Important words from French Team Principal Fred Vasseur, who defends Ferrari and the SF-25 despite the lackluster results achieved so far
The 2025 F1 season is drawing to a close. For many fans of the Prancing Horse, the instinct is to say “finally,” following a season to forget for the Rossa—yet another one in Maranello.
Indeed, 2025 has proven to be another year of unkept premises (and promises), of a long-awaited World Championship (missing since 2008) that was never even a realistic prospect given the car’s performance. It has been a year of many lows and few highs, accompanied by a climate of profound instability within the entire Scuderia.
Despite this, Fred Vasseur’s position—which appeared to waver in the early months of the season—remains firm and stable looking ahead to 2026, a year in which there is truly no more room for error. However, the mood and morale at Maranello do not seem to bode well.
Vasseur’s Words: “2025 Was Not a Drama”
The French Team Principal, now in his third season at the helm of Ferrari following the four-year tenure of Mattia Binotto, was very candid at the end of the Las Vegas GP. A few hours ago, he spoke once again about the SF-25’s season, now in its closing stages.
These were his words, as also reported by Motorsport.com, reflecting on the weekend just concluded in Las Vegas: “Certainly, we are not in the situation of having scored no points like last weekend, but two weeks ago we were second in the championship. It’s not that it was a complete disaster: for me, ‘disaster’ is not the right word, but the difficult part is that in the last two weekends we totaled only 6 or 7 points“.
This was followed by a rather controversial reflection on the team’s 2025 campaign: “But before these last races, in the Constructors’ Championship, we were ahead of Mercedes and Red Bull, which means it’s not that dramatic. Now, I perfectly understand that the drivers want to achieve more and, believe me, I am also a bit strict during the Monday morning meeting at the factory“.
“But it is in our DNA to want to achieve more in any case, and I think that on Monday morning even Max [Verstappen, Ed.] will try to get more from the team and from everyone to do better: this is the DNA of everyone in the paddock. Our 2025 is not a drama “.
These words will certainly give pause for thought and spark discussion, yet they confirm the significant internal contradictions among the Scuderia’s top management. On one side, President Elkann continues to demand more from the drivers and the team; on the other, the pit wall appears to defend the positive aspects of this 2025 season. Assuming there really is something positive. And perhaps that is precisely the great doubt that remains.
Photos: Scuderia Ferrari HP
