Opinion: Ferrari should sign Andrea Stella to replace Fred Vasseur

Elkann did not hold back. “We have drivers who need to focus on driving and talk less,” he thundered. “The mechanics with the pit stops and the engineers are doing a great job to improve the car throughout the year. There are many areas that still need to get better, and we certainly need drivers who think not of themselves, but of Ferrari.”

His barb comes weeks after he delivered another unprecedented rant about the team’s fortunes, one that was ultimately a show of support for Vasseur, who had just signed a contract extension with the team.

Elkann said back then: “I want to reiterate the importance of teamwork from everyone to maintain high concentration on the only objective that matters - always giving our all on the track.”

His latest remark, directed at the team’s driver pairing of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, is an interesting one, and one wonders whether there is a deeper concern for Elkann that stretches beyond the drivers. Having seen Ferrari wrap up the WEC title, Elkann’s iconic team, fabled for its prancing horse logo, is now just an also-ran.

It’s a story that has been the same for several years now, and one feels that a shake-up is required. A revolution - and McLaren’s Andrea Stella is the man to lead it.

Vasseur has done a respectable job at Maranello. He’s brought calm where there was chaos, organisation where there was confusion. Team morale has improved as a consequence of his likeable personality. But Formula 1 doesn’t reward those qualities.

Vasseur walked into a difficult situation. In early 2023, Ferrari were reeling from botched strategies, morale issues, and a culture of fear. Two seasons later, it is a much-improved team. Communication has improved, reliability is better, and even strategy is no longer a weakness.

But Ferrari haven’t taken the final step. They’re still chasing, not leading. From one week to the next there’s the elated feeling of having cracked it, only to come crashing back down the following weekend with a poor result.

Stella isn’t a celebrity boss. He doesn’t shout on the pit wall or chase headlines. He began his F1 career at Ferrari itself, working alongside Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen, and Fernando Alonso. He’s seen what greatness looks like, but also knows what happens when it slips away.

When he joined McLaren, the team was lost. Within two years of taking over as Team Principal, Stella turned them into contenders again. Under Zak Brown’s remit, he reorganised departments, streamlined decision-making, and reignited belief.

McLaren didn’t just get faster; they rediscovered their identity, which had been lost during the difficult years with Honda engines. That’s exactly the kind of metamorphosis Ferrari need.

He’s Italian, but not trapped by Ferrari’s past. He understands the culture, the pressure, and the symbolism, yet he’s matured outside the Maranello bubble. He could blend Ferrari’s passion with McLaren’s precision.

He’s an engineer. Stella speaks the same language as the people designing the car. He’s not a marketeer but a car builder. He’s proven he can win with less.

No disrespect to McLaren, but with Ferrari’s resources at his disposal, imagine what Stella could achieve with the Italian team.

Timing is crucial. The 2026 regulation reset will define the next decade of Formula 1. Ferrari need to act now to ensure they are the leading force of the new era, and that means installing the right leadership immediately.

It’s a rebuilding process that Vasseur has started, but it will take someone like Stella to refine it, to instil an ethos that will strengthen Ferrari and make them a dominant force for years to come.

It’s all very well blaming everyone else for the shortcomings, but if Elkann wants to turn Ferrari into an all-conquering team again, then he should pick up the phone to Stella.

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