The prediction game in Formula 1 is a dangerous one, but that has not stopped McLaren’s Andrea Stella from publicly suggesting Ferrari will take at least one victory before the end of the 2025 season. It is a statement that might give the tifosi a flicker of hope, yet Ferrari team boss Frédéric Vasseur is not so quick to jump aboard the optimism train.

Speaking with a measured tone, Vasseur reminded the media that the sport can be wildly unpredictable. “Something like this is extremely difficult to predict,” he said. “What is true one day may not necessarily still be true the next weekend.” In other words, Formula 1 is not the sort of playground where you call your shot in the morning and expect the same result after lunch.

 

Will Ferrari Win Again Soon? Vasseur Keeps His Cards Close

Still, the Frenchman does concede that Ferrari has turned a corner. The SF-25 has looked far sharper in recent outings, particularly in Spa and at the Hungaroring.

“We found our rhythm again,” Vasseur said. “We’re strong and consistent, even if not in the final stint of the race.”

That final stint weakness remains a thorn in Ferrari’s side, as Charles Leclerc found out in Hungary when he led comfortably from pole only to slip back to fourth after a poorly timed tyre change.

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Ferrari’s frustrating podium drought

For Leclerc, the Hungarian Grand Prix was a painful reminder that pace alone is not enough. While his five podiums this season show he can mix it at the front, they have all come without the taste of champagne from the top step. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, has had a torrid first year in red.

His single notable result so far came in the Chinese sprint race, hardly the stuff Ferrari’s marketing department can plaster across billboards.

Hamilton’s own frustration boiled over recently when he described himself as “useless,” a remark that said as much about his mental state as it did about his current results. Vasseur is sympathetic, but he also points to the broader picture.

“If we are at the front in qualifying, we can fight with McLaren,” he said. The trouble is, McLaren seems to have made themselves equally dangerous in any conditions, at any track, on any tyre.

 

The scale of McLaren’s dominance

The championship table is the most damning evidence of McLaren’s form. Fourteen Grands Prix have been run this season, and McLaren has failed to win just five of them.

Three of those went to Max Verstappen, one to George Russell, and one sprint to Hamilton. Every other trophy has ended up in Woking’s cabinet. They are fast in the dry, fast in the wet, and irritatingly unflappable when the lights go out.

Vasseur, ever the realist, admits that the British outfit currently holds the edge.

“If you want to win, you have to be consistent – in practice, in qualifying, and in the race on all tyre compounds. McLaren is currently a bit stronger than us in that regard,” he said.

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Patience, patience, and more patience

While Ferrari’s title challenge has once again failed to materialise, Vasseur insists that his tenure is still in its building phase. The Scuderia has not won a Constructors’ Championship since 2008, nor a Drivers’ title since 2007.

A decade and a half of near misses and unfulfilled potential have left Ferrari’s fanbase impatient, but Vasseur points out that even the most storied success stories in Formula 1 took time to assemble.

“When Christian Horner joined Red Bull or Jean Todt joined Ferrari, it took time before the first victory,” he explained.

“You need a few years to build a team, to attract the people you want, and to work well together. We all want to be flexible in Formula 1, but the reality is there’s a lot of resistance in the system.”

The Frenchman has at least been granted breathing room to see his project through. Ferrari recently extended his contract for several more years, although the fine print, and the end date, remain a closely guarded secret in Maranello. His main task now is to ensure that Ferrari enters the sport’s next technical cycle in 2026 with a car capable of challenging from the start.

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Eyes fixed on the 2026 reset

The upcoming rule changes will reset much of the competitive order, with new opportunities to exploit the famous “grey areas” of the regulations.

Vasseur knows that such shake-ups can make or break a team’s fortunes. “We have a clear ambition and a clear goal,” he said. “Everyone in the company is behind this project. When you have a goal and everyone is convinced we can achieve it, that’s the best feeling. We all want to win the championship.”

In the meantime, Ferrari will keep chipping away at McLaren’s advantage. There may yet be a late-season twist in 2025 — perhaps even a victory to quiet the doubters — but the bigger prize is the long-term rebuild. Vasseur’s language makes it clear that every podium, every upgrade, and every recruitment is another piece of a much larger puzzle.

Whether that puzzle finally produces a world championship picture is the question hanging over Maranello like the scent of burnt clutch after a botched start.

So, members of the jury, do you believe Ferrari can snatch a win before 2025 closes, or is Vasseur right to keep expectations firmly in check until the big reset in 2026? Let us know your verdict in the comments.

We’re trying to grow a new online F1 community where fans like you can debate stories like this one, share your own theories, and generally stir the pot. Join the TJ13 Jury Room on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/708095665600791

 

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