Fred Vasseur has suggested Ferrari has already begun to shift its focus towards the F1 2026 campaign despite being only halfway through the current season.
With McLaren running away with both championships, having won nine of the 12 events thus far in 2025, the Ferrari team boss has suggested chasing the papaya squad down is now a bridge too far.
Fred Vasseur has all but written off Ferrari’s F1 2025 hopes
Vasseur’s assessment comes in the wake of the British Grand Prix, where Lewis Hamilton was beaten to the final step of the podium by Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg, and Charles Leclerc endured a difficult day to finish a lowly fourth.
The Scuderia is yet to win a race this year, and while it holds down a distant second to McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship, the pressure is beginning to mount on its leader. With 222 points to its name, Ferrari sits 238 points off the top of the title standings.
“I think we are all lucid that it will be more than difficult to come back on McLaren,” Vasseur confessed.
“First, they have an advantage. Sometimes on some track or some conditions, we are able to fight with them, but overall, they have an advantage.”
That pace advantage has translated into a crushing championship advantage such that the Ferrari team boss has already thrown in the towel.
With that in mind, the Frenchman has confessed that attention has already begun shifting towards next year’s car, when sweeping new regulations are set to be introduced.
“They have a big advantage in terms of championship,” he observed.
“Even if you win all the races until the end, I’m not even sure that you will be champion.
“But we are still in the fight with Mercedes and Red Bull. We are still in fight to win some races, and it’s important for the team.
“Now, into the split between ‘26 and ’25, in Ferrari we know what we have to do.”
More on Ferrari and Fred Vasseur
👉 Ferrari CEO issues fresh update on Vasseur future amid ongoing struggles
👉 Lewis Hamilton issues Ferrari major 2026 warning after British GP
Hamilton has called on the team to begin turning its attentions to next year’s car.
After the British Grand Prix, where he finished off the podium (in fourth) for the first time in over a decade, he was hardly glowing of the SF-25’s virtues.
“It’s the most difficult car I’ve been in here,” he said after being beaten by Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg.
“It’s not a car that likes those conditions. But having lots of data to take from this, I mean, for me, I might have to sit down with the people that are designing the car for next year, because there’s elements of this car that cannot go into the following year.”
Those comments followed a similar line of thought from the seven-time champion in the wake of the Austrian Grand Prix.
“We should be fully focused in terms of development onto next year’s car,” Hamilton insisted.
“I am sure all the teams are doing that already. I know Mercedes have already focused on next year. The key is going to be developing that engine.
“Making sure whoever comes up with the right philosophy suspension wise and everything. I am trying to work with the engineers to make sure we rectify some of the issues with this car because there’s a few problems that need fixing next year.”
Read next: Helmut Marko delivers first words on Christian Horner’s shock Red Bull exit
