Ferrari's Vasseur Shifts Focus to 2026 After Disappointing Season
Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur is taking a subdued, internal focus for 2026 after a disappointing fourth-place finish in 2025. He aims to avoid public hype and instead concentrate on car development and the new Hamilton-Leclerc partnership, marking a strategic shift from previous seasons.
Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur is adopting a more grounded, internally-focused strategy for the 2026 season, moving away from public championship declarations after a 2025 campaign that fell short of expectations. The team, which finished a distant fourth in the constructors' standings, is now concentrating on car development and optimizing the new driver pairing of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Why it matters:
This marks a significant tactical shift for Ferrari's leadership. After openly targeting championships in 2025 and raising fan expectations, the team's failure to deliver has prompted a more cautious, process-oriented public approach. Vasseur's renewed contract suggests the Scuderia believes in his long-term vision, but the pressure to convert potential into results by 2026 is immense, especially with major regulation changes on the horizon.
The details:
- Vasseur explicitly contrasts the team's mindset entering 2025 versus the upcoming cycle. He stated that last year, the team was already thinking about the final race in Abu Dhabi 2024 (as a title decider), whereas for 2026, "no one really knows."
- His current philosophy is to avoid wasting energy on external speculation and debate. Instead, he wants all efforts channeled into the team, car development, and fostering the new collaboration between seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
- Vasseur faced internal scrutiny during the summer as Ferrari's results lagged, with WEC boss Antonello Coletta reportedly considered as a potential alternative. The team ultimately reaffirmed its commitment to Vasseur by renewing his contract.
- The stark contrast between Ferrari's motorsport divisions is notable: while the F1 team struggled, its World Endurance Championship program secured both titles and a third consecutive Le Mans 24 Hours victory.
What's next:
The focus is squarely on the 2026 project, known internally as Project 678. This will be the first car developed under the full influence of Chassis Director Loic Serra, who joined from Mercedes in late 2024. The success of this new technical direction, combined with the performance of the highly anticipated Hamilton-Leclerc partnership, will determine if Ferrari's quiet, focused approach can finally return the team to consistent championship contention.