The start of the 2025 season is not what Scuderia Ferrari had hoped for. With an SF-25 deemed as complex as it is frustrating, the Italian team is currently only fourth in the constructors' standings, behind Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren. Yet the simulations showed "potential". But the gap between theory and reality remains, and Frédéric Vasseur has just named, for the first time, the person truly responsible for this half-hearted project.
A car without a "father"?
Asked in Imola about the SF-25's difficulties and the confidence placed in the technical team in place for 2026, Fred Vasseur was careful to clarify the situation: no, the new technical director Loïc Serra is not behind this single-seater. Arriving at Maranello in October 2024, Serra joined a team whose 2025 car was already "90 % defined", in the main team's own words.
"When Loïc arrived, the car was already set in stone: wheelbase, weight distribution, aerodynamic philosophy... He didn't have any significant room for manoeuvre," explained Vasseur.
He even adds that to attribute the SF-25's problems to Serra would be "irrelevant". On the other hand, Vasseur confirms that it was indeed Enrico Cardile, former technical director of the Scuderia, who was responsible for the single-seater's design. A rare admission in a paddock where responsibilities are often diluted.
A SF-25 to be repaired, not abandoned
Despite its shortcomings, the SF-25 is not destined to be abandoned. Vasseur remains convinced that the car has untapped potential. "We too often end weekends with the impression that we haven't got the most out of the car," he confides. And Ferrari intends to introduce some major changes, notably at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Behind the scenes, Loïc Serra is actively working to correct what can still be corrected. The challenge is immense: to repair a project he didn't design, while already preparing for the post-2025 era. A task requiring precision, diplomacy... and patience.
The spectre of a bitter departure
While Vasseur's statement clears Loïc Serra's name, it also highlights the consequences of a hasty departure: Enrico Cardile left Ferrari in July 2024, after completing the SF-25, but before answering for his results. And just a few weeks ago, another case concerned him closely: the legal tug-of-war between Ferrari and Aston Martin.
Cardile was due to join Lawrence Stroll's team to oversee the 2026 project. But Ferrari invoked a non-competition clause and in March 2025 obtained a ruling from the Modena court to block his transfer until July 17, 2025. A move that greatly irritated Aston Martin, which was in the midst of a technical reorganization.
Some observers are quick to link this episode to Vasseur's tough talk. Is there bad blood between the Scuderia boss and his former technical director? It's hard to say, but what is certain is that Vasseur is determined to protect his new organization chart...
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