Frederic Vasseur, team principal of Ferrari, has backed the team’s choice to direct all resources toward Formula 1’s 2026 regulations, even though this shift has led to a slump in performance. With restrictions on budget and aerodynamic testing, all F1 teams have had to make critical decisions as they prepare for the upcoming technical changes.
Vasseur confirmed that Ferrari decided to fully focus on the 2026 project by the end of April, which may have impacted their standing in the constructors’ championship. The team, which was in the running for second place just a month ago, has seen its performance falter in the last few races and is now certain to finish in fourth after a disappointing result in the Qatar Grand Prix.
Vasseur’s Insights on the Decision and Team Morale
When questioned if further development on the SF-25 could have yielded better results, Vasseur conceded, “Something was missing, probably yes, because at the end of the day when we decided to move on ‘26, it means that we were not confident to be able to catch McLaren before the end. It was the rationale behind the decision, and I think honestly today it was a good decision.”
However, Vasseur admitted that maintaining team morale was a challenge, particularly when the decision to stop development on the 2025 car was made. He noted, “What I underestimate probably personally is the fact that when you know that you won’t develop the car, it’s more difficult to keep everybody… motivated is not the right word when you are doing this job, but ‘with expectation’ I would say, and this is important.”
The decision has also affected Ferrari’s drivers, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who appeared noticeably frustrated at the Losail media pen as they faced difficulties with the unpredictable SF-25.
Emotional Reactions from Ferrari Drivers
Addressing the drivers’ frustrations, Vasseur explained that while the decision was logical, it was emotionally challenging for the team. “I would say that when you are taking the decision around the table – ‘we have this plan and we can do this, the gradient of development is this one for the new car, this one for the old car,’ ‘if you continue to develop the old car, you will catch up McLaren in 10 races or whatever’ – it’s a rational decision.”
He further emphasized, “When you are going to the TV pen, it’s an emotional comment. That’s life. I perfectly understand the emotion. It’s when they are speaking in the radio that they are putting so much energy into the weekend.”
Vasseur also noted, “Honestly, they are pushing Charles in the radio at the end of the race. He said, ‘I push like hell from lap one of Friday morning or Friday afternoon to the last lap of the race,’ and I think he was probably pushing more than on some weekends when he won races. I understand the frustration because you are pushing like hell to finish P8 or P9, as a driver, you can’t deal with this. But if you ask them today if you can redo the choice, I think they would be OK.”
Ferrari’s Struggles Linked to Set-Up Issues
As for Ferrari’s recent struggles, Vasseur attributed it to a set-up problem, stating, “It’s part of the game, part of the life of the team, that sometimes you are struggling a bit more to find the right window.” He went on to explain that in a more competitive field, even losing a fraction of performance could drop a team to the back. “The window is quite narrow. And the fact that the field is much tighter, [if] you lose two or three tenths you are at the back, it’s [been] like this from mid-season and it will be like this also in Abu Dhabi.”
Vasseur concluded, “If we don’t do a good job, it was true for Max [Verstappen] in Sao Paulo that you can be out in Q1 for a set-up issue. It was not true in the past – you had so much difference between the teams that even if you were two or three seconds out of the potential of the car, it was not a big drama. And today it is.”
Ferrari’s shift in focus toward the 2026 season reflects the increasing complexity of managing development under current F1 conditions, as the team seeks to balance short-term performance with long-term goals.
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