After four years under Fred Vasseur, Ferrari is still no closer to the title

At Ferrari, only one thing matters: the world title. If that wasn’t already clear, it became so after Mattia Binotto’s dismissal at the end of 2022. That season began with championship dreams but was ultimately shattered by Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing.

Even so, the year’s haul wasn’t bad. Ferrari won four races, stood on the podium twenty times, scored 554 points, and finished second in the Constructors’ Championship. Charles Leclerc also finished second in the Drivers’ standings, albeit 146 points behind Verstappen.

It was Ferrari’s best year since losing the title fights to Mercedes in 2017 and 2018. Still, it wasn’t enough for Ferrari’s leadership. Binotto had to pack his bags, and Sauber team boss Fred Vasseur was brought to Maranello. Vasseur’s task: lead Ferrari back to the top.

Vasseur has yet to match his compatriot Jean Todt. While Todt won multiple titles with Ferrari, Vasseur has managed just 12 Grand Prix victories in nearly four years. The hoped-for step forward hasn’t materialised, or at least not consistently.

In 2023, Ferrari actually regressed under Vasseur’s leadership. After a year in which the title seemed possible, Ferrari finished third in the Constructors’ and scored significantly fewer points than under Binotto. In 2022, they averaged 25.2 points per weekend; in Vasseur’s first year, only 18.45. The deficit in the Drivers’ Championship also grew. Leclerc finished fifth, 369 points behind Verstappen.

In 2024, the promised step forward finally seemed visible. Ferrari fought for the Constructors’ title until the very last day and ultimately fell just 14 points short. In the Drivers’ Championship, Leclerc still ended up third, 81 points behind champion Verstappen.

It appeared to be a prelude to a successful 2025. In the final year of the regulations, everyone assumed Ferrari would be title favorites, but many jaws dropped when it turned out Ferrari had overhauled the entire car philosophy. What followed was a dramatic slump.

In 2025, Ferrari scored only 398 points, averaging 16.6 per race weekend. They didn’t win a single Grand Prix and finished fourth in the Constructors’. Leclerc was again Ferrari’s top performer, this time finishing fifth, 181 points behind champion Lando Norris.

Then all eyes turned to 2026. A new engine and a new chassis regulation offered Ferrari a dream chance to contend for the world title again. So far, however, the big step forward has not materialized. Ferrari’s engine and chassis aren’t the best on the grid, leaving them trailing presumptive champions Mercedes.

Under Vasseur, Ferrari is currently averaging 25.2 points per GP this season. Better than in 2023 and 2025, worse than in 2024. Ironically, it’s exactly the same average Mattia Binotto achieved in his final year before being dismissed.

Which raises the question of how much Ferrari has really gained from Vasseur’s arrival. Progress in F1 takes time, but in his fourth year Vasseur has yet to show he’s doing significantly better than his predecessor. In fact, the dynamics are almost identical. Ferrari is second again in the first year of new regulations, scoring the same points per GP and facing a near-identical gap to the best team.

The question now is what Ferrari’s top brass will decide. Keep building under Vasseur and hope the upward trend finally continues under these regulations, or change course again?

There are certainly plenty of names eager to step in at Ferrari. Whether they would actually do better remains to be seen.