Max Verstappen subtly mocks Ferrari’s team radio messages ahead of Lewis Hamilton joining next season

Ferrari came close to winning their first Formula 1 title since 2008 this year, but just lost out to McLaren. The final margin between the two teams was just 14 points.

That’s the closest Ferrari have been to top spot since 2010, when the current points system was introduced. While they scored fewer victories than McLaren (five vs six), they bagged the most podiums on the grid (22).

Fred Vasseur wouldn’t divulge where Ferrari lost the title, but it’s pretty clear that a mid-season slump cost them. Between the end of the Monaco GP, where Charles Leclerc won and Carlos Sainz finished third, and the start of the Belgian GP, they scored just 70 points.

That was an average of 14 per weekend, even though the sequence included a Sprint in Austria. They only scored one podium, with Leclerc failing to finish in the points three times.

Ferrari rushed through an upgrade for the Spanish GP and the risk backfired. They suffered from fresh bouncing and went backwards relative to their rivals.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton will join the team in 2025 following the departure of Sainz. The Scuderia will hope he brings the winning mentality required to end their 16-year drought.

Max Verstappen appears to criticise Ferrari’s ‘we are checking’ radio messages

Speaking to Viaplay, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen addressed his occasionally tense radio exchanges with engineer Gianpiero Lambiase. They have delivered four straight titles, but clashed at times.

Most notably, Verstappen sounded furious with Lambiase at the Hungarian GP earlier this year. He repeatedly complained about his car, strategy and rivals as he finished fifth in a scrappy race.

Things became so hostile that Christian Horner ordered clear-the-air talks between Verstappen and Lambiase the following weekend in Belgium. They seemed to avoid any lasting damage to their relationship.

Verstappen welcomes Lambiase’s ‘honest’ approach. Ferrari’s engineers, by contrast, have become known for hesitant ‘we are checking’ responses when their drivers ask them for information.

“GP and I were always honest to each other, and sometimes that clashes,” Verstappen said. “But I’d prefer that over someone who keeps saying ‘copy’ on the radio or ‘we are checking’. I can’t do anything with that at all.”

Michael Schumacher’s brother tells Lewis Hamilton he ‘can’t’ do one thing at Ferrari

Verstappen’s comments point to the challenge Hamilton faces at Ferrari next year. Performance-wise, they’re closer than ever to producing a title-winning package, but they still need to improve operationally.

Leclerc has grown frustrated with Bryan Bozzi at points this year, including during the Qatar GP earlier this month. He fumed at a ‘nightmare’ situation where he had ‘no idea’ what was happening around him.

Ferrari enjoyed a run of dominance at the start of the 21st century as Michael Schumacher won a record five titles in a row. Kimi Raikkonen is the only driver to bring the championship trophy to Maranello since.

Hamilton ‘can’t’ develop a car like Schumacher did, according to his brother Ralf. Fortunately, Ferrari are already well-placed in that department, but their new signing must supply a ruthless edge.