Minardi urges Vasseur to learn Italian and be more cautious with public statements
Giancarlo Minardi has advised Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur to learn Italian and be more consistent in his public statements, following a winless 2025 season. He criticized Vasseur for initially claiming development continued on the SF-25, only to later admit it was halted in April to focus on 2026.
Former F1 team boss Giancarlo Minardi has publicly advised Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur to learn Italian and be more careful with his media statements, following a challenging 2025 season for the Scuderia. Minardi's comments highlight a perceived disconnect between Vasseur's earlier public assurances and a later admission that Ferrari had halted 2025 car development much earlier than stated.
Why it matters:
Minardi's critique touches on leadership and communication within one of F1's most historic and scrutinized teams. His suggestion that "empathy is often worth as much, if not more, than a pay rise" points to the cultural and human elements of team management that are critical at Ferrari, where fan and media pressure is immense. The call for linguistic integration underscores the unique relationship between the team and its passionate Italian support base.
The details:
- Minardi, founder of the former Minardi F1 team, directly questioned the consistency of Vasseur's public messaging during the 2025 season.
- He pointed out an apparent contradiction: Vasseur had spent months stating the team was working to improve the SF-25, only to reveal in the autumn that development had actually been stopped in April to focus entirely on the 2026 project.
- This admission came after a difficult season where Ferrari failed to secure a single race victory and managed only seven podium finishes across 24 Grands Prix.
- The 78-year-old's advice extends beyond language, emphasizing the value of empathy with the team's personnel and a more measured approach to public communication.
The big picture:
The 2025 season represented a significant setback for Ferrari, marking a clear performance gap to the front-running teams. Minardi's comments reflect a broader discussion about the team's direction and leadership under Vasseur. The decision to abandon the SF-25's development early, while strategically focused on the major 2026 regulation change, contributed to a stagnant competitive position throughout the year, fueling external criticism and internal pressure for a major turnaround.
What's next:
All attention at Maranello is now firmly on the 2026 season and the new technical regulations. The success or failure of that project will be the ultimate measure of Vasseur's strategy and leadership. In the interim, building team morale, managing external expectations, and demonstrating clear progress will be as crucial as the technical work underway for Ferrari's hopeful resurgence.