Ferrari trackside director “too powerful” for Vasseur to control – The headline of this article could easily be written as “Ferrari civil war deepens” and it wouldn’t be far from the truth. Having almost recovered a 79 point deficit to the championship leaders with six races to go last season to finish just 14 short of their first constructors title since 2008, this years efforts by comnparison have been a shambles.
In the final year of this set of FIA car design regulations the Scuderia under Vasseur made the incomprehensible decision to build a completely new car which was “99% new” rather than evolve the SF-24 which saw Charles Leclerc as the leading points scorer since the summer shutdown.
Hoes were raised of a Maranello renaissance with seven times F1 champ Lewis Hamilton joining the team, but in fact the result has been a meltdown for F1’s most historic team, with their Monegasque driver claiming their meagre five podium finishes and Hamilton equalling the worst record of a new driver joining the team in 75 years.
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It was announced that the team would stop developing this seasons car on the 11th of June, Mercedes continued for a little longer before abandoning new upgrades during the August summer break. Yet Mercedes have continued to evolve the machinery they currently have with George Russell winning two Grand Prix, the lates in Singapore with ease.
Fred Vasseur claimed the team did not need more upgrades but needed to focus on optimising their current package. Yet this analysis has been proven to be completely untrue, given the issues the team have had with their newly designed suspension for 2025.
At the second round of the 2025 F1 season, Lewis Hamilton was disqualified for his car running too low to the ground. This is evidenced by the mandatory plank the teams must run under the the floor of their cars, which when repeatedly striking the ground wears down during a 300km long race. The thickness of the plank must be 10mm when scrutinised after the chequered flag, but Ferrari have struggled all year to ensure this technical regulation occurs.
Simply put, the differential between the SF-25 running on the limit of its low suspension setup configuration and maintaining its legal status is a fine margin. To manage this the Scuderia drivers have been told incessantly to “lift and coast” which has the effect of reducing the front nose dive under braking – protecting the plank.
Leclerc sabotaged by his own team
In Budapest while leading the race before the final round of pit stops, Charles Leclerc was given a final set of tyres which were overinflated because the engineers were concerned his plank wold wear too low at the chequered flag. The result of the excessive pressure of the final tyre compound was that Leclerc lost all his pace advantage and dropped through the field like a stone thrown into a mill pond.
Leclerc finished a miserable fourth some 42 seconds behind the winner Lando Norris and his rant over team radio made it clear the team had discussed other ways of handling the wearing plank other than pumping up the tyres.
In coded fashion he referred to the “lift and coast” solution the team have been forced to deploy as a better way in a fashion that required the moderator’s to redact much of his message. Yet after the race Leclerc appeared to retract his accusations as the team PR got to work on how he should deal with the media.
“Unfortunately we had an issue on the chassis, so I don’t have much to add on that. It’s just extremely frustrating when you are fighting for a win and when we had the pace that we had at the beginning of the race, and we lose absolutely everything later on, it’s very frustrating,” said the Monegasque. Yet he had made his point during the race and the F1 media responded with stating criticism that Ferrari had forced their driver to lie in front of the watching world.
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Singapore disaster the final straw
One of Germany’s foremost F1 writers Michael Schmidt had this to say: “I think there was a bit of brainwashing going on between [Leclerc getting out of] the car and these press conferences and TV interviews,” said Schmidt. “He obviously says in the car what he thinks and what his feeling is. I think that was more honest than what he said afterwards.”
Ferrari are not deceiving anyone but themselves and this week TJ13 reported that sources close to senior figures in Maranello believe Fred Vasseur’s authority has been substantially undermined. He was hastily given an extension to his contract t following rumours Christian Horner was riding into town despite repeated reports in the Italian media he was being questioned by Ferrari group chairman John Elkann.
Las time out in Singapore, Lewis Hamilton said before the weekend began he was looking forward to driving the circuit in a Ferrari given it was one of the team’s best venues in terms of historical results. And whilst the car looked good in Friday practice come qualifying the best Hamilton and Leclerc could manage was sixth and seventh respectively and the race was a miserable affair as they both came home more than 45 seconds behind winner George Russell.
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Ferrari drivers turning on the team
From having been the best of the front running drivers in FP1, this was a shocking result for the team who were optimistic for their chances following the pre-weekend simulation setup runs as Motorsport Italia revealed. Yet the trackside team realised quickly their plank wear risked disqualification and the setup of the cars required a deviation from the factory engineers predictions, leading them to “increasingly extreme solutions” to ensure the cars remained legal posts chequered flag.
Having covered for the team in Hungary when his win was stolen from him due to the team’s intervention over tyre pressure, Leclerc was scathing in Budapest over team radio.. “What a shit weekend. Unbelievable, really bad.”
Lewis Hamilton in the meanwhile was forced to run the final few laps with absolutely no brakes. He lost over 40 seconds to Fernando Alonso on the last lap unable to keep his car on the circuit. The stewards penalised him five seconds for his track limits violations which dropped him a place behind the Spanish matador, something which did not improver Hamilton’s mindset.
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Fred Vasseur being undermined by senior engineer
Spanish media outlet ~Corriere dello Sport reported the atmosphered at Ferrari is becoming unbearable. “New tensions” are emerging with the team they claim adding that Fred Vasseur was involved with a “most tense” discussion with head of track operations Matteo Togninalli after Saturday’s qualifying session in Singapore.
Tognninalli has been described by La Gazzetta as a “highly capable” enginer within the team, holding senior positions since 2010. But he is known for his “fierce temper” when questioned and is the head of a clique who question Vasseur’s management style.
The report argues that Ferraro’s team principal must take action, because a certain group of engineers have become “too powerful” and it is time for the boss of Ferrari F1 – who is known for his inclusive style of management – to change tack and to call tine on a long standing servant of the Ferrari F1 team.
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Ferrari’s growing impatience – When Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna told investors that ‘we have to win’, it was more than just a rallying cry. Amidst the financial forecasts and discussions about innovation, his words seemed to convey an implicit ultimatum to team boss Fred Vasseur. The polite, corporate tone could not hide the mounting pressure in Maranello.
While endurance racing trophies may look impressive in Ferrari’s museum, they are no substitute for Formula 1 glory. The Scuderia’s last constructors’ title dates back to 2008, and its last drivers’ title to 2007. For a team with such a legacy, this is bordering on the intolerable.
Vigna’s statement has thus taken on new meaning in the paddock, it is a coded message that patience is running thin. While his call to ‘win’ may have been intended as motivation, it sounded more like a line being drawn in the sand. And in Formula 1, when executives start drawing lines, they tend to redraw the organisational chart soon after…. 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.
