Ferrari leaves Abu Dhabi with momentum as Vasseur sets his sights on 2026

A steady yet forceful season finale that points toward a new cycle driven by renewed ambition.

The final stop of the year at Yas Marina didn’t bring Ferrari a win, a podium, or a dramatic twist. However, it did deliver something the team urgently needed: momentum, stability, and a complete performance from both drivers — enough to close the season on a positive note and look straight ahead at the massive regulatory shift coming in 2026.

In a season where McLaren dominated the championship and Ferrari fell well below expectations, Fred Vasseur kept the pragmatic tone that defines him. He didn’t speak of frustration or regrets; he spoke of work, recovery, and perspective — and, above all, of absolute focus on what comes next.

Ferrari ended the year without victories and far from the title fight, but Leclerc’s P4, challenging champion Lando Norris from the start, and Hamilton’s P8, after launching from a painful P16, delivered a respectable close to an irregular season.

“Overall this is not a bad weekend,” Vasseur said as he reflected on the race.
“We had a very tough start on Friday, good recovery, good work from the team and the factory to have better pace on Saturday.”

The Frenchman emphasized that the pace was there, even matching Norris at moments, but that the deficit on Friday shaped the entire weekend. Ferrari’s 2025 story, summed up in one sentence.

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What matters most for Vasseur, however, is not Abu Dhabi itself, but what Abu Dhabi represents. With a completely new set of regulations coming for 2026, the competitive order could shift dramatically, and Ferrari wants to enter that new era with momentum, internal clarity, and a closing chapter that leaves a good feeling within the team.

“We know what we’re doing, but we don’t know what the others are doing,” he said. “Refocus on ourselves, push until the last day… and the last day will be the beginning of the next season.”A simple message, yet loaded with intention: Ferrari is not closing a cycle — it’s igniting a new one.