Amid ongoing speculation about his long-term position, Frederic Vasseur is reportedly poised to receive at least a one-year contract extension to remain Ferrari’s team principal in 2026.
According to Autosprint in Italy, Ferrari’s top management has decided to stick with Vasseur despite earlier rumours that the team could restructure its leadership model, possibly moving toward a McLaren or Sauber-style setup with a CEO above the team boss. Pressure on Vasseur mounted after the high-profile signing of Lewis Hamilton for 2025 and beyond.
While commercially valuable, Hamilton’s arrival has yet to translate into on-track success. Former Haas boss Gunther Steiner believes the expectations surrounding the Hamilton-Ferrari partnership have backfired.
“Lewis Hamilton is the only driver in Formula 1 who stands above a team in terms of presence and charisma,” Steiner said on the Business of Sport podcast.
“He's great even outside of the sport, and when you bring that into Ferrari, you almost get a conflict, who is bigger? Ferrari or Hamilton? “It was a great story, a seven-time world champion joining Ferrari, but we probably raised expectations too high. Now that things aren't working, people are a bit depressed about it.
“If I were at Ferrari, I wouldn't have hired him. That's just my opinion. I don't think Ferrari needed him.”
Despite mixed early results, Ferrari is continuing its technical development push. At Spa this weekend, the team is set to introduce two major updates: a long-awaited new rear suspension and a lighter rear wing.
The suspension, the first major upgrade under new technical director Loic Serra, was tested by both Charles Leclerc and Hamilton during a recent filming day at Mugello. It is expected to yield a lap-time improvement of around one-tenth.
The rear wing, meanwhile, is also under evaluation for use at the high-speed Monza circuit later this season, according to Eurosport Italia.