Ferrari may be sitting second in the constructors’ championship halfway through 2025, but their season has been far more turbulent than the standings suggest.
The Maranello outfit had incredible hype around them heading into 2025 following the signing of Lewis Hamilton. Many around the world, notably Ferrari fans, felt this would be what they needed to end their title drought, having lost to McLaren by 14 points in 2024.
READ MORE: Former F1 engineer reveals tech reason behind McLaren’s 2025 dominance
But after 14 races in 2025, the team are yet to claim victory. Charles Leclerc has scored one pole position and five podiums, while Hamilton is still waiting to stand on the podium in the scarlet red colours of Ferrari.
The SF-25 has proven to have a very narrow operating window, with the team struggling to find the right balance. Their lack of performance sparked several rumours regarding the future of many key figures.
Team principal Fred Vasseur was rumoured to be under pressure and could lose his job, with his contract being up in 2025. Reports even linked Charles Leclerc to Mercedes, despite him having a contract in Maranello until 2029 – the longest deal on the current grid.
Unsurprisingly, Leclerc has reiterated his commitment to the team, while Vasseur recently signed a new long-term contract. It gives Ferrari much-needed stability amid the ‘turmoil’ they had faced at the start of the season.
Fred Vasseur was ‘really angry’ over rumours that Loic Serra was doing a bad job with Ferrari’s 2025 F1 car
In an interview with Auto Motor und Sport, Vasseur voiced his frustration over the ongoing speculation and noise surrounding Ferrari throughout the 2025 season. He didn’t hold back when addressing the criticism aimed at the SF-25.
Hamilton brought several key personnel with him from Mercedes to Ferrari, including Jerome D’Ambrosio and Loic Serra, the latter joining as technical director. He has come under criticism for the SF-25’s underperformance, and Vasseur came to his defence.
“The turmoil was caused by rumours,” he said. “I didn’t spread them, the media did. Neither Ferrari nor I spoke. But today, you can’t avoid such disruptive fire.
“I don’t want to tar all journalists with the same brush. But with the internet, reporting has become much more aggressive. There’s a pressure to generate clicks.”
“When these rumours first surfaced in Canada, I was really angry. Because they went too far. My technical director, Loïc Serra, was accused of not doing a good job. The 2025 car was practically ready when Loïc started working for us.
“The story with Charles Leclerc was similar. Some people regularly wrote that Charles was going to Mercedes. Nobody cared that he repeatedly confirmed he had a long-term contract with Ferrari.
Vasseur also pointed out how this constant background noise affected operations within Italy itself:
Lewis Hamilton’s comments add to Ferrari’s growing list of problems
Ferrari are looking for a fresh start after the break, but there’s no hiding from the issues that have piled up, especially with Hamilton now in the spotlight.
The seven-time world champion had a tough outing in Hungary, qualifying and finishing 12th. He looked out of sorts all weekend and even went as far as suggesting Ferrari should replace him.
Ferrari aren’t ignoring what Hamilton said, though there’s no sign of immediate action. Still, some British media figures think he might walk away before the season ends.
Juan Pablo Montoya added to the conversation by saying Ferrari are beginning to realise their structure isn’t right and backed Hamilton’s criticism of how things are run. There’s a lot for Ferrari to sort out if they want to steady the ship and quieten the growing noise around them.
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