Vasseur: Hamilton and Leclerc Back Ferrari’s Early Shift to 2026 Despite Winless 2025

Fred Vasseur insists Ferrari’s decision to halt development of its 2025 Formula 1 car in favour of an early switch to 2026 would not be reconsidered by either Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc.

The Ferrari team principal confirmed late last season that Maranello had effectively frozen work on the SF-25 once it became clear the car could not close the gap to McLaren’s MCL39. With the focus redirected toward the sweeping 2026 regulation overhaul, Ferrari’s 2025 campaign plateaued, leaving the team a distant fourth in the constructors’ standings without a race win.

Addressing whether his drivers might have preferred a different approach, Vasseur said the decision was made on clear technical logic rather than emotion.

“When you sit around the table and look at the numbers, it’s rational,” Vasseur explained. “You compare the development curve for the current car with the one for the next car. If continuing with the old car means you only catch McLaren after 10 races, then the choice is obvious.”

Vasseur acknowledged that frustration can spill over during race weekends, particularly given the effort his drivers were putting in for limited returns.

“When the drivers speak on the radio, it’s emotional,” he said. “Charles pushed like hell from the first lap on Friday to the final lap of the race. Sometimes he pushed more on weekends where we finished P8 or P9 than when he was winning races. That’s very hard for a driver to accept.”

However, Vasseur is confident that, with hindsight, neither Hamilton nor Leclerc would alter Ferrari’s strategy.

“If you asked them today whether they would redo the decision, I think they would agree with it,” he concluded.

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Written by

James Rees

A passionate motorsport journalist from Wales, with over 30 years of love for the sport. A dedicated father of three, working as a content manager, covering the fast-paced world of Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula E, and IndyCar.

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