Ferrari boss John Elkann ‘won’t have liked’ what ‘under pressure’ Fred Vasseur did during the Imola F1 weekend

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur would have known when he took the job how much expectation was being placed on his shoulders.

The Tifosi, Ferrari’s passionate fanbase, haven’t seen one of their drivers win the championship since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.

Ferrari sealed the constructors’ championship the following year, but since then it’s been a series of close calls and missed opportunities.

The likes of Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa and Sebastian Vettel were denied famous titles racing for the Scuderia, and now it’s up to Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to try and end that drought.

However, Ferrari have already stopped talking about winning either championship internally after their worrying start to the 2025 campaign.

Leclerc is the leading Ferrari driver in the individual standings, but is already 85 points off Oscar Piastri, while the gap to McLaren in the constructors’ championship has already grown to 165 points.

It’s a concerning start for Fred Vasseur as he and his team continue to work behind the scenes to find a solution.

Ferrari aren’t prepared to give up on 2025 yet despite their slow start and the impending regulation changes arriving next season.

However, John Elkann, CEO of Exor which has a controlling stake in Ferrari, might soon be pondering Vasseur’s future if things don’t turn around soon.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

Fred Vasseur oversaw ‘super dejected’ Ferrari drivers at Imola

Journalist Greg Stuart was speaking on the F1 Nation Podcast in the aftermath of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Ferrari were record-breakingly poor in qualifying, with both drivers failing to reach the top 10 shootout, and while Hamilton and Leclerc had much more positive races, they were still well off where they would have liked to have been in front of their home fans.

Stuart explained: “They’ve got problems. Charles was super dejected yesterday, [and] so was Lewis.

“OK, they’ve been vindicated by Sunday to some extent because they had a great recovery drive.

“Coming back through the field you can see Lewis was buzzing after the race.

“But Ferrari, to not make it through to Q3 in Italy, naturally, there’s going to be pressure.

“Arguably, Fred has the hardest job in motorsport because he’s the head of effectively a national institution in Ferrari so it’s a difficult one.

“Speaking to him yesterday you could see the pressure etched on his face.

“John Elkann won’t have liked that, Ferrari’s head honcho. So yeah, he will be under pressure.”

READ MORE: Who is Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur? Everything you need to know

Ferrari can’t afford to give up on the 2025 Formula 1 season yet

Although both championships are almost certainly out of reach for Ferrari, the team’s reputation won’t allow them to simply write off a season at this early stage.

Hamilton is only on a two-year deal at Ferrari, and while there’s an option to extend into 2027, the last thing he would want is for Vasseur to give up one of his two opportunities to win races for the Scuderia.

Ferrari are set to decide whether to switch focus to their 2026 car after the Belgian Grand Prix, although further updates are expected before then.

A new rear suspension is being worked on by Ferrari which will hopefully allow Hamilton and Leclerc to lower their car, an issue the team have been dealing with since the seven-time world champion’s disqualification in China.

Vasseur’s team believes that the inherent potential of the SF-25 is enough to potentially challenge McLaren and Red Bull.

The trick will be whether they can unlock it and that could have huge implications for Vasseur’s future with Ferrari.