Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Fred Vasseur enters the 2026 Formula 1 season under significant pressure at Ferrari following a winless 2025 campaign that left the Scuderia fourth in the constructors’ standings.
Ferrari was the only team among the leading quartet to fail to secure a victory last season, marking a disappointing conclusion to the previous regulatory cycle. The Maranello-based outfit now faces heightened expectations as the championship transitions into the new 2026 power unit regulations, widely regarded as a technical reset for the grid.
Encouraging signs emerged during pre-season testing, with both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc demonstrating competitive pace in the SF-26. However, former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has cautioned Ferrari against reverting to what he considers its recurring structural weakness: dismissing senior leadership when results fall short.
“The question is if it doesn’t work, is it his fault?” Montoya told Vision4Sport.
Montoya argued that Ferrari’s tendency to replace team principals during downturns undermines long-term development and organisational stability.
“This is the biggest issue Ferrari has; every time something doesn’t work, you get rid of the top guy. You need to build instead of destroy,” he stated.
He contrasted Ferrari’s internal volatility with the structural solidity of rivals such as McLaren and Mercedes, noting that both teams operate with collective accountability in success and failure. According to Montoya, sustained leadership continuity is essential to constructing a competitive technical foundation in a new regulatory era.
With expectations high for tangible progress in 2026, Ferrari’s management faces a strategic crossroads. Should performance again fall below target, the decision over Vasseur’s future could shape the team’s competitive trajectory well beyond the current season.
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