F1 News: Ferrari are risking it all as Lewis Hamilton era continues Maranello makeover

Lewis Hamilton and Fred Vasseur embrace — Photo: © IMAGO

Ferrari F1

Ferrari are risking it all as Lewis Hamilton era continues Maranello makeover

Gotta risk it for the biscuit!

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Tuesday 1 September 2026 13:57 Updated: 14:30

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Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has revealed that he has tried to instil a culture of greater risk-taking in the team since he took over.

The Frenchman, who took over from Mattia Binotto for the 2023 season, was charged with getting the historic team back to the very top of the sport after five runner-up finishes in the previous eight seasons.

Under Vasseur's reign, the team has finished third, second and fourth in the last three years, and sit second in the constructors' championship early in the second half of 2026.

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He recently told Motorsport.com that he has attempted to encourage a more risk-taking attitude in the team since his very first day, coming into a team whose strategy decisions had been questioned by fans for some time.

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Vasseur: Sometimes you're a genius, and sometimes not

He admitted: "It's true that from day one I had the feeling that we have to take more risks. More risk on track, more risk on the innovation, on the development to take a different direction compared to the others, not to follow the others."

Vasseur did confess that the risks his team take don't always work out – as is the nature of taking risks, statistically - but insisted that his team taking a leap would benefit them in the long term.

"Sometimes it's paying off, sometimes it's not," he said.

"When you are a bit aggressive on strategy, sometimes you are a genius, like in Barcelona, and sometimes not, but we are the same guys on the pitwall.

"I think we need to develop this mentality because you are improving on taking risks. You will improve in the risk assessment. You will improve in the capacity to make decisions, it means that we have to continue to do so, and we will do better and better race after race."

Ferrari chasing Mercedes in title race

Ferrari are fighting against the odds right now in both title races in 2026 as they chase Mercedes after the Silver Arrows dominated the early part of the season.

Lewis Hamilton trails Kimi Antonelli by 59 points in the Drivers' standings while the team is 87 points adrift in the Constructors' table.

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F1 Ferrari Fred Vasseur