On Thursday, Ferrari announced a new contract for Formula 1 team principal Frederic Vasseur with a new multi-year deal.
“Today we want to recognise what has been built and commit to what still needs to be achieved,” Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna said in a statement released ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the final event before the summer shutdown.
“It reflects our trust in Fred’s leadership — a trust rooted in shared ambition, mutual expectations and clear responsibility. We move forward with determination and focus, united in our pursuit of the level of performance Ferrari has to aim for,” Benedetto added.
Vasseur’s new contract is framed as a vote of confidence in a man credited with restoring order, focus, and credibility to a team long starved of championship success.
Since the Frenchman joined the Scuderia in early 2023, the team has been a pretty consistent performer, having fought for second place in the standings in each of the years Vasseur has been in charge.
Ferrari finished third in 2023, second in 2024, and is again on course to be in the battle for the runner-up spot in 2025.
Vasseur has the support not only of Ferrari’s heads, but also of its drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, the latter having been convinced by the French team boss to join the Maranello squad for his F1 swansong.
Vasseur has been credited with helping Ferrari internally
Grand Prix Photo
Speculation about Vasseur’s future around the time of the Canadian GP was quickly dismissed, and Hamilton was one of the first to jump in to support his team principal.
“I love working with Fred. Fred’s the main reason I’m in this team and I got the opportunity to be here – for which I’m forever grateful,” said Hamilton in June.
“I’m here to work with the team and with Fred. I want Fred here. I do believe Fred is the person to take us to the top, and so that’s that.
“We are having to make changes and there’s a lot of work to do. Naturally, there’s a lot of pressure because we want to win, but that’s not any part of the discussion at the moment.”
A vote of confidence with strings attached
While there is no doubt that Vasseur’s new contract is a sign that Ferrari believes he is the right man to lead the team back into championship contention, the deal comes with added pressures.
As the Frenchman said himself: “This renewal is not just a confirmation – it’s a challenge to keep progressing, to stay focused, and to deliver.”
The timing of the renewal is no coincidence.
His contract extension reflects internal satisfaction with the culture shift he’s led, but it’s also a marker.
Behind the public show of support lies a clear expectation: 2026 must be the year Ferrari delivers.
Ferrari is yet to win a race this year
With the 2026 overhaul of F1’s engine and chassis regulations fast approaching, Ferrari needs to hit the ground running or risk yet another era of missed opportunities.
Big regulatory changes have historically tripped the Scuderia, at least in recent times.
In both 2014 and 2022, major regulation resets saw rivals outdevelop Ferrari in key areas. The first time it was Red Bull, then it was Mercedes.
This time, with a new power unit and a clean aerodynamic slate, the Scuderia and therefore Vasseur cannot afford another false start.
With the rebuild over, 2026 has to be about results.
And if Ferrari stumbles out of the blocks next year, don’t rule out questions over Vasseur’s future resurfacing before the season is even halfway through.
Progress, but not enough
Under Vasseur, who took over from Mattia Binotto at the start of 2023, Ferrari has ironed out some of the strategic blunders and internal politics that undermined previous campaigns.
Leclerc has extended his contract into the new era, and securing Hamilton’s services at the end of his career was also no small feat.
On track, however, Ferrari has failed to deliver what is expected from it.
Since Vasseur took over, the team has won a total of six races, the last of which came from a driver who is no longer at Maranello: Carlos Sainz. It’s been 10 months since that, and the prospects of winning a race this season appear slim given McLaren‘s dominance.
Hamilton has upped the pressure on Ferrari recently
Grand Prix Photo
Ferrari looked strong at the end of last year, but instead of taking a step forward to fight at the front, it has taken a step backwards and, perhaps crucially, has failed to fully capitalise on Red Bull’s stumble.
In 2025, Ferrari remains a step behind in key performance metrics. The SF-25 is quick over a lap but not versatile enough to challenge consistently across all circuits.
Ferrari’s last big upgrade, new rear suspension at the Belgian GP, didn’t immediately deliver the hoped-for step up, so unless the team manages to optimise it as the season goes on, 2025 could be a winless year at Maranello.
The clock is ticking
Vasseur’s calm, pragmatic approach has brought a level of operational coherence that eluded some of his predecessors.
However, the reality is that Ferrari it is not yet a title-winning force.
Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he’s leading the charge to win an F1 championship with Ferrari, submitting reports and summoning bosses to meetings as he challenges the team in “every area”
By
Pablo Elizalde
The extension gives Vasseur time, but not a blank cheque.
Signing the seven-time champion has been a huge bet for Ferrari, and Hamilton himself acknowledged that time is running out to realise his goal of winning a title with the Scuderia before retiring.
“I don’t have as much time as this one here, so it’s crunch time for me,” he said at Spa.
Now 40, Hamilton knows the 2026 car is one of his last realistic shots at an eighth title.
It’s why Ferrari can’t get the new rules wrong. Otherwise, it could accelerate another soul-searching round, and with it, scrutiny on whether Vasseur is the man to lead into the next phase, regardless of his contract.
