophic yet. I do not know whether their presence was a sign of support or whether they went there to fully understand what is happening.”
The statement sounded like a clear indication that tensions inside Ferrari may be increasing behind the scenes, especially as the pressure to deliver results continues to grow.
The Ferrari work culture during the winning years
Mazzola also compared the current Ferrari environment with the Scuderia’s famous winning era, which began in 1997 and eventually led to years of domination in Formula 1.
According to him, one of Ferrari’s greatest strengths during that period was the team’s extraordinary ability to improve continuously throughout the season.
“If we look at the beginning of the winning era from 1997 onward, Ferrari initially was not at the level needed to win,” Luigi Mazzola explained. “But during the season the improvement was absolutely incredible.”
He emphasized the immense amount of work that took place both at the racetrack and during private testing sessions.
“There was an enormous amount of work happening on track, at Fiorano, Mugello, and many other circuits. People were working relentlessly. Rory Byrne would suddenly appear with the ‘double six’ concept, and it was almost frightening when he approached you because you already knew he had come up with another huge improvement.”
Mazzola described Byrne’s influence almost as a source of both inspiration and fear within Ferrari’s technical department.
“The moment Rory Byrne started talking to you, you immediately thought: what has he invented this time?”
Yet Mazzola openly questioned whether modern Ferrari still possesses that same mentality and hunger.
“Does all of that still exist today? I honestly do not know,” he admitted. “Development begins with ideas, but turning those ideas into reality requires enormous work. You must design components, produce them, test them, improve them constantly. I do not know whether that same environment still exists today at Ferrari. Maybe yes, maybe no.”
McLaren and Andrea Stella: the benchmark Ferrari should study?
Ironically, Mazzola pointed toward McLaren as the current example Ferrari should perhaps analyze most carefully — especially because Andrea Stella, now leading McLaren’s Formula 1 project, previously worked closely with him inside Ferrari.
“Andrea managed to find the right approach immediately,” Luigi Mazzola said. “He already understood exactly what a Formula 1 car needs. He worked with the right drivers, with important drivers who gave him valuable feedback, and he has always worked very closely with trackside operations.”
Mazzola believes Stella’s greatest strength lies in his ability to identify problems quickly and react decisively.
“He immediately understands where the important areas for improvement are and where the deficits compared to competitors exist,” he explained.
Then came perhaps the most uncomfortable question of all for Ferrari supporters.
“Does the same situation exist inside Ferrari today? I honestly do not know.”
A difficult road ahead for Ferrari and Frederic Vasseur
The uncertainty surrounding Frederic Vasseur’s future therefore remains unresolved, hanging over Ferrari like a warning sign at a crucial moment for the Scuderia project.
Mazzola delivered one final reflection that perfectly summarized the current risk Ferrari faces.
“Ferrari is in a dead-end situation right now,” he concluded. “You made a huge bet on a certain direction, and if the results do not arrive, then it becomes extremely difficult to escape from that road without another complete revolution. And then suddenly you are talking about rebuilding everything again until 2034.”
The pressure inside Maranello is growing rapidly, and the coming months may prove decisive not only for Ferrari’s competitiveness, but also for the future of Frederic Vasseur himself.
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