Lewis Hamilton's F1 boss reveals why Ferrari fell apart in 2025

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Las Vegas, 2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Lewis Hamilton's F1 boss reveals why Ferrari fell apart in 2025

Fred Vasseur was looking back at Hamilton's debut season with the team

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Monday 19 January 2026 16:51 Updated: 13:32

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Ferrari F1 boss Fred Vasseur has admitted an early-season decision had unexpectedly negative consequences for the rest of the team's year in a disastrous 2025 season for the Scuderia.

The team made the move to focus on their 2026 car all the way back in April, stopping all major aerodynamic development with barely a fraction of the season complete.

The decision was made with the understanding that nothing could be done to overhaul McLaren's lightning-fast papaya cars before the end of the year, and that any work done on the 2025 car wouldn't be carried into 2026 due to the sweeping regulation changes coming to the sport.

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Vasseur insisted that the choice was still the correct one, but says he underestimated the impact on his personnel of going through the season knowing that they were likely to drift further and further from the championship leaders.

Ferrari boss: We were right to move on

The embattled team leader told the media: "Something was missing, probably yes, because at the end of the day, when we decided to move to 2026, it meant that we were not confident to be able to catch McLaren before the end [of 2025].

"It was the rationale behind the decision, and I think, honestly, it was a good decision.

"What I underestimated, probably personally, is the fact that when you know you won't develop the car, it is more difficult to keep everybody, motivated is not the right word, but with expectation, and this is important.

"As a team, we have to stay in our bubble and deal with this kind of situation."

Ferrari have already made one key change for 2026, with Riccardo Adami out as Lewis Hamilton's race engineer, instead moving into a new role with the team's driver academy.

The odds are against Ferrari

That change alone though is unlikely to make a huge difference to the team's 2026 title prospects, and the oddsmakers do not like those prospects right now.

Ferrari is 9/1 third favourite to lift the Constructors' Championship - behind front runners Mercedes and McLaren.

Leclerc and Hamilton meanwhile are 20/1 and 33/1 respectively to become Drivers' champion in 2026. That gives Hamilton an implied win probability of just 2.9%.

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F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Fred Vasseur