Ferrari Aims For Stronger Form In 2026, Says F1 Chief

Formula One chief Stefano Domenicali has urged Ferrari to raise standards after a winless 2025 season, stressing that the team should not accept fourth place as normal and expressing hope that the Scuderia will arrive in much stronger form for the 2026 campaign.

Domenicali, who led Ferrari as team principal from 2008 to 2014, insisted that results in 2025 do not reflect the team’s history or potential, and underlined that Ferrari "deserve to be in a stronger position" as Formula One heads towards another major rules shift in 2026.

Ferrari ended the 2025 Constructors Championship in fourth place, scoring 398 points across the year. That total left the Scuderia 435 points behind champions McLaren and 71 points adrift of second-placed Mercedes, underlining

the size of the gap to the front of the field.

Results were mixed between the drivers. Lewis Hamilton’s debut campaign for Ferrari produced no top-three finishes, while team-mate Charles Leclerc reached the podium seven times. Despite those podiums, Ferrari did not win a single grand prix in 2025, a statistic that heightened scrutiny around the team’s direction.

Domenicali stressed the need for clear leadership and focus inside Maranello as Formula One prepares for fresh technical regulations in 2026, adding that the team must react strongly rather than allow finishing off the title pace to become an accepted pattern.

"I'm a positive guy. There's no need to cry, there's no need to always be negative. They need to have a plan," he told Sky Sports.

Domenicali highlighted the roles of team principal Fred Vasseur and drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, expressing confidence that a strategy is already in place, while also warning that the competitive order for 2026 remains uncertain for every team on the grid.

"I'm sure Fred [Vasseur], Lewis and Charles have a plan and that's what is important. I think it's important to react, not to fade away and for it to be normal to be fourth in the championship. We want to have strong Ferrari. They deserve to be in a stronger position. They need to make sure that there is the right energy and the right thing to follow up, because in 2026, everyone is talking, but no one knows where they are. If you saw what happened last year everyone was already knowing what was happening in the future, stay tuned because every race there will be an evolution. "

The size of Ferrari’s deficit to the front-runners in 2025 is clear from the final standings, which underline how much progress is required if the Scuderia are to return to consistent title contention under the incoming rules set.

Team	Constructors position 2025	Points	Gap to Ferrari
McLaren	1st	833	+435
Mercedes	2nd	469	+71
Ferrari	4th	398	–

The uncertainty around how teams will adapt to 2026 regulations, combined with Ferrari’s 2025 shortfall and the presence of established names such as Hamilton and Leclerc, places significant attention on how the Scuderia respond during the coming season and whether the planned recovery will translate into results.

How we like to spend our Sundays pic.twitter.com/HjcsnXEF93Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) January 11, 2026