John Elkann hints at the reason Ferrari are not ‘victorious’ in F1 anymore after identifying ‘important’ issue

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John Elkann is still awaiting Ferrari’s first bit of silverware since his appointment as chairman of the luxury sports car manufacturer.

Ferrari‘s best chance of snatching some silverware in recent years has come in the form of the constructors’ championship. The team have finished within the top three of the standings in six of the last seven F1 seasons.

They came awfully close last season, losing out to McLaren in the end by just 14 points. Karun Chandhok pinpointed an error from Carlos Sainz in Baku, which saw him crash out in an incident with Sergio Perez during the closing laps of the race and drop crucial points for the team.

Will Buxton also referenced a ‘catastrophic’ decision Ferrari made earlier in the season. The journalist highlighted an upgrade that the team added to the car for the Spanish Grand Prix, which backfired and left the team scrambling to fix it for the rest of the European leg of the 2024 season.

READ MORE: Who is Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur? Everything you need to know

Ferrari’s F1 success in the past is owed to ‘incredible individuals’ working together

Speaking to Formula 1 at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Elkann gave his opinion on where Ferrari is at the moment, as opposed to where he wants them to be, saying, “Ferrari wants to win, has won, will win, when it’s able to get everyone together.

“What’s important in Ferrari is not the individual, but it’s the individuals. Those individuals, when they work together, they can do incredible things. That has been very much the case in Formula 1.

“We all remember when we were victorious, and we were victorious because there was a very strong sense that incredible individuals – from our engineers, our mechanics, our pilots, our team principal – were really individuals that worked together.

“So it’s not about the individual, but it’s about the collective effort of great individuals who can achieve even more together.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

Ferrari have put their trust in Fred Vasseur to lead them to an F1 championship

Ferrari announced the extension of Fred Vasseur’s contract on Thursday morning. The Frenchman signed a ‘multi-year’ deal which is expected to run through until at least 2027.

With Vasseur‘s future being put in doubt over recent weeks, the move signifies the team’s priority of heading into the new era of F1 in 2026 with stability in their leadership.

“We’ve really worked well with Fred, and when you work well, it’s important to continue working well,” Elkann said.

“The reality is that from the basis of these years, we all want to build more, and we know that, in Formula 1, times are such that what you really need is engagement, trust, and make sure that the time is there with you.

“The natural evolution of the relationship with Fred, that has been a very strong relationship and one that you can feel, and it’s palpable in Ferrari, just the importance of how stability makes a big impact on results. That’s really what we all want.”