A curious backstory has emerged regarding the renewal of Fréd Vasseur’s contract at Ferrari, which has triggered a collateral impact for the Scuderia looking ahead to 2026. Here’s how it unfolded.
The Prancing Horse announced Frederic Vasseur’s contract extension just before the Hungarian Grand Prix, following several weeks of speculation. Ferrari’s decision on the renewal caused a collateral effect due to its timing, and the full story is now coming to light.
Several months ago, controversy erupted over the possibility of Frederic Vasseur leaving at the end of 2025. Antonello Coletta, head of Ferrari Hypercar, was rumored to be the primary candidate for the role. Despite this speculation, on which the Team Principal took a very firm stance, the renewal was eventually confirmed. Among the TP, management, and drivers, a pact was established that involved the Scuderia’s internal structure. Vasseur has already made several personnel changes, both incoming and outgoing. The restructuring of the team will continue, but did the contract extension come at the wrong moment? Giuliano Duchessa, journalist at AutoRacer.it, shared his thoughts during his latest YouTube live session.
“This caused a loss of six to eight months…”
“To strengthen the team, alternatives are needed, and we know it’s not easy to bring people to Ferrari. Vasseur stated that he has hired 60 people, some of whom are yet to join because the process takes time due to gardening rules, and there are no major names yet.” It’s important to note that Maranello is far from the factories of British teams, which are often just a few kilometers apart. Attracting engineers from the UK is becoming increasingly difficult for Ferrari. Additionally, another factor could have compromised Ferrari’s 2026 prospects.
“Vasseur’s renewal had somewhat peculiar timing. A renewal at the start of the year, rather than at the contract’s expiration, would have allowed better planning of certain operations, giving Fred Vasseur the authority to convince key figures to join Ferrari who might not have been persuaded by a manager nearing contract end. This caused a loss of six to eight months, which is huge in Formula 1, and it is possible that this delay prevented the arrival of more important personnel,” concluded the journalist.
It should be highlighted that Fred Vasseur will have the final say on technical decisions for the 2026 project. The command structure is pyramidal, with the other two top figures being Franck Sanchez (Head of Aerodynamic Development) and Loic Serra (Technical Director, Chassis).
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