F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has assured his former team that ‘there is no need to cry’, declaring that Ferrari ‘need to have a plan’ if they are to recover from a miserable 2026 season.
The legendary Italian constructor went into the 2025 campaign with aspirations of ending their title drought after losing out on the Constructors’ Championship to McLaren during the 2024 season finale. However, after early promise with Lewis Hamilton’s sprint race win in Shanghai, the wheels fell off for Fred Vasseur’s squad.
Hamilton’s debut season in red turned into an ongoing nightmare, and the seven-time world champion ended the year sixth in the standings, without a podium to his name. Despite seven top-three finishes from a strong-performing Charles Leclerc, Ferrari slumped to fourth in the Constructors’ standings, behind McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull.
Despite the team ending the year on a tough run, Domenicali is upbeat about Ferrari’s chances in the new regulations. “I’m a positive guy,” he told Sky Sports News. “There’s no need to cry, there’s no need to always be negative.
“They need to have a plan. I’m sure Fred, 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.”
If Ferrari are to rebound in style in the first year of the new technical regulations, they will need both drivers motivated and firing. Fortunately, Hamilton has been enjoying a refreshing winter break, spending time away from his phone as he recharges in the United States after the toughest season of his decorated career.
“I’m incredibly grateful for this break,” he wrote to fans on social media. “Time to disconnect, recharge and find a bit of inner peace. Time with family and friends, replenishing with rest and good laughs has been everything I needed after a very draining year.
“In a world that moves so fast where we’re constantly being pulled in so many directions, truly disconnecting and has been the most amazing feeling. I’m conscious that we’re entering the Year of the Horse and leaving behind the Year of the Snake.
“The time for change is now. Starting new routines, leaving behind unwanted patterns and working on growth. Let go of things that don’t serve you. This can take time, there will be things you can’t get rid of immediately, but it starts with the first step.”