Ferrari are having another woeful season. Having claimed second in the constructor’s title race they were 28 points ahead of Mercedes following the Belgium Grand Prix. Despite Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli contributing little until the race weekend in Baku, Mercedes have overcome the deficit and are now 27 points ahead of the Scuderia.
Red Bull to languished 50 points behind the Italian sdqaud following the British Grand Prix and despite Tsunoda showing little form contributing just ten points since Silverstone, Red Bull are now hot on the heels of the Maranello based squad – just eight points prevents Ferrari from becoming the fourth ranked team in the constructors’ championship.
The team under the leadership of Fred Vasseur bizarrely decided to undertake a complete overhaul of the 2024 car design in areas like the pull front suspension, cockpit positioning and gearbox in an attempt to overcome their seventeen year drought since claiming a championship.
Ferrari blew 2025
Their SF-24 challenger was the best of the field following the Sumer break, with Charles Leclerc scoring more than any other driver during the final ten race weekends. From the British Grand Prix the team overhauled a 77 point deficit to the championship leaders to come within 14 points of taking the constructors title for Italy. Yet unlike McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull, Fred Vasseur announced at the Maranello Christmas bonanza that “in the fourth year of this technical cycle we have a lot of data at hand, the 2025 car will be completely new .”
TJ13 queried this nonsensical decision at the time, given as the regulations mature, the various cars from the F1 teams converge towards a common solution. The decision has been proven to be a huge mistake, with Charles Leclerc managing just five podiums this year whilst Lewis Hamilton has now equalled the sorry record for a new pilot for the Scuderia hainv completed 18 Grand Prix without making the podium celebrations.
Whilst Ferrari are themes iconic and successful of the F1 teams in history, they are the only one to have competed since the FIA launched the championship in 1950. McLaren who entered the sport 16 years later now have ten team championships, whilst Ferrari following their six year streak between 1999 and 2004 have sixteen.
Ferrari previous dominance built over seven years
Williams who entered the sport twelve years after McLaren have 9 team titles, whilst Mercedes who are not even in the top ten of Grand Prix entered have eight together with seven drivers championships. So what went wrong for Ferrari?
Their failures are a combination of issues which include persistent weaknesses in their car designs, persistent strategic errors and a lack of sustained technical leadership since John Todt retired in 2007. Ross Brawn and Rory Burne who were key engineers in the Ferrari dominance over six seasons were also jettisoned as the higher ups decided Ferrari should be run by Italians.
But Rome wasn’t built in a day. Ferrari had suffered their worst drought of titles before they finally under Jean Todt, Brawn and Burne carved out a constructor’s championship in 1999. This time the absence from the FIA honours board was sixteen years. It was 21 years since the team had won a drivers’ championship when Schumacher delivered in 2000. Their previous hero was Jodie Scheckter who claimed glory for the Scuderia in 1979.
Engineers in Maranello won’t bend
Todt joined Ferrari in 1993 and it was seven long years before the team dragged itself from the mire and won the constructors’ champions. Since his departure some 15 years later, only Stefano Domenicali who succeeded him has been afforded a tenure in charge of the team for more than six seasons, winning the 2008 constructors’ title whilst Hamilton pipped their driver Felipe Massa that season by just one point to the drivers’ championship.
Having extended Vassuer’s contract this season, Ferrari have committed to at least another year with their current team principal. Yet the Frenchman is no John Todt and Ferrari are flailing in the wilderness. The big hope is they nail the new 2026 car and power unit design regulation overhaul and return to winning ways.
Yet there’s nothing to suggest this will happen and the stubbornness in Maranelo displayed by senior engineers is clearly the reason why this great team is incapable of winning. Lewis Hamilton has made his feelings known over the poor car design and the unwillingness of the team to recognise their failures, yet Ferrari continue to deteriorate and are likely to finish fourth the year.
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Nonsense motivation speech from Ferrari president
The problem stems from the very top of the Ferrari group with John Elkann who recruited Lewis Hamilton to change the team’s fortunes. He has no understanding of what is needed for root and branch change within the team and persists on calling out the team’s heritage and glory as a rallying call for better days.
At the Capital Markets Day this week in Maranello, his latest pontification sounded ridiculous as he made a feeble attempt to rally the troops. “I want to be clear, this is a personal matter. My commitment is, as president, as majority shareholder and, above all, as someone who has lived Ferrari as a lifelong passion.
“I am committed to ensuring that every decision we make strengthens Ferrari’s uniqueness. I am committed to our people, whose talent and dedication are the greatest guarantee for our future. I am committed to our beloved Ferraristi, who entrust us with their dreams.
“And I am committed to our loyal fans, eager to see us win in F1, just as we are winning in endurance. And it is with pride that we have brought home the Le Mans trophy after three consecutive victories.”
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Ferrari’s “darkest hour” says Elkann
Yet this drivel about history and passion is not getting the job done. Ferrari trail McLaren in the constructor’s championship by a massive 352 points and with a quarter of the season remaining Leclerc and Hamilton are 163 and 211 points respectively behind Oscar Piastri.
Sky Italia reported this week that Elkann will be holding a “serious” and “pragmatic” face to face meeting over Ferrari’s F1 plight this week. The objective is how they should respond to the team’s “darkest hour” yet the pretty boy multi-millionaire who was born with a silver spoon from the high class Italian Agnelli family has no proper business experience and is seen merely by the F1 engineers as a figure head.
His predecessor Sergio Marchionne was a proper turnaround businessman who saved FIAT from extension with the Fiat 500. He took medical leave for a shoulder operation in 2018 and after complications he died on the 25th July 2018 at age 66, a sad loss for the Ferrari group and the F1 team.
Leclerc looking to Aston Martin
Rumours abound that Charles Leclerc has contacted Aston Martin with a view to joining the team in 2027. His seven years with the team have led to perpetual disappointment and a car that is unworthy of his talent and speed.
Lewis Hamilton is doing his best to challenge the status quo in Maranello, but is unlikely to deliver as did Schumacher alongside Todt, Brawn and Burne. For now the Ferrari story will be more of the same until they recruit a competent leader who can drive out the dead wood lifers and as Todt did starting in 1993 create a revolution that will bring glory to the Ferrari name.
Norris v Piastri explodes: “you shouldn’t be in F1”
Norris/Piastri rivalry kicks off – “I think you shouldn’t be in F1” – The McLaren Formula One team have spent the entire season preaching the propaganda of team unity. In an effort to avoid the chaos Mercedes suffered when they were the team destined to win the drivers’ title race with Hamilton and Rosberg, the Woking based outfit have designed the infamous “papaya rules.”
Lando Norris has suffered from the worst of the team mates reliability issues, with brake. Issues forcing him to abandon the challenge on his team mate in China. In Zandvoort he also suffered a complete failure due to an ill fitted oil pipe hose causing him to DNF whilst in second place to Piastri.
In Monza whilst trailing Verstappen, the team asked Norris to give up his right to the first pit stop ton protect his Aussie team mate from the undercut. Lando complied but was to suffer a poor pit stop the next lap, the a wheel gun failed causing him to be stationary for around five seconds….. READ MORE
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
