Maranello Shifts to 2026 Car as Vasseur stays

Ferrari is set to retain team boss Frederic Vasseur through at least 2026, as the Maranello team winds down in-season car development to shift focus onto the new Formula 1 regulations coming next year.

Swiss newspaper Blick reported this week: “Ferrari has apparently discovered a new virtue – patience. The Maranello team intends to extend the contract with team boss Fred Vasseur (57) during the summer break.”

The timing is favourable for Vasseur, with Ferrari’s recent upgrade – a new rear suspension introduced at Spa – helping Charles Leclerc to third place. Although teammate Lewis Hamilton endured a poor weekend, the team insists the development decision was right.

“I think we need to finish the fine-tuning,” said Vasseur. “We knew it would be tough to work with the new features on a sprint weekend, but we didn’t want to delay their introduction until Budapest.

“Yes, on Friday we weren’t able to do a proper long run and get some benchmarks, but I still think it was a good decision to bring the new stuff as it was preparation for the round in Hungary.”

Vasseur admitted the team is now shifting its priorities: “All the teams are in the same situation. The closer you get to the end of the season, the more you focus on next year. “We will still have a few minor updates related to the track, the weather or something else, but there will be no major new features.”

His deputy, Jerome D’Ambrosio – a former F1 driver from Belgium – joined Ferrari after beginning his management career as Toto Wolff’s deputy at Mercedes.

“For any motorsport enthusiast, Ferrari is a brand that represents a large part of the history of Formula 1 and the automobile,” D’Ambrosio told RTBF.

“The first day, when you arrive at Ferrari, it’s special. In Maranello, you arrive in a city that lives around the team. It’s unique. When you have a coffee there, we talk about the last race or the weekend with a lot of passion.”

He added: “I love what I do, I love working with Fred and the whole team. Winning behind the wheel or from the wall is the same feeling. I’m very happy to have gone from one side of the barrier to the other without feeling a lack.”