After Baku, Ferrari begins to question its future

More than George Russell’s victory, Red Bull’s double podium finish and McLaren’s double zero, strong rumblings are coming from Baku within the Ferrari camp. There is no point in wondering why this is happening, but every whisper concerning the Scuderia drowns out any clamour caused by the other teams. The issue is not new, but the context has certainly changed. The interview with The Times in which Christian Horner effectively put himself forward as a candidate to lead Ferrari has cast even darker clouds over a season that Maranello had hoped would be very different indeed. Given that even the target set by John Elkann for the world championship in 2026 will not be met, the words of the former Red Bull team principal have suddenly brought the issue of leadership back to the fore. Fred Vasseur took the helm in 2023. Since it is only right that senior figures such as him should be judged (also, if not above all) by their results, then it must be said honestly that we are not there yet.

2023: Leclerc finished fifth in the drivers’ championship, with one Grand Prix victory for Sainz and third place in the constructors’ championship (with Red Bull, led by Horner, finishing ahead of both Mercedes and Ferrari).

2024 was the best year: Leclerc finished third in the drivers’ championship, with a total of five wins (three for the Monegasque driver and two for Sainz) and a creditable second place behind McLaren (666 points to 652).

2025 was a disaster, with zero wins (Leclerc fifth in the drivers’ championship) and a dreadful fourth place in the constructors’ championship.

2026 is right before our eyes. Two wins, but five matches without making the podium.

The question is: would sacking Vasseur be enough to give the Prancing Horse another chance to fight for the title? The answer is, sadly, no. Vasseur has never won a world title; he came from a smaller team, Sauber/Alfa Romeo. If, in nearly four years, Ferrari has won eight races – the same number of times Kimi Antonelli has crossed the finish line first this year – placing all the blame on Vasseur is a dishonest way of dealing with the situation. It is said that Ferrari does not have a problem with its drivers. That is true. They do their best; they make mistakes too, as everyone does, but they remain a solid asset you can rely on. The fact that Ferrari – a constructor in the purest sense of the word – has the engine as its weak point, in terms of the power delivered on the straights, sends shivers down the spine.

But let’s return to Vasseur and Horner. Maurizio Arrivabene, who knows that pit wall and that company well, has made it clear that there is no one capable of solving all problems with a magic wand. And – though this is the writer’s own addition – Chris Horner is probably the least suited to fitting into an environment like the one in Modena. Horner has won a great deal, a tremendous amount. That is undeniable. However, he achieved those successes in a completely different context, alongside a figure like Helmut Marko—someone who is simply unimaginable at Maranello. Ferrari, understood as an overall working group, is clearly a place of passion but also one of extremely complex management. Horner has very few friends in the paddock; his split from Red Bull was traumatic. Now he is putting himself forward to the Scuderia, declaring himself willing—how generous of him—not to receive any shares in the company (which does not appear to be in the habit of granting them) and ready to ruffle Toto Wolff’s feathers. Marchionne and Arrivabene managed to do so in the past. But we are talking about two heavyweights. These days, Toto can’t help but laugh if Elkann and Vasseur turn up taking a hard line – though when would they ever do that?

Maranello’s ‘political clout’ is at an all-time low. The brand is solid, as is its reputation. But it is always others who claim the victories. Now more than ever, it will be up to the Elkann-Vigna duo to decide whether to give Vasseur another season or to let him go at the end of this one. They are well aware that whilst it is easy to know who to let go, it is not so easy to know who to find. And that what is needed, more than an alpha male leader, is someone capable of reconciling the various factions within the Scuderia, bringing engine and chassis engineers into agreement and, if possible, persuading some of the engineering talents who left the Via Emilia to go and excel elsewhere to return. Who can do this? There are two or three possible names, people who are doing very well elsewhere. The fear is that without authoritative leadership at the very top – something the Founder, Luca di Montezemolo and Jean Todt, and, to some extent, Marchionne, were able to provide – even the role of Team Principal risks becoming nothing more than a smokescreen.

Another round of racing is scheduled for next Sunday in Sepang, where the Bahrain Grand Prix will be rescheduled. The series then moves directly to Singapore. Two circuits which, on paper, are less challenging for Ferrari. It remains to be seen whether a stroke of luck might emerge to drive a wedge between those who suffer (the Ferrari faithful) and those who offer themselves up (Horner).