Ferrari are just about the most under-pressure team in Formula 1 after completely under-delivering to start the season.
Team boss Fred Vasseur faces Ferrari exit rumours, and superstar driver Lewis Hamilton has spent the majority of the season frustrated or upset.
Charles Leclerc has quietly gone about his business, but it has also been a rather subdued Formula 1 campaign by his standards.
There’s enough reason for Ferrari to be panicking ahead of the 2026 F1 regulations, but it’s going to be important for them to remain as stable as they can.
They have slipped to third in the constructors’ championship, and already Hamilton isn’t satisfied with Ferrari’s factory since joining over the winter. He believes they should be more ambitious.
In fact, Hamilton won’t like hearing about Ferrari’s 2026 engine, as paddock talk suggests that very little is known about its potential. Mercedes, for example, have been tipped for success.
READ MORE: Ferrari told what they must ‘unlearn’ for Lewis Hamilton to be successful during the 2026 F1 season
Guenther Steiner would refuse Ferrari team principal role if offered it
Vasseur has been Ferrari’s team principal for two and a half years now. His hiring was a fairly unusual one by the Italian team’s standards.
The Frenchman became the first non-Italian appointment since Jean Todt (also French) became boss back in 1993.
However, there hasn’t really been a period of sustained success over the last few seasons, and the arrival of a seven-time champion hasn’t changed much either.
When asked about whether he would take the job if offered it, ex-Haas boss Guenther Steiner (who knows Ferrari will from his time with the American team) offered a telling answer.
“Not really, no. Look what Fred has had to deal with in the last two years,” he said. “If you know that you have to deal with that, why would you do it?”
How Lewis Hamilton has put Fred Vasseur in an impossible position after the Canadian Grand Prix
Hamilton is currently on course to match his second-worst finish in the championship by finishing sixth, something he also achieved with Mercedes in 2022.
It’s hard to see where any miracle gains are going to come from as focus shifts to 2026. There’s little point in developing this year’s car much further.
It’s part of the reason why Hamilton has put Vasseur in an impossible position by asking for upgrades on the current car, and for focus on next year’s project.
The team only has so many resources, and they have to be divided adequately. If not, they risk starting next year behind their rivals, which will be even more disappointing than this year.
