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<\/p>\nMARANELLO, Italy \u2014 Along the road entering Maranello from Modena, there is a bridge that overlooks Fiorano, Ferrari\u2019s private test track next to its Formula One headquarters.<\/p>\n
It was here at the end of January that Lewis Hamilton turned his first laps behind the wheel of a Ferrari car following his move from Mercedes, arguably the biggest driver switch in F1 history.<\/p>\n
Fans congregated in their hundreds on a cold, gloomy January day to catch a glimpse of the landmark moment. Some even went as far as cutting down trees that obstructed the view. Hamilton soaked in every bit of the fan support, bringing his family along for an emotional day as he started living his Ferrari dream.<\/p>\n
Eleven months later, the trees are still cut short. A Ferrari merchandise shop next to Fiorano sells 1:18 scale models of Hamilton\u2019s car from that test day, a 2023 car in a 2024 livery on intermediate tires, selling for $275. A niche collector\u2019s item that surely resonates with the right clientele.<\/p>\n
And yet the mood at Ferrari as 2025 ends is hardly one of celebration or excitement. If anything, it\u2019s a relief the season has finally ended.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had positive points,\u201d Fred Vasseur, the team principal, told reporters at Ferrari\u2019s end of year Christmas lunch. \u201cBut less than negative (ones).\u201d<\/p>\n
Hamilton endured his first podium-less F1 season since debuting in 2007. His teammate, Charles Leclerc, offered some bright points, with pole in Hungary and seven podium. But he could fight for little more. Ferrari went from falling just 14 points shy of beating McLaren to the 2024 constructors\u2019 title to finishing a distant fourth with less than half the points tally of the winning papaya cars this year.<\/p>\n
Hamilton was frank through his all struggles across the year, one he called at times a \u201cnightmare\u201d and an \u201cemotional rollercoaster.\u201d As much as he adored becoming a Ferrari driver and realizing that lifelong dream, the reality of his first year in red, from a performance perspective, was much more challenging.<\/p>\n
As Vasseur noted, there were flashes of positive points. He highlighted Ferrari\u2019s car reliability, its pit stops and race strategy as being particular strengths \u2014 all areas where it was weak just a few years ago. \u201cIt\u2019s important for the future to capitalize on this,\u201d Vasseur said. \u201cBut we also have some areas where we have to do a much better job.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n Fred Vasseur at Ferrari\u2019s end of season F1 media event in Maranello on Wednesday (Ferrari)<\/p>\n
The core issue for Ferrari was its car. It just wasn\u2019t quick enough. As early as Bahrain preseason testing, the signs were there that it lacked McLaren\u2019s pace. Hamilton did score sprint race pole and victory in China, only for the team to then have both its cars disqualified from the main Shanghai race for failing technical checks. The remedy for the ride height issue at play cost it performance. \u201cThis put us in a corner,\u201d said Vasseur.<\/p>\n
By April\u2019s end, Ferrari had already decided to halt aerodynamic development of its 2025 car. Ahead of the overhaul of F1\u2019s car design and power unit rules in 2026, and with greater, more valuable gains on offer, focusing resources on next year made sense. There wasn\u2019t a total pause on 2025 development \u2014 a new rear suspension from Spa went some way to addressing the ride height problem \u2014 but it was clear where attention lay for the rest of the year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis call to stop (car development) after five or six races was a tough one,\u201d Vasseur admitted. \u201cI\u2019m still convinced that it was a good one, but if I underestimated something at this stage, it was the psychological effect on every single team member, including the drivers.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor sure it was for good reasons, it was to be focused on 2026, to try to get the best (for) this season. But on the other hand, when you are into the season and you have still 20 races to go, and you know that you won\u2019t bring any more development, it\u2019s difficult. I probably underestimated this for them, but also for me personally.\u201d<\/p>\n
The psychological impact of the year was particularly clear on Hamilton who, after enduring three straight exits in the first stage of qualifying to close out 2025, spoke in Abu Dhabi of a need to disconnect and switch off. His demeanor, especially as the season\u2019s latter stages started, was rarely one of enthusiasm or great hope.<\/p>\n
Vasseur said what mattered more was Hamilton\u2019s response internally, not to the world. \u201cIt\u2019s much better to have someone not speaking (much) in the TV pen and coming back to the debriefing, speaking with the engineers, trying to find solutions,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s the attitude that Lewis had even when he had a tough moment in the last part of the season. This is putting positive energy into the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Hamilton was not alone in his despondency. Leclerc produced some sterling displays throughout the year \u2014 including a pole in Hungary even he struggled to comprehend and second place at home in Monaco. He even threatened to play king-maker in the Abu Dhabi finale, by putting Lando Norris under pressure for an overtake that could have made Max Verstappen world champion. But Ferrari simply wasn\u2019t strong enough through the year to make it a positive one overall.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow that everything is finished, I just want to rest,\u201d Leclerc said after the race in Abu Dhabi. \u201cI just want to have two weeks off, and forget about this season that has been very disappointing.\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
\n Leclerc and Hamilton at the U.S. GP in October. (Clive Mason \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Leclerc did hail 2026\u2019s significance, calling it \u201ca huge opportunity to show what Ferrari is capable of.\u201d But he added: \u201cIt\u2019s now or never, so I really hope that we will start this new era on the right foot, because it\u2019s important for the four years after (to the end of F1\u2019s next five-year rules cycle).\u201d<\/p>\n
The \u201cnow or never\u201d comment felt especially noteworthy. Leclerc, Ferrari\u2019s \u2018chosen one\u2019 and team leader since joining in 2019, hasn\u2019t yet had the chance to properly fight for a world championship. He\u2019s 28 years old and surely in his peak years. For all the faith he has in Ferrari, it needs to deliver him a car capable of fighting for a title.<\/p>\n
