Ferrari’s Vasseur: Bitter Taste but Optimism for 2025

Vasseur balances pride and frustration as Ferrari narrowly trails McLaren, reflecting on progress and future ambitions for 2025.

Fred Vasseur was torn between the satisfaction of seeing Ferrari come so close to the Constructors’ title and securing a double podium in Abu Dhabi, and the frustration of falling 14 points short of a possible Constructors’ World Championship.

“First of all, congratulations to McLaren. They had a great season, always consistent, performing well, and with no reliability issues. I’m not happy finishing second, but being behind McLaren affects me personally because I started my career with them,” said Vasseur.

“But I’m disappointed for myself because we did the job today, and I think we had a very strong season. Finishing 14 points behind leaves a bitter taste, but it’s the best possible preparation for next year.”

The Frenchman highlighted that the narrow gap was especially frustrating, particularly due to Ferrari’s struggles earlier in the summer: “Even in qualifying, yesterday there was a small mistake in the last corner, and it’s a tenth that can make a difference depending on the race.”

“It’s marginal—what’s missing isn’t necessarily performance but addressing the gaps in the season and avoiding the mistakes we made. In June, we lost 80 points to McLaren in three races, and when you end up 14 points behind, it hurts.”

Vasseur explained that everything must change for next year. Even if the regulations remain stable, the performance gap between teams is so tight that failing to evolve in any area poses a risk of losing positions.

“By definition, we change everything. We can have evolution while maintaining a philosophy in components, but we change everything because the fight is so close that we can’t afford to lose even a gram on a part or half a point in aero.”

“We’re in that mentality, in that mindset. At the factory, where performance is built, we’ve done tremendous work over the past six months. But that doesn’t guarantee we’ll be ahead, because we don’t know what McLaren will have done.”

“What we’re doing is a comparison, not an absolute measure. But I’m quite positive because the momentum is good. Compared to a year and a half ago, we’re making fewer mistakes, we’re more consistent in performance, and that’s encouraging for next year.”

Ferrari will begin preparing for 2025 on Tuesday, including the arrival of Lewis Hamilton, though Vasseur explains that the seven-time world champion won’t fundamentally change everything: “First, we’ll celebrate tonight! Testing starts on Tuesday, and at the factory, we’ve already been focused on 2025 for a while.”

“Then there’s Lewis arriving, but that doesn’t change the project. The car already exists; we’ll welcome him, and he’ll bring his experience, his past, his expertise, and his speed—much to the dismay of some, since he showed today that starting from the back, he’s still like a rocket.”

“For us, it’s important; it’s a step forward in building the team to welcome someone with his experience and background. It’s another brick in the wall, and it’s going to be exciting.”

When asked if Hamilton might have regrets, Vasseur is confident the Briton no longer found what he was looking for at Mercedes this year: “Things didn’t always go smoothly. He’s quite a sensitive person who needs to feel surrounded, supported, and appreciated.”

“And I don’t think he always felt that way this year. But when he smelled blood—or at least Russell ahead of him—he got everything back in order and went fast. I was never worried; I know what he has in mind, and he’ll be an important asset for us.”