Stefano Domenicali tells Ferrari that ‘only one thing is needed’ to fix the team amid Imola misery

Ferrari’s 2025 woes continued on home soil as Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were knocked out in Q2 at Imola.

The pair could only manage P11 and P12 respectively in a disastrous outcome for the Maranello outfit. It was even more misery for the Italian crowd as home hero Kimi Antonelli was also knocked out in Q2, qualifying 13th.

Ferrari’s double Q2 elimination was the biggest shock. It is the first time in Imola’s F1 history that a red car does not start in the top 10.

Morale was low at Ferrari coming into the weekend as they sit 152 points behind McLaren in the constructors’ championship. This latest disappointment will have damaged the mood around the team even more.

Hamilton had said Ferrari fans deserve success before the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, but the Tifosi are now set for more misery, as the difficult nature of the Imola circuit makes it a challenging place to make up ground in the race.

Ferrari’s Imola upgrades left Ted Kravitz unimpressed as he expected more from the team at their first home Grand Prix of the season. They have a huge mountain to climb, with Aston Martin outqualifying them on the medium tyres.

Stefano Domenicali says Ferrari must be allowed to work in a ‘calm’ manner to fix the team

Pressure is beginning to mount on team principal Frederic Vasseur, as Ferrari fall even further behind their rivals. Qualifying at Imola should stand as the biggest wake-up call for the team to improve.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali knows first-hand how to cope with the pressure at Ferrari. Speaking with Sky Italy, he insists that Vasseur and the team must be given the chance to work in a ‘calm, concentrated manner’ to work things out with Leclerc and Hamilton.

“If there is one person who can talk about this, it is myself. Those who work in Maranello have the privilege on one hand, but also the responsibility of having to manage the team,” he said.

I believe, however, that at this moment, beyond words, only one thing is needed: to let Fred work in a calm, concentrated manner with the drivers. I always see the skirmishes that there are in a constructive way to try to improve in one’s roles.

“Vasseur must however, have the guarantee of being able to work, of being able to stay focused on his project, because it is too important not to lose the thread. This year, in fact, if you don’t work well, you could pay a high price for 2026 too…

“So this is my hope, knowing that things in Formula 1 can change quickly. Advice to give to Fred? I speak to him practically every day and I give him advice face to face. But he knows well that he must stay focused on what he must know are the priorities.

“We absolutely need stability, of course. I say this as a fan, even though at this moment I should first and foremost be a fan of all 20 cars on the track and not just Ferrari.”

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

What Martin Brundle has said Ferrari must not do amid 2025 struggles

Ferrari’s qualifying disaster sums up what has been a miserable weekend for the team so far. Leclerc was suffering with helmet lift on Friday as he struggled with airflow in the cockpit of his SF-25.

The 2025 season seems to be falling further out of reach for the Maranello outfit every weekend. Ferrari will decide at the Belgian GP whether to shift their focus to 2026; a decision they might be thinking about right now.

It is clear that Ferrari have something seriously wrong within the team. Leclerc scored their only podium in Jeddah as they arguably had the fifth-fastest car in Miami.

But despite their issues, Martin Brundle says Ferrari must not resort to sackings. They must reassess things in a controlled manner, rather than making rash decisions.