Minardi Advises Vasseur to Learn Italian and Be More Cautious After Ferrari's Tough 2025

Former F1 team owner Giancarlo Minardi has advised Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur to learn Italian and be more careful with his public statements following the team's difficult 2025 season. Minardi emphasized that empathy from the people within the team and the Italian public can be as valuable as a financial reward, suggesting Vasseur's integration is key to leadership.

Why it matters:

Ferrari's 2025 campaign was one of its most challenging in recent memory, failing to secure a single race victory and managing only seven podiums across 24 races. In this context, leadership stability and clear, consistent communication become critical for rebuilding team morale and public trust ahead of the major 2026 regulation changes.

The details:

• Minardi, founder of the former Minardi F1 team, pointed out a perceived inconsistency in Vasseur's public messaging. He noted that Vasseur had spent months stating the team was working to improve the SF-25, only to reveal later that development had been halted in April to focus entirely on the 2026 car.
• The core advice centers on cultural integration. Minardi stated, "In a competitive team, empathy is often worth as much, if not more, than a pay rise," directly linking Vasseur learning Italian to building that crucial empathy within the Maranello-based squad.
• The call for more cautious public statements highlights the intense scrutiny Ferrari's leadership faces. Every comment is dissected by media and fans, making consistent and transparent communication a strategic necessity, not just a formality.

The big picture:

Vasseur's tenure at Ferrari has been marked by a long-term rebuilding project, with the team consistently positioning the 2026 regulation reset as its primary target for a return to the front. The struggles of the 2025 car validate that strategic pivot but also increase pressure on the 2026 project to deliver immediate results. Leadership effectiveness, both internally with the team and externally with the global tifosi, is now under a microscope as the countdown to the new era begins.

What's next:

All eyes are on Ferrari's 2026 project, internally known as Project 678, which will be the first car developed under the leadership of Chassis Director Loic Serra. The success or failure of this car will likely define Vasseur's legacy at Maranello. In the interim, how Vasseur addresses this public advice—whether through language study or adjusted communication—will be watched as an indicator of his adaptability and commitment to steering the Scuderia out of its current competitive slump.