Mistakes of the past
Since becoming Ferrari team principal, Fred Vasseur has navigated the team through difficult spells.
After securing just one race win in 2023, Ferrari rallied to secure five victories in the following season. Vasseur’s team was within touching distance of the constructors title, narrowly missing out at the final race in Abu Dhabi.
Still, the 57-year-old received near unanimous approval after his first two campaigns in charge of the Maranello team. Unfortunately for the Frenchman, an underwhelming 2025 season has led to a sense of anxiousness and impatience returning.
The 2026 regulations were always going to be critical, but Ferrari’s absence from recent title fights has increased the pressure heading into this season.
Ironically, the changes Vasseur has implemented at Ferrari will only start being truly felt. The SF-26, for example, is the first car that Technical Director Loic Serra has completely overseen throughout its development.
Other changes to the team’s organisational structure, ushered in by Vasseur, will only take effect in 2026. In this sense, even a poor season does not necessarily invalidate all the work Ferrari has done behind the scenes.
More generally speaking, any changes to the Scuderia’s leadership could trigger another lengthy rebuild and period of introspection. The last decade would suggest this is ultimately a counter-productive course of action.
However, the dynamics surrounding the Maranello team appear increasingly black and white. Only an SF-26 capable of winning races can safeguard Ferrari from a potentially volatile twelve months.
Main photo: Scuderia Ferrari Media Gallery