When The Athletic put Leclerc\u2019s words to Vasseur, he was eager to point to the context of when Leclerc was speaking. \u201cDon\u2019t pay too much attention to the reaction of the drivers in the TV pen!\u201d he joked. The adrenaline felt moments after stepping out of the car of course has an impact on such comments. \u201cNo but seriously, it\u2019s a new era of regulations, and for sure if you start with someone with a one-second gap (to the rest), it\u2019s much better for the next four years. This is obvious, and it\u2019s an important step and important corner.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Vasseur said he was convinced that the greater car development gains possible at the very start of a new car design era could shift the pecking order quickly, meaning the picture in Bahrain testing or Australia could change by Abu Dhabi as the teams unlock ever more pace from their cars. \u201cIt\u2019s not because someone will be in front at the beginning of 2026 that he will be in front at the end of 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
F1\u2019s new rules era from 2026 does present a big opportunity for Ferrari. It will be the first car where technical director Loic Serra has had direct input \u2014 Vasseur remains frustrated that Serra was \u201cput under the bus\u201d in the Italian media through 2025 for a car he did not design, as Serra only joined the team in ??? \u2014 and marks another step in Vasseur\u2019s vision of Ferrari maturing. He will be going into his fourth season as team boss.<\/p>\n
But the spotlight always shine brighter on Ferrari than any other team, and especially now after Hamilton\u2019s difficult first year. That pressure even comes internally, with Ferrari\u2019s chairman, John Elkann, saying in November he thought the drivers should \u201cfocus more and talk less.\u201d It was a message intended to be a source of encouragement, but missed the mark.<\/p>\n
Listening to what Hamilton has to say is surely one way to rekindle the very best version of the seven-time world champion.<\/p>\n
The change in cars should help, given Hamilton never really clicked with the ground effect generation of 2022-2025 and he said in Abu Dhabi there was \u201cnot a single thing\u201d he\u2019d miss about them, having won just two races since their introduction. While there was a novelty for Hamilton joining Ferrari after 12 years with Mercedes, it also meant a great amount of change that inevitably bred growing pains. Vasseur admitted that he underestimated just how big that adjustment would be for Hamilton.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you are not on the top of everything, you leave on the table a couple of hundredths of seconds,\u201d Vasseur said. He has regularly pointed to the fine margins between Leclerc and Hamilton this year \u2014 on average, they were split by 0.189-seconds in qualifying \u2014 having more of an impact with such a tight, competitive field around them. But Hamilton was usually on the wrong side of things.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if we came back to a decent pace \u2014 I\u2019m not speaking about classification, I\u2019m speaking about collaboration, and understanding of the car in the last part of the season \u2014 it was tough,\u201d Vasseur said.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
\n The pressure is on Ferrari in 2026. (SIPA USA)<\/p>\n
To Vasseur, there was no single answer on what Ferrari or Hamilton could do differently together to make a step forward. He said improvements had to \u201ccome from everywhere\u201d across the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the day, we have to improve,\u201d said Vasseur. \u201cWe have to improve the collaboration with Lewis. We have to improve the team. He has to improve perhaps on how he gets the best from the car that he has.\u201d Vasseur pointed out Hamilton had changed brake supplier upon joining Ferrari, with braking the area of driving where Hamilton was previously so good and with which he has struggled throughout the ground effect era. \u201cEvery single detail at the end will make the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vasseur also thought things would improve as Hamilton and Ferrari continued to better understand each other. \u201cI\u2019m speaking about one side of the garage,\u201d Vasseur said. \u201cIn this case, it\u2019s because with Charles, we know each other. But in this case with Lewis, it\u2019s more to understand exactly what he needs, what he wants. And for him, the same for me \u2014 to understand exactly what he would like to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ferrari will unveil its new car on Jan. 23 next year. When it completes its first shakedown at Fiorano, likely with fans squeezing onto the bridge entering Maranello to get a first sneak peek, it will mark the start of an important new era. A rule reset filled with fresh hope that could rekindle the spark Hamilton so eagerly wants to ignite into a charge toward his elusive eighth title. That same fire that burns for Leclerc, as he yearns to fulfill what many fans believe to be his destiny and become world champion with Ferrari.<\/p>\n
Whatever happens, next year\u2019s Christmas lunch at Maranello will be dissecting a critical year for Ferrari.<\/p>\n
Because as adrenaline-fueled as Leclerc\u2019s comments in Abu Dhabi may have been, they weren\u2019t wrong: it really does feel like now or never for this version of F1\u2019s most storied team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"MARANELLO, Italy \u2014 Along the road entering Maranello from Modena, there is a bridge that overlooks Fiorano, Ferrari\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":354978,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[441],"tags":[49,48,578,576,577,12716,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-354977","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-formula-1","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-f1","11":"tag-formula-1","12":"tag-formula1","13":"tag-motorsports","14":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/354977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=354977"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/354977\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/354978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=354977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=354977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=354977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}