Ferrari legend slams 'lonely' Vasseur in 'soulless' team verdict

Ferrari F1 legend Luca di Montezemolo has described Ferrari as a team without a soul, while also passing comment at Fred Vasseur in his role of team principal.

Di Montezemolo was a key figure at Ferrari, serving as chairman until 2014, and a driving force behind the team’s resurgence in the 1990s.

Earlier this year, the Italian was appointed as a director of the McLaren Group, which is mainly responsible for the manufacturer’s road cars with a minority stake in the F1 team.

Di Montezemolo returned to the F1 paddock at the Bahrain GP in April, where he criticised Ferrari after their difficult start to 2025.

Ferrari once again put on a damp spectacle for their legion of fans at Monza, with both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc unable to challenge for a podium, and the team are further from challenging for their first world title since 2008 than they were last season.

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Di Montezemolo criticised Ferrari’s performance and Vasseur's leadership, labelling him as 'lonely' and describing the team as soulless.

"Today there is no leadership and, above all, there is no soul," he said. "I don't know Vasseur and I'm not criticising him, but I see a lonely man.

"There have been too many changes; the team needs stability. Fiat wanted me to sack Todt, but I refused, saying, 'If he leaves, I'll leave too.'"

Can Ferrari return to the top of F1?

Di Montezemolo brought legendary F1 boss Jean Todt to Ferrari in 1993, with the Frenchman then signing champion Michael Schumacher to the team for the 1996 season.

Alongside the technical expertise of Ross Brawn, these major figures returned Ferrari to world title glory, earning five drivers’ championships and six constructors’ between 1999 and 2004.

Ferrari’s success was preceded by a 21-year drivers’ title drought however, exemplifying the monumental feat the squad managed from 1999 onwards to enjoy such a dominant period in F1.

Despite a disappointing 2025 season for Ferrari, this year could be a transition period, with champion Hamilton and new personnel, such as Loic Serra, embedding themselves in at the team before the regulations change next season.

As with Schumacher, Todt and Brawn, the now legendary Ferrari team did not start winning titles straight away; but only time will tell as to whether Vasseur and Hamilton can build towards similar success.

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