BREAKING : Ferrari Icon Questions Vasseur’s Leadership Amid Hamilton’s STRUGGLES… Read more
Ferrari Icon Questions Vasseur’s Leadership Amid Hamilton’s Struggles
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has come under fresh scrutiny after a legendary figure from the team’s past suggested the Frenchman lacks the leadership qualities needed to return the Scuderia to glory.
Vasseur, who was instrumental in securing Lewis Hamilton’s high-profile move to Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season, has endured a difficult year at the helm. Despite the fanfare surrounding the seven-time world champion’s arrival, Hamilton has struggled to deliver results in his first campaign with the Italian giants. Since joining the team in January, the 40-year-old has failed to reach the podium, hindered by a combination of underwhelming car performance and a visible lack of confidence behind the wheel.
While Hamilton has found it difficult to adapt, his team-mate Charles Leclerc has managed to outperform him on several occasions. Yet even Leclerc has been unable to mount a serious challenge for victories, with Ferrari still without a race win in 2025. The team remains adrift of Red Bull and McLaren in performance, with hopes pinned on the new technical regulations arriving in 2026 to help close the gap.
Despite Ferrari’s struggles, Vasseur was recently handed a contract extension as the company seeks continuity heading into this crucial transition. However, former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo has cast doubt on whether Vasseur is the right man to guide the team forward.
Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Di Montezemolo criticized what he sees as a lack of identity and strong leadership within Ferrari. “Today there’s no leadership and, above all, there’s no soul,” he remarked. “I don’t know Vasseur and I don’t want to criticize him personally, but I see a lonely man. Too many changes have been made. The team needs stability.”
Di Montezemolo drew comparisons to his own era in charge, recalling how he resisted pressure from Ferrari’s parent company Fiat to dismiss then-team boss Jean Todt. “Fiat wanted me to fire Todt, but I refused,” he explained. “I said, ‘If he leaves, I’ll leave too.’”
During his tenure as Ferrari chairman from 1991 to 2004, Di Montezemolo oversaw the recruitment of Jean Todt in 1993, who in turn secured the signing of Michael Schumacher three years later. That partnership, bolstered by technical mastermind Ross Brawn, laid the foundations for Ferrari’s golden era. Between 1999 and 2004, Schumacher, Todt, and Brawn guided the Scuderia to five consecutive Drivers’ Championships and six Constructors’ titles, cementing their dominance in the sport.
Observers note the parallels between that era and today’s situation. Like Todt before him, Vasseur has brought in a proven champion in Hamilton, along with senior technical figures such as Loic Serra, with the aim of rebuilding Ferrari into a title-winning force. Yet Di Montezemolo warned that success takes time and requires a clear sense of vision and unity.
For now, Ferrari’s 2025 campaign appears destined to serve as a transitional period. With no realistic shot at titles this year, the focus has shifted to integrating Hamilton and new staff into the team ahead of the sweeping regulation changes set for 2026.
Whether Vasseur can replicate Todt’s achievements remains uncertain, but Ferrari fans are hoping that patience and stability will ultimately deliver another era of glory. As Di Montezemolo’s comments highlight, however, doubts remain about whether the leadership currently in place has the strength to make that vision a reality.
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