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Fred Vasseur is facing more pressure than ever at Ferrari after a torrid 2025 campaign brought no victories to Maranello.
Poor design choices and race strategies damaged Ferrari’s campaign last year, with Charles Leclerc scoring all seven of their podiums. Heading into 2026, the Monegasque driver and teammate Lewis Hamilton are demanding improvements.
That is up to team principal Vasseur and his staff to deliver as the new regulations take effect. The Frenchman will need to, as his future at Ferrari is said to be hanging in the balance.
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It had been reported that Vasseur had just five races in 2026 to save his job. Ferrari’s downward trajectory in 2025, finishing fourth in the standings, put his position as team principal under serious threat.
Now, it is said that Vasseur has until the summer to convince the Ferrari hierarchy that he should remain in his post. The reality is that he does not have long, and the Maranello outfit are ramping up the pressure.
Fred Vasseur’s future ‘depends’ on winning the 2026 title with Ferrari
Vasseur has hinted he needs more time at Ferrari to deliver results. But the Frenchman is now entering his fourth season with the team, and he has overseen just six wins in that time.
Their regression in 2025 is not what chairman John Elkann would want to see. After all, Elkann did publicly criticise the Ferrari drivers for talking too much, with Leclerc and Hamilton openly bashing the team’s performance throughout 2025.
What does Fred Vasseur need to do to stay at Ferrari beyond 2026?
It will be up to Vasseur to lead the development of the SF-26 and give his drivers the tools to compete for the championship. Ferrari have not won a drivers’ title since 2007 and a constructors’ title since 2008.
As per a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Elkann gave Vasseur the ‘mission’ of winning the championship after bringing him in from Sauber in 2023.
Now, ‘his future after three seasons with Ferrari depends’ on him delivering on that expectation. Vasseur has to win the title with Leclerc and Hamilton in 2026.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory
How is Fred Vasseur’s Ferrari looking ahead of pre-season testing?
Vasseur told Hamilton and Leclerc that ‘everything’ is new in 2026, which will be music to their ears. They both struggled with the SF-25’s difficult nature, but the SF-26 is set to be more predictable, which is exactly what the duo have wanted.
There were initial concerns ahead of the first shakedown at Fiorano on Friday. Vasseur ‘went berserk’ when he heard that the 2026 car would not be ready for the launch on January 23, but thankfully, everything went as scheduled.
Hamilton and Leclerc got their first taste of the SF-26 at the Fiorano circuit, as did the fans, who watched on from the sidelines.
Things are looking positive ahead of the Barcelona test next week, as Ferrari may have a ‘crucial’ advantage with their refined engine package and sidepod designs. Whether that will remain come the first race of the season in Australia is another question.
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