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Ferrari Faces Leadership Test After Power Unit Collapse

A failing 2026 power unit has left the team off the podium and intensified debate over Fred Vasseur as internal splits threaten John Elkann’s promise to return Ferrari to winning form by 2026.

Overview

  • The Baku race on Monday left Charles Leclerc fourth and Lewis Hamilton sixth, extending Ferrari’s run without a podium since the July Spa Grand Prix and widening the championship gap to roughly 160 points.
  • Team engineers and journalists judge this season’s power unit project a failure, and the Aduo2 update brought to Monza did not restore competitiveness.
  • Fred Vasseur remains team principal and publicly defended after signing a multi‑year renewal last year, but his leadership is under intensified internal scrutiny as voices inside Maranello weigh alternatives.
  • Christian Horner publicly called Ferrari a dream destination in a Times interview, a move that has fuelled succession talk and exposed splits among executives and drivers with Benedetto Vigna reportedly sceptical and Piero Ferrari more open to the idea.
  • Changes on track are unlikely this season because of technical constraints and contracts, so Ferrari faces a choice between sticking with Vasseur to try to steady the team or pursuing a disruptive leadership change that could reshape relationships with drivers and staff.