New Deal for Vasseur as Ferrari Gets Ready for Crucial Belgian GP?
Jul.23 - Amid swirling speculation about his long-term future, Frederic Vasseur is reportedly set to be offered at least a one-year contract extension to stay on as Ferrari team principal in 2026.
Italy's Autosprint claims top Ferrari management has decided to back Vasseur despite earlier rumours that the team might overhaul its structure, adopting a McLaren or Sauber-style system with a CEO above the team boss.
The pressure on Vasseur intensified after securing Lewis Hamilton's high-profile move to Ferrari for 2025 and beyond. Hamilton's presence, while commercially powerful, has not yet delivered the expected results on track.
Former Haas boss Gunther Steiner believes the immense expectations around the Hamilton-Ferrari pairing have been part of the problem.
"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."
Ferrari, however, is continuing its push to improve the on-track package. At Spa this weekend, the team will debut not one, but two major updates: a long-awaited new rear suspension layout - the first major development under new tech chief Loic Serra - and a lighter rear wing, which Eurosport Italia reports is also being evaluated for use at Monza.
The rear suspension was trialled during a Mugello filming day last week with both drivers, including Charles Leclerc, and is believed to offer a gain of around one-tenth per lap.
✅ Check out more posts with related topics:
