Stefano Domenicali outlines what Ferrari must change to bring Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc back into Formula 1 title contention

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has offered a detailed assessment of Ferrari’s current situation, sharing his perspective on what the iconic Italian team must do to return to the summit of Grand Prix racing. Speaking during an interview on Radio24’s Tutti Convocati, the former Ferrari team boss reflected on the Scuderia’s prolonged championship drought and the ingredients he believes are essential for restoring sustained success.

Few figures in modern Formula 1 understand Ferrari’s internal dynamics as deeply as Stefano Domenicali. As the last team principal to guide the Maranello squad to a Constructors’ Championship in 2008, his views inevitably carry significant weight—especially at a time when expectations remain enormous following the arrival of Lewis Hamilton alongside Charles Leclerc.

Stefano Domenicali believes Ferrari need stability, not short-term reactions

Ferrari’s inability to consistently convert promise into championships has become one of Formula 1’s defining long-term storylines. Despite multiple driver line-ups, technical restructures, and leadership changes over the past two decades, the Scuderia has repeatedly fallen short when measured against rivals that built stronger long-term foundations.

According to the former Ferrari team boss, the central issue is not simply finding one exceptional individual capable of transforming results overnight, but creating a structure built on continuity, cohesion, and long-term execution.

He suggested that modern Formula 1 no longer allows for the kind of one-person technical revolution some fans still imagine, arguing instead that championships are won by highly coordinated organisations rather than isolated brilliance.

In his view, Ferrari must complete the same organisational puzzle that rival front-running teams have already managed to assemble—a process that is not optional for a team carrying Ferrari’s historical expectations, but essential.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc need Ferrari’s wider project to deliver

Stefano Domenicali’s comments also indirectly underline the reality facing Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in 2026. While elite drivers can elevate performance, even the strongest driver pairing on the Formula 1 grid cannot consistently compensate for structural shortcomings across development, execution, and technical decision-making.

Lewis Hamilton arrived at Ferrari with the ambition of pursuing an unprecedented eighth world championship, while Charles Leclerc remains determined to finally convert his long-term Ferrari journey into a genuine title-winning campaign. But Stefano Domenicali’s message was clear: driver talent alone will not be enough.

Ferrari must function as a complete high-performance machine if Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are to challenge the likes of Mercedes, McLaren, and Red Bull across a full championship season.

Stefano Domenicali still sees a route back into the 2026 Formula 1 fight

Despite Ferrari’s mixed start to the campaign, the Italian manager appeared far from writing off the team’s season. Speaking both as Formula 1 CEO and as someone who openly retains emotional ties to Ferrari, he indicated that a strong result in the coming rounds could rapidly alter the competitive narrative.

He reportedly believes that momentum in modern Formula 1 can shift quickly, particularly before the championship enters its decisive summer phase, where upgrades, circuit characteristics, reliability swings, and execution can dramatically reshape the standings.

That perspective reflects a wider truth about contemporary Formula 1: early setbacks do not necessarily define the final championship picture, especially when the competitive margins between the leading teams remain relatively tight.

Ferrari’s long-term challenge remains bigger than one season

Beyond immediate race results, Stefano Domenicali’s comments highlight Ferrari’s broader identity challenge. For a team with unmatched heritage, global support, and extraordinary resources, simply being competitive is rarely enough. Ferrari is judged by championships.

The expectation surrounding Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc only intensifies that reality.

If Ferrari is to return to the top of Formula 1, Stefano Domenicali believes the solution lies not in emotional resets or headline-grabbing declarations, but in building the kind of stable, technically unified, relentlessly efficient organisation that modern championship success demands.

For Ferrari fans, that may not be the quickest answer—but according to one of the few men who actually delivered titles in Maranello, it may be the correct one.