What happened in Mexico, and the wave of commentary that followed, is a true pity for the Ferrari world. As FormulaUno.it reports, for arguably the first time since taking charge of the pit wall, Frederic Vasseur raised his voice—without raising his tone—to publicly reprimand his drivers without quite naming them. It was not a direct attack on either man, but rather a reminder of what Ferrari is, the weight of the badge, and the necessity of putting personal glory aside for the good of the Prancing Horse. That simply did not happen in Mexico, prompting the Frenchman to step in immediately.
To understand the situation, one must look at how the team approaches its driver lineup. Unlike Red Bull, which clearly builds around Max Verstappen while slotting in a junior capable of sweeping up points for the constructors' championship, or Mercedes—where George Russell and Kimi Antonelli saw the latter completely upend expectations and dominate the championship—Ferrari has chosen a different path. Much like McLaren under Andrea Stella and Zak Brown, Maranello avoids a clear hierarchy, opting instead for two fiercely competitive drivers without an established number one. That philosophy has immense upsides, but the downsides were laid bare on Sunday.
Those flaws demand a firm hand and crystal-clear rules from the ownership and the team principal. While Vasseur has used his words, all eyes will be on how the atmosphere translates to Brazil. Nobody should ever question the sheer professionalism of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, but they are two champions driven by instinct and statistics who know the first mountain to climb is always your teammate. The machine itself is a beauty. Thanks to a recent upgrade package, the SF-26 found fresh performance and a wider setup window, allowing it to operate at an extraordinary level in Mexico.
Yet Ferrari keeps tripping over its own feet. Singapore offered glimpses of terrifying speed—rivals even whispered that the SF-26 was the strongest car on the grid, though Maranello was surprised by the sudden leap—only for a difficult qualifying session and strategic hurdles to derail the weekend. Austin brought another immediate step forward, but qualifying struggles and power unit limits kept a third win of the season out of reach. It is no exaggeration to say that between Austin and Mexico, the Ferrari was often the fastest or second-fastest machine on potential.
Every single time, however, something small has broken the chain. Whether it was qualifying, the start, strategy, the engine, or driver conduct, the Scuderia fell just short of what was entirely possible. Vasseur constantly stresses how vital results are for morale, both for today and tomorrow. While the regrets from Austin are relative, the pain of Mexico cuts deeper, as the team could have rolled into Brazil celebrating a victory and riding a wave of positive momentum.
Instead, we are left discussing missed chances, internal management, strategy, and fractured leadership. It is a genuine shame, because the actual machinery coming out of Maranello in these final weeks has been magnificent. Right now, though, it is left standing as just a car.
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