The first race weekend is fast approaching, and Ferrari has set the stage starting with today’s event in Milan, during which Fred Vasseur identified the key elements for Scuderia Ferrari in 2025.
This afternoon, the city of Milan was painted in the red that has always been associated with Scuderia Ferrari. Thousands of fans, armed with caps bearing the Prancing Horse emblem, gathered in the square in front of the Sforza Castle from early morning to secure the best spot to witness the event organized by the Maranello team to celebrate their partnership with UniCredit, the international banking institution, which, starting in 2025, also sponsors the team.
During the event, both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc had the opportunity to perform on a track specially set up near the square; first, they drove individually, with the British driver behind the wheel of the SF-21 and the Monegasque in the SF-90 – the car that gave him his first successes in the beloved Ferrari red – before coming together side by side, creating a surprising and emotional moment.
On stage at Piazza Castello, interviewed by the Sky Sport F1 Italia team and some selected fans from the audience, alongside the two Ferrari drivers was the team principal of Ferrari, who took the time to reflect on the previous season and identify the factors that will be decisive in this new Formula 1 season, which promises to be the most fiercely contested in recent years. Fred Vasseur’s serious answer came, but not before the French engineer also shared a laugh: “ The key factor? Scoring more points than the second! ” he said.
Fred Vasseur continued, “If you look at what we did last season, I believe we did a good job. It wasn’t perfect because we finished second, but consistency is more crucial than anything else. We had the pace to win, but not for the entire season. We had a period between June and July where we struggled a bit, and that cost us the championship. Consistency is the key factor. We know that, at the start of the season, there will be ups and downs, we’ll have good weekends and others that are more difficult. The key will be to manage the difficult ones well.”
Compared to 2023, Scuderia Ferrari made significant strides in terms of development during the past season, despite the tough period from the Spanish Grand Prix onward, coming just 14 points short of the World Championship. Looking ahead to 2025, however, the French team principal leaves no room for doubt. While keeping his feet firmly on the ground and acknowledging that making mistakes is human, he identifies the most important virtue for securing the Constructors’ Championship and speaks of consistency and refining the team’s problem-solving skills to manage the moments that don’t go as planned efficiently.
Now, after the shakedown at Fiorano and Ferrari’s event in Milan, the countdown begins for the first Grand Prix of the year at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne, where the real competition starts, and the potential of Maranello’s new creation, the SF-25, will begin to be seen.
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari HP.