Ferrari

F1 CEO sends Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc warning

Sheona Mountford Friday 16 January 2026 10:55

Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Bahrain, 2025

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has issued a warning to Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Ferrari for 2026 - do not languish in fourth.

The Italian is a Ferrari man at heart, serving as team principal from 2008 until 2014, before working his way up to become one of the head honchos at Formula One Management.

Domenicali, like a great deal of the F1 fanbase, has been forced to confront Ferrari's desperate performances in recent years, unable to claim a drivers' title since 2007.

Hamilton's arrival at Ferrari last year placed the team under increased scrutiny, with the Scuderia only able to secure a fourth place finish in the constructors' championship and were unable to add a single grand prix win to their legendary name.

The F1 boss remains hopeful for Ferrari's future, but did send a warning and urged that fourth in the championship should not become the new normal for the team.

Ferrari must be strong

Speaking to Sky Sports, Domenicali refused to despair over Ferrari and said: "I'm a positive guy. There's no need to cry, there's no need to always be negative. They need to have a plan.

"I'm sure Fred [Vasseur], Lewis and Charles have a plan and that's what is important. I think it's important to react, not to fade away and for it to be normal to be fourth in the championship.

"We want to have strong Ferrari. They deserve to be in a stronger position. They need to make sure that there is the right energy and the right thing to follow up, because in 2026, everyone is talking, but no one knows where they are.

"If you saw what happened last year everyone was already knowing what was happening in the future, stay tuned because every race there will be an evolution."

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Charles Leclerc Stefano Domenicali

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