Patrese Calls for Strong Technical Leader at Ferrari After Tough Season
F1 veteran Riccardo Patrese says Ferrari needs a "strong technical leader" like Ross Brawn, criticizing team boss Fred Vasseur for being "slow to react" after a winless 2025 season where the team finished fourth.
Former F1 driver Riccardo Patrese has highlighted a critical need for strong technical leadership at Ferrari, pointing to team principal Fred Vasseur's perceived slow reactions as a key issue following the team's winless and disappointing 2025 season.
Why it matters:
Ferrari's failure to win a race and its fourth-place finish in the 2025 Constructors' Championship marks a significant low point, intensifying scrutiny on its management structure. Patrese's public critique underscores a growing sentiment that the team's technical direction and decision-making speed are not at the level required to challenge for titles, putting immense pressure on the current leadership to demonstrate a clear path forward.
The details:
In comments to Quotidiano Nazionale, the 71-year-old former Williams driver dissected Ferrari's recent struggles. While acknowledging Vasseur's effort since taking over in January 2023, Patrese was blunt about the results.
- He pointed to "clear shortcomings in the Scuderia’s management" during the 2025 championship.
- Patrese specifically criticized Vasseur's pace, stating, "In general, Fred has seemed slow to react to difficulties so far."
- He emphasized that in F1, "it’s essential to create a close-knit working group," identifying this as a core responsibility of the team principal.
The big picture:
Patrese's comments tap into a recurring narrative about Ferrari's operational challenges. He explicitly called for leadership in the mould of Ross Brawn, the architect of Brawn GP's 2009 championship miracle, and praised Andrea Stella's transformative impact at McLaren. This comparison frames Ferrari's problem not just as one of car performance, but of strategic vision and technical authority. The call for a "strong technical leader" suggests a belief that the team's hierarchy needs a figure who can decisively guide car development and race strategy.
What's next:
The pressure is now squarely on Fred Vasseur and the Ferrari management to respond in the off-season. The team must prove it can address the identified reaction-time issues and build the cohesive, technically-driven environment Patrese described. All eyes will be on the development of the 2026 car and whether Ferrari can show the decisive leadership required to return to the front of the grid.