F1, Ferrari: the words of a former World Cup protagonist make Rossa fans debate

It is still time for trials in the Ferrari household, after a 2025 Formula 1 World Championship that has given very little satisfaction to the fans of the Rossa: a single victory at Sprint Race level with Lewis Hamilton in China, at the beginning of the season, after which little or nothing, with only Charles Leclerc capable of occasionally standing on the podium. A trend, this year&#8217s, that has also made many insiders turn up their noses, as witnessed by Riccardo Patrese&#8217s words in the columns of the Quotidiano Nazionale: the former Shadow, Arrows, Brabham, Alfa Romeo, Williams and Benetton driver did not hide his stern opinion, fueling the debate.

“I honestly struggle to be optimistic about the Cavallino’s 2026. Ferrari is back from a disappointing season” explains, without mincing words, the Paduan, once second and twice third in the World Championship, always at the wheel of the Williams. “Vasseur? He’s playing it all now, he’s been there since January 2023, he’s had time to build. In general, to me Fred so far has seemed unresponsive in the face of difficulties. In Formula One, as in any top company, it is essential to create a close-knit team. This is the task that a team principal must perform. After that, there is more: Ferrari needs an important technical leader”.

Martino Davidi

There is then the issue related to Lewis Hamilton&#8217s strenuous adaptation to the SF-25: for Patrese, the brtiannico is anything but a driver “finished” but he should be handled differently: “He has broken all records in F1, won seven world championships – the former F1 driver explained again -. You have to give a guy like that a competitive single-seater, otherwise he disassembles. Put Lewis in a Ferrari at least close to the strongest team and you will see that he still plays it. Leclerc? He always plays it, but he’s never had the right ride. He is hungry for triumphs and I understand his frustration, the few times he makes mistakes depends on the tremendous desire he has on him”.

Riccardo Patrese’s words thus keep alive the debate involving Ferrari and its fans, as well as all morotsport fans. A discussion that starts from the results on the track, but also goes beyond: on the one hand, there are those who point the finger at the race wall, believing that the technical and strategic management has not lived up to the ambitions; on the other hand, there are those who focus attention on the drivers, between Hamilton’s complicated adaptation and Leclerc’s frustration.

The debate is not without its own.

To arrive at any answers, however, it will be necessary to wait until the end of the winter break and, rather than the first tests, the first Grand Prix of 2026, scheduled for early March at the’Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia, when the new cars, made following the renewed technical regulations, will take to the track to compete for the first points of the season.