Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur admits to getting "exposed" amid "mega negative" F1 environment

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has admitted to getting exposed amid the negative environment in the 2025 Formula 1 season. After the first 18 rounds, Vasseur's team is neither fighting for the drivers' nor the constructors' championship

The Maranello-based Ferrari entered the ongoing campaign with optimism of fighting for the championship. However, after the initial rounds, it was clear that the Italian team's SF-25 was not capable of challenging for the title.

The ongoing 2025 campaign has only six Grand Prix events remaining, and Ferrari has yet to amass even a single victory. Moreover, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton has not even scored a single podium finish (in full-fledged races). Amid this, stories started circulating in June in regard to Vasseur's future with the team.

In Singapore (Round 18), the duo of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton ended up outside the top five at the end of the race, and during the three-day race weekend, Frederic Vasseur sat down for an interview with The Athletic and admitted that he was prepared for getting exposed on the Italian team.

In line with this, he added:

"I've been in the business for 30 years. I knew perfectly that I will be exposed, I will get s***."

The Frenchman further revealed that he was upset with what unfolded before his contract extension with Ferrari in late July. He also addressed Technical Director, Loic Serra (Who had to complete an 18-month gardening leave following his exit from Mercedes), who was also somewhat criticised for the performance output of the SF-25.

"At the end of the day, this is a mega negative for us. I know that we have to work with pressure, and we have to deal with pressure. It's the DNA of our sport. But I think you have enough pressure on track to not get pressure at home. We know that we need to deliver. We need to get results."

In the 2025 F1 season, Ferrari is in a battle with Mercedes and Max Verstappen-led Red Bull for second place in the constructors' championship.

"He knows that he can trust me": Ferrari boss on Lewis Hamilton's 2025 woes

F1 Grand Prix Of Singapore - Source: Getty

Lewis Hamilton entered the 2025 season with the hope of fighting at the front end of the grid with Ferrari. While this has not happened, the former has been off the pace in comparison to his teammate Charles Leclerc.

After the first 18 races, Hamilton is in sixth place in the drivers' championship, and Frederic Vasseur, while talking about the Brit, has recently added:

"He’s improving into the composition of the team. The team are improving into the composition of Lewis. So, we have to make a kind of ‘mayonnaise’ now. We need to improve step-by-step. I know that I can trust him, and he knows that he can trust me, and this is important. He knows that I will be fully dedicated to the team performance."

Lewis Hamilton secured an P8 finish in the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix.

Edited by Rishabh Negi