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Fred Vasseur has defended Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, reiterating that both are 'able to do the job', despite Ferrari's tough start to the season. As the grid arrives at Imola to kick off the European leg of the calendar, the Ferrari boss insisted the team must shoulder the blame for its recent underperformance, not the drivers.
The seven-time world champion and his Monegasque teammate finished seventh and eighth, respectively, at the Miami Grand Prix, in Ferrari's worst collective result of the 2025 Formula 1 season. With just one podium and one Sprint win between them, the team stands fourth in the Constructors' Championship, 152 points behind McLaren.
This brings the Prancing Horse under increasing pressure to respond, especially with the Tifosi watching at home in Imola. However, team principal Fred Vasseur continues to stand by his drivers and acknowledged that the SF-25 has not allowed them to showcase that strength (via Racer):
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"I trust completely Charles and Lewis... They are able to do the job in qualifying... today it's not the case with this car. It means that we have to improve, and we have to do a much better job at this stage of the weekend."
Across the first six rounds of the 2025 season, Ferrari's performance has dipped below preseason expectations. What started with genuine hopes of challenging Red Bull and McLaren for wins has turned into a fight to stay ahead of Williams.
The low point came in China after Lewis Hamilton's Sprint victory, where both drivers were disqualified in the Chinese Grand Prix. Two weeks later in Bahrain, Leclerc found the only podium for the team. However, the SF-25's struggles with tire warm-up and race pace returned in Miami, as neither driver could catch up with Mercedes' 18-year-old rookie Kimi Antonelli.
Despite its upgraded Miami package failing to deliver a turnaround, Vasseur remains adamant that the margins are finer than they appear.
"If today you put [Charles Leclerc] P4, P3 and [Lewis Hamilton] P10, you have the same gap as last week. I think it's (window) really narrow... It's very difficult and very narrow to interact (with) the tyres. McLaren is doing a fantastic job on this all over the weekend, but as soon as you are out, it’s much more difficult," Vasseur told reporters (via Motorsports week).
The comparison isn't without reason as McLaren's tire management and adaptability across different tracks have seen the team win five out of the six races this year.
'Everybody will have a new front wing': Ferrari eyes upgrades at Imola as Lewis Hamilton demands more downforce
While Fred Vasseur defended Lewis Hamilton and cautioned against overreaction, the Ferrari team principal also pointed to the imminent upgrade cycle as a possible turning point. Last year, McLaren rose from the midfield to take the 2024 Constructors' title after major upgrades during the season.
Ferrari will be hoping to do something similar, as Vassuer confirmed upgrades for the European triple header (via Racer):
"For sure everybody will have a new front wing in Barcelona... I think it will be perhaps a reset of the performance of everybody. Between now and Barcelona, we have Imola and Monaco, where we will bring some small upgrades... It's a matter of exploiting the potential, compared to the others."
Notably, Barcelona will see a reshuffle of front-wing designs due to regulation changes, an area Lewis Hamilton has raised concerns about, particularly in terms of front-end grip and downforce.
Both Hamilton and Leclerc have been vocal about the SF-25's behavior under braking and through mid-corner phases, areas where added downforce and aero consistency are critical.
The team's decision to use Imola and Monaco as data-gathering opportunities could help shape the effectiveness of the Barcelona package, which may well define the rest of Ferrari's Formula 1 season.
