Ferrari's 2025 Season: Not a 'Complete Disaster' Despite Struggles
Despite driver complaints and a drop to fourth in the Constructors' Championship, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur insists the 2025 season is "not a complete disaster." He highlights the team's recent position ahead of rivals and frames driver frustrations as a natural drive for more, as Ferrari battles to recover ground in the final races.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has pushed back against the notion that the 2025 season has been a "complete disaster" for the Scuderia, even as their hopes of a championship podium finish have diminished in recent weeks. This comes amidst driver frustrations, with Lewis Hamilton calling it his "worst season ever" and Charles Leclerc decrying the team's qualifying speed as "f***ing embarrassing."
Why it matters:
Ferrari's performance in 2025 has been a rollercoaster, sparking internal criticism and external speculation about the team's direction. While currently sitting fourth in the Constructors' Championship with two races remaining, their position highlights the fierce competition at the top and the challenges they face in closing the gap to rivals like McLaren, Mercedes, and Red Bull. The contrasting views between team management and drivers underscore the high stakes and expectations within the legendary F1 outfit.
The details:
- Ferrari is currently fourth in the Constructors' Championship with 378 points, trailing Red Bull by 13 points and Mercedes by 53 points. They have exactly half the points of the championship-winning McLaren team.
- Ferrari is the only team in the top four without a Grand Prix win this season.
- Driver Frustrations: Lewis Hamilton described the season as "terrible" and his "worst ever," while Charles Leclerc called Ferrari's qualifying speed "f***ing embarrassing."
- Ferrari president John Elkann recently stated that some individuals within Ferrari are "not up to par," following the team's World Endurance Championship double.
- Vasseur's Defense: Fred Vasseur acknowledges recent tough weekends where the team scored only six or seven points. However, he emphasized that Ferrari was second in the championship just two weeks prior (after the Mexican Grand Prix), ahead of Mercedes and Red Bull, indicating the situation isn't as dire as perceived.
- He explained that drivers' desire for more is part of their "DNA," a sentiment shared even by top performers like Max Verstappen, and is not necessarily a sign of internal "drama."
The big picture:
The 2025 season has been a period of both promise and disappointment for Ferrari. Despite showing flashes of pace, inconsistencies and critical race incidents have prevented them from solidifying a top-three position. The double DNF at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, where Leclerc was taken out and Hamilton retired due to crash damage, proved particularly costly, dropping them from second to fourth in the standings. Mercedes' subsequent double podium in Las Vegas further widened the gap, highlighting the unforgiving nature of championship battles in Formula 1.
What's next:
With only two races left in the season, Ferrari's immediate focus will be on maximizing points to salvage their position in the Constructors' Championship. While a championship podium seems increasingly out of reach, strong performances in the remaining events could build momentum for the upcoming 2026 season. The team will undoubtedly be analyzing their performance data to identify key areas for improvement, aiming to address both reliability and pace issues to ensure a more consistent and competitive challenge in the future. The pressure remains high on Vasseur and his team to deliver results that match the Scuderia's illustrious history and the ambitions of its drivers.