F1 CEO Domenicali urges Ferrari to execute plan after dismal 2025 season

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali is calling on Ferrari to regroup and execute a solid plan after a dismal 2025 season saw the team finish a distant fourth in the constructors' championship. Despite the Scuderia shifting focus early to the massive 2026 regulatory changes, Domenicali emphasizes that negativity won't help and that the team needs to leverage its driver lineup to return to the front.

Why it matters:

Ferrari is the soul of Formula 1. A competitive Scuderia is essential for the sport's global appeal and commercial success. Their collapse from 2024 contenders to 2025 also-rans highlights the volatility of the current grid, but Domenicali needs them to be fighting McLaren and Red Bull to maximize engagement. The 2026 regulations represent a reset button, and Ferrari's early pivot suggests they are betting everything on this new era.

The details:

• 2025 Struggles: Ferrari failed to win a Grand Prix, finishing a staggering 435 points behind McLaren. This comes just a year after they narrowly missed the 2024 title by 14 points.
• Hamilton's Slump: Lewis Hamilton failed to secure a single podium for the first time in his 19-year career following his high-profile move from Mercedes.
• Strategic Pivot: The team halted aerodynamic development on the SF-25 in late April to prioritize the 2026 regulations, which are being touted as the biggest change in F1 history.
• Leadership's Stance: Domenicali, who led Ferrari from 2008 to 2014, dismissed the need to "cry" over the results, insisting that Team Principal Fred Vasseur and drivers Leclerc and Hamilton have a strategy in place.

What's next:

With the 2026 season on the horizon, the entire grid is guessing about the pecking order. Domenicali suggests that the early development stop in 2025 was a calculated risk that should pay off. If Ferrari's gamble works, they could hit the ground running when the new rules take effect, potentially restoring the team to its rightful place at the top of the podium.