Dec.1 (GMM) Ferrari’s late-season collapse has triggered one of the team’s ugliest weekends in recent memory, with Italian media and paddock rivals piling on as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc endured a near-backmarker car.
Team boss Frederic Vasseur insisted the root cause was an unexpected tyre-pressure jump mandated by Pirelli. “All the teams had to deal with a tyre-pressure problem,” he said.
“We ran the cars with six points higher pressure than in previous races and this was the key aspect. In Abu Dhabi we return to standard conditions – we can hope for a better weekend.”
But that explanation is widely seen as a huge understatement. Ferrari halted 2025 development early, morale is collapsing, and Hamilton is suffering perhaps the worst run of his career.
Vasseur admitted the psychological impact inside the cockpit has been real. “From tomorrow morning we get back to work,” said the Frenchman.
“But 90 percent of our workload is now focused on next year,” he said. “We must prepare for the potential of 2026.”
Corriere della Sera’s headline was brutal: “Ferrari is a disaster – 0.”
Hamilton, who has been hiding from photographers in the paddock, said he simply wants to escape after Abu Dhabi. “I’d like to be on a beach or surfing. I can’t wait to regain my energy.
“I can’t sleep at night anymore.”
He also blamed constant criticism. “The negativity from the media affects everyone. They go home and their wives say: ‘This is what they say about the people you work with.’ It has a huge impact.”
Vasseur told RMC he accepts responsibility for the early development switch. “It’s a gamble for next year. We were hoping for better this year, but had technical difficulties since the Bahrain tests,” he insisted.
He also defended Hamilton against suggestions it’s time to retire. “Psychologically we’re less focused on 2025 because we’re thinking about the future. Next year is a different championship.
“From the tests, the drivers will have to guide us.”
As for Leclerc, he says Ferrari must be honest – even after chairman John Elkann recently ordered the drivers to “talk less”.
.
“At the start of the year I was convinced we’d done a good job, but it wasn’t enough,” he said. “We sacrificed two-thirds of the season for next year’s car. But it is surprising to be so far behind.
“I feel sorry for the fans. Our time will come – I believe in that – but this weekend was unacceptable.”
Hamilton also assessed his first Ferrari season bluntly.
“There are so many things that need to change,” he said. “We need to keep the good things and change the ones that didn’t work.”
Ralf Schumacher, meanwhile, didn’t hold back.
“Lewis hasn’t managed to integrate into the team,” he told Sky Deutschland. “He can’t adapt to the car. He’s stuck in the past – that’s normal for an older driver.
“My prediction? Difficult, and no longer solvable. Bearman should get the chance next year.”
Join Grand Prix Tours in Austin, Texas for the high-energy 2026 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Experience nonstop action on one of Formula 1’s most exciting tracks, featuring dramatic elevation changes, thrilling overtakes, and a packed race weekend. Off the track, enjoy a festival atmosphere with live music, world-famous BBQ, and buzzing nightlife. Your Grand Prix Tours package includes a fully curated race weekend, highlighted by exclusive access to our private F1 Celebrity Talk Show, where guests gain insider insights and behind-the-scenes perspectives. With demand soaring and this event quickly becoming a modern American racing tradition, now is the time to secure your spot for an unforgettable Austin Grand Prix experience.
SHOW PACKAGES
There are motorsport events, and then there is the Indianapolis 500, the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing." Next year marks Grand Prix Tours' 42nd Indianapolis 500 tour and our decades of experience and local connections provide exclusive access that few fans ever enjoy, including police escorts on race day, a Dallara IndyCar Factory tour, Gasoline Alley and Legends Day, the Driver Introduction Ceremony, and a private dinner with former Indy driver Derek Daly. Combined with excellent hotel accommodations, seamless event planning, and Grand Prix Tours' signature service, this is far more than a race weekend; it's a once-in-a-lifetime motorsport experience. With tour spaces limited each year, we encourage you to reserve your place early for the 111th Indianapolis 500.
SHOW PACKAGES
Experience Formula 1 at its most iconic with an unforgettable trip to the 2027 Grand Prix de Monaco. Feel the excitement as the world’s best drivers race through the legendary streets of Monte Carlo, surrounded by superyachts, Mediterranean views, and the unmistakable glamour of Monaco. From incredible race viewing to carefully selected accommodations, Grand Prix Tours brings you closer to the action at one of the most prestigious and spectacular events in all of motorsport.
SHOW PACKAGES
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the ultimate test of speed, strategy, and endurance. Watch the world's top manufacturers battle for 24 nonstop hours in one of motorsport's most prestigious events. With Grand Prix Tours handling your accommodations, transfers, and ticket options, all that's left is to experience this unforgettable bucket-list race.
SHOW PACKAGES
Feel the roar of Formula 1 at its spiritual home. Silverstone is one of the fastest and most demanding circuits in the world, where brave overtakes, lightning-fast direction changes, and flat-out commitment separate the best from the rest. Combined with the electric atmosphere created by hundreds of thousands of passionate fans, the British Grand Prix delivers a race weekend unlike any other.
SHOW PACKAGES