"It's almost a religion over there": Martin Brundle on Ferrari atmosphere as Lewis Hamilton, Fred Vasseur, and Charles Leclerc stick together

Martin Brundle has suggested that there should be a clampdown on the Italian media to help curb fan outrage directed at Ferrari and its Formula 1 team personnel. Speaking on Sky Sports F1, the former F1 driver recalled a similar approach taken by ex-Ferrari team principal Ross Brawn, who once restricted media access to manage the mental well-being of the team.

Current team principal Frédéric Vasseur has come under increasing pressure following a disappointing start to Ferrari’s 2025 season, with underwhelming performances across the first ten races. Reports in the Italian media have speculated that Vasseur’s position could be at risk if results don’t improve in the next three races. The Frenchman has firmly denied these claims, criticising the press for spreading unfounded rumours and calling the coverage disrespectful to both the team and its staff.

Commenting on the situation, Brundle reflected on Brawn’s past strategy to limit exposure to media clippings, aimed at shielding Ferrari personnel from the impact of relentless criticism. He emphasised that driving for Ferrari is akin to racing for Italy itself, where the team is revered almost like a national religion. Brundle believes Vasseur’s recent comments hint that the constant media pressure is beginning to take a toll on the team internally.

Speaking about the Ferrari issue on Sky Sports, Brundle said:

“At Ferrari, you're racing for a country when you race for that team. It's almost a religion over there. And that's what you have to put up with, and Fred knows that. He's particularly animated there, isn't he, and upset, and what he's saying is it's affecting people. You can't just lob these stories out there. And I think they're sticking together pretty well, and that's all they can do.”

“I remember Ross telling me that one of the first things he did when he got there - because they used to have the press cuttings on key desks every morning - was to stop that happening because it just scrambled people's heads.”

Addressing the speculation about his future with Ferrari in a press conference in Canada, Vasseur said:

“It’s some of the Italian media and not all of the Italian media. It’s not about myself, this I can manage. It’s more about the people in the team and throwing their name like this is disrespectful for them and for their family. I don't understand the target. Perhaps it's to give **** to the team. In this case, I don't see the point. Perhaps for them (publications) it's the only way to exist. This is probably more the reason.”

“But it still hurts the team. At one stage it's a lack of focus. When you're fighting for the championship, every single detail makes a difference. From the beginning of the weekend we have just been speaking about this. If it's their target to put the team in this situation, they have reached their goal.”

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Martin Brundle advises Ferrari drivers to put their ‘blinkers’ on amidst fan outrage against their performance

Martin Brundle believes Ferrari’s drivers need to block out the negative press and focus on the job at hand. Speaking about his former team, Brundle praised Ferrari’s current line-up of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, calling it a strong combination alongside team principal Frédéric Vasseur.

He noted that Hamilton has shown competitiveness at circuits like China and Imola, and emphasised that the team should concentrate on extracting more performance from the car and making the most of each race weekend.

Commenting on the negative press coverage and criticism of Ferrari affecting the drivers, Brundle said:

“You've got to get your blinkers on and do what you're good at, and keep the team morale, keep the team focused where it needs to be. A combination of Leclerc and Hamilton and Fred is a tremendous trio. And I don't think that's the problem. The problem is making sure the car's a little bit faster.”

“Remember Lewis at the end of Imola? I mean, stunningly fast. Obviously, he won the sprint in China, but there are other circumstances around that. But I think it's there - they just can't find it consistently. And sometimes they can't find the performance at all. But they've got to stick with it and just forget the noise.”

Ferrari currently sits second in the Constructors’ Championship with 165 points. However, their position is largely due to Red Bull’s poor showing at the Spanish Grand Prix, which saw the defending champions drop to fourth in the standings. Ferrari still trails runaway leaders McLaren by a significant margin, 197 points, with the Woking-based team leading on 362 points.

In the Drivers’ Championship, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton occupy fifth and sixth place with 94 and 71 points respectively. While Ferrari’s car has not been among the most competitive this season, recent podium finishes have helped them stay ahead of Mercedes and Red Bull. However, to remain in contention and close the gap to McLaren, the team urgently needs to improve the performance of their car and translate those gains into consistent on-track results.