The scarlet red of Ferrari, once a symbol of Formula 1 dominance and Italian pride, is now blushing with the color of crisis. A storm is brewing in Maranello, and its thunderous claps are echoing through the paddock, shaking the very foundations of the legendary Scuderia. The team is, by their own admission, in a state of disarray. Star driver Charles Leclerc, a man whose hopes were once pinned to a championship in red, has now confessed to feeling like a mere “passenger” in his own race car. This startling admission comes amidst a backdrop of escalating internal tensions, with Team Principal Frederic Vasseur’s position reportedly hanging by a thread as disappointing results continue to pile up, turning the 2025 season into a nightmare.

The Singapore Grand Prix was not just another bad race for Ferrari; it was a brutal and public exposure of the deep-seated issues plaguing the team. What was meant to be a weekend of redemption turned into a portrait of frustration. Both Leclerc and his esteemed teammate, Lewis Hamilton, were seen wrestling with their SF-25s, battling persistent and severe braking problems that began almost as soon as the lights went out. The issue, which surfaced as early as the second lap, was not a minor glitch but a critical failure that compromised their performance for the entire 62-lap race. The drivers were forced into a constant state of management, a “lift and coast” strategy that neutered their pace and turned their race into a battle for survival rather than a hunt for victory.

Leclerc, visibly disheartened, did not mince his words after securing a meager sixth-place finish. “Unfortunately, we don’t have the race car to fight with the guys in front,” he lamented, his voice laced with a familiar tone of resignation. “It’s not easy, obviously, because you want to fight for better positions, but at the moment it just feels like we are passengers to the car, and we cannot extract much more.” His words paint a grim picture of a driver completely disconnected from his machine, unable to influence its performance or bend it to his will. This sense of helplessness is a far cry from the confident, aggressive Leclerc the world has come to know. The car, instead of an extension of his talent, has become his cage.

His analysis of the competitive landscape was just as damning. While rivals McLaren, Mercedes, and the ever-dominant Red Bull have made significant strides, locking themselves into a tight battle at the front, Ferrari has stagnated. “McLaren always had the same gap on us compared to the beginning of the year,” Leclerc explained. “Red Bull did a step from Monza and are the same level of McLaren. Mercedes now is at the same level of McLaren and Red Bull, and then there’s us.” To be categorized as “and then there’s us” is a stinging indictment for a team of Ferrari’s stature. They are no longer part of the conversation at the sharp end; they are an afterthought, a fallen giant fighting to stay relevant in a championship battle they were once expected to lead.

The frustration is palpable and shared across the garage. Team Principal Fred Vasseur described the Singapore weekend as “mega frustrating,” a sentiment that undoubtedly resonates with every mechanic, engineer, and fan. He confirmed the severity of the braking issues, revealing that overheating problems struck both cars from the outset. “Very early in the race, we asked Charles to do a lift and coast,” Vasseur stated. “It’s not just a matter of doing a lift and coast… it’s also to find the right braking point… you lose probably more on the reference for you when you are driving the car than on the pure potential.” This technical failure on such a fundamental component underscores a deeper problem within the team’s design and operational execution. Once again, Ferrari’s weekend followed a tragically familiar pattern: promising pace in practice sessions that evaporates when it truly counts in qualifying and the race.

This consistent failure to translate potential into results is at the heart of the growing unease within Maranello. According to a bombshell report from Italy’s Corriere dello Sport, the tense atmosphere has boiled over behind closed doors. A “very tense exchange” reportedly took place between Vasseur and Mateo Togninalli, the respected Head of Track Engineering, following the qualifying session in Singapore. Togninalli, a Ferrari veteran with over a decade of senior engineering experience, allegedly clashed with Vasseur during the debrief. Such a confrontation between two key figures is a clear sign of mounting internal strain, a fracturing of the unity required to succeed at the pinnacle of motorsport.

The discord doesn’t stop there. Gazzetta dello Sport reports that divisions have formed within the wider team, with many not aligned with Vasseur’s management style. While internal disagreements are inevitable in the high-pressure cooker of Formula 1, especially when a team is underperforming, the reports suggest a fundamental disconnect between the team principal and his staff. This has made Vasseur an increasingly obvious focal point for criticism. The Frenchman, who took the helm with the promise of steadying the ship, now finds himself navigating a full-blown storm.

The crisis has escalated to the highest levels of the Ferrari hierarchy. Chairman John Elkann and CEO Benedetto Vigna are now set to convene for an urgent meeting ahead of the next race in the United States. The agenda is clear: to conduct an “open and honest assessment” of the team’s struggles. The involvement of the top brass signifies the gravity of the situation. While Vasseur is not seen as solely responsible for the team’s deep-rooted issues, his position is undoubtedly under intense scrutiny. The Gazzetta warns that if a significant turnaround is not achieved before the new regulations arrive next season, his future at Maranello could be in serious jeopardy. The leadership role at Ferrari is one of the most demanding jobs in all of sport, carrying with it immense expectations and relentless pressure. For Vasseur, the honeymoon period is unequivocally over.

Even Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion who made the blockbuster move to Ferrari in pursuit of a final, glorious chapter to his career, has been unable to escape the malaise. His final laps in Singapore were a terrifying ordeal, a tense fight for survival as his brakes began to fail catastrophically. With just three laps remaining, his race engineer, Riccardo Adami, was on the radio advising him to manage the car, but the situation deteriorated rapidly. Sparks flew from the undercarriage as the front-left brake gave way, his pace plummeted, and he was left vulnerable to the chasing pack. It was a harrowing end to another disappointing weekend, a stark reminder that even the greatest driver of his generation cannot overcome a fundamentally flawed machine.

Amidst the gloom, Leclerc insists his motivation has not waned. “It motivates me, if anything, much more to try and turn the situation around,” he declared, a flicker of his fighting spirit still visible. But he also admitted the toll the constant setbacks are taking. “It takes a lot of energy… it’s very tough, especially after a race like today where you are not even fighting for a podium. You have to manage lots of issues. It’s just not a nice feeling.”

Ferrari is at a crossroads. The team is not just losing races; it is losing its way. The internal conflicts, the technical failures, and the shattered confidence of its drivers are symptoms of a deeper illness. The upcoming meeting between Elkann and Vigna will be critical. It will determine whether the team can rally behind Vasseur and forge a path out of the darkness or if more drastic changes are on the horizon. For the Tifosi, the loyal fans who live and breathe for the Prancing Horse, it is a period of agonizing uncertainty. They can only watch and hope that their beloved team can find the strength, unity, and vision to pull itself together and reclaim its rightful place at the pinnacle of Formula 1. The question on everyone’s lips is a heavy one: can Ferrari be fixed, or is the chaos just beginning?