Ferrari told to replace Fred Vasseur with an Andrea Stella-like leader by former F1 driver

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has faced criticism following the disappointing end to the Scuderia’s 2025 F1 season, which saw them fail to secure a race win and finish fourth in the constructors’ standings. Former driver Riccardo Patrese believes that Ferrari lacks strong technical leaders like McLaren’s Andrea Stella.

At the start of the 2025 season, Ferrari had high hopes of challenging for the championship after narrowly missing out on the constructors’ title the previous year. However, the SF-25 struggled to perform consistently throughout the campaign. Charles Leclerc was the only driver to secure podium finishes for Ferrari, while Lewis Hamilton had a challenging debut season, failing to reach the podium for the first time in his career.

Patrese pointed out that the blame for Ferrari’s struggles cannot be solely placed on Fred Vasseur. He mentioned, “Is it all Vasseur’s fault? No. The Frenchman is certainly paying for everything now. He’s been there since January 2023, so he’s had time to build. But in general, Fred has seemed slow to react to difficulties so far.”

According to Patrese, Ferrari’s main issue lies in the absence of a clear technical leader, a crucial element in modern Formula 1. He emphasized the need for a strong technical reference point within the team, similar to what McLaren has with Andrea Stella. Stella’s role in McLaren’s success, transitioning from a performance engineer to Team Principal, highlights the importance of having a strong technical leader in place.

Patrese dismissed suggestions that Ferrari could have solved their leadership issues by signing someone like Adrian Newey, emphasizing the need for a cohesive internal structure rather than relying on individual names.

Fred Vasseur took over as Ferrari’s team principal in 2023 and initially showed promise, with the team securing a race win that year. However, Ferrari’s performance declined in the following seasons, culminating in their fourth-place finish in 2025. Despite the disappointing results, Ferrari extended Vasseur’s contract in July 2025 ahead of the 2026 regulation changes.

Vasseur explained that Ferrari’s decision to shift focus early in the 2025 season towards the 2026 regulations had a significant impact on their performance. The team redirected resources and froze aerodynamic development to prepare for the upcoming changes, a move that Vasseur admitted had psychological consequences on the team.

With the 2026 F1 season approaching, Ferrari’s attention now turns to whether their early sacrifices in 2025 will pay off with a more competitive car under the new regulations. As pre-season testing looms, Ferrari will be eager to see if their strategic decisions will yield positive results on the track.

Overall, Ferrari faces a challenging road ahead as they aim to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 season and compete at the highest level in Formula 1. The team’s success will depend on their ability to address internal issues and build a strong technical foundation under Fred Vasseur’s leadership.