Why have Ferrari been unable to win a title since 2008?

Trending 5 days ago

A schematic of, from near to right, Alex Albon, George Russell, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso and Oliver Bearman. It is connected a bluish inheritance pinch 'Fan Q&A' beneath nan drivers

Formula 1 is successful its summertime break until nan Dutch Grand Prix astatine nan extremity of August.

There will beryllium 10 races remaining erstwhile nan play resumes and nan world title seems to beryllium a consecutive conflict betwixt McLaren team-mates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

BBC Sport F1 analogous Andrew Benson answers your latest questions.

There are caller rumblings astir Ferrari's performance. They person performed consistently good (almost ever successful nan apical 3 teams since 2010), but why are they ne'er rather capable to caput nan field? – Martin

This is 1 of those questions which Formula 1 teams thin to reply on nan lines of "if we knew, we'd beryllium doing it already".

The elemental reply is that different teams person done a amended occupation complete that play and produced faster cars. Of course, nan existent mobility is, why is that nan case?

When Lewis Hamilton first said to nan media arsenic a Ferrari driver this year, he said that nan team had "absolutely each constituent to win".

He is acold from nan first driver to opportunity that astir Ferrari erstwhile they arrived astatine nan team, impressed by nan factory, nan resources, really everything is connected tract successful Maranello together, and nan passion of each those moving for nan team.

Of course, Hamilton's reside has changed somewhat since then, and he went into nan summertime break successful a very downbeat mode aft a difficult first half-season pinch nan team.

In nan modern era, Ferrari has worked astatine its champion erstwhile a small, tight-knit circle of expertise astatine nan apical insulated nan squad from interference from extracurricular and focused connected togetherness - that would beryllium nan era of Michael Schumacher, Jean Todt, Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne.

If anyone questioned nan domiciled of 1 of nan others, nan remainder would rally astir and make it clear that if he went, truthful would they.

Ferrari is simply a unsocial squad pinch unsocial pressures connected it. It is efficaciously nan Italian nationalist team, truthful nan nationalist consciousness arsenic if they person a liking successful it successful a measurement that is not nan lawsuit anyplace else. That ever tends to amplify immoderate problems, and makes it easier for immoderate situation to go a drama.

At nan aforesaid time, group who person worked astatine Ferrari and subsequently near thin to talk astir nan civilization location and nan problems it creates. They opportunity location is simply a inclination for group to effort to protect themselves, and to do truthful by blaming different group aliases areas successful nan institution erstwhile problems arise.

But to beryllium astatine their champion F1 teams require collectivism, for everyone to beryllium pulling successful nan aforesaid direction, for absolute spot successful each other, without emotion nan request to constituent fingers erstwhile things spell wrong.

To compete pinch and hit nan champion of nan best, teams request a civilization wherever group consciousness free to definitive themselves and nan attraction becomes nan problem that needs solving, not a person.

If group are much worried astir about watching their backs, aliases get into a "them aliases me" mindset, nan building becomes excessively thin and lacks nan basal robustness.

This is nan other of nan "no-blame culture" Mercedes employed done their successful era from 2014-21, and which McLaren person adopted truthful successfully now.

This is not to opportunity that this is nan problem astatine Ferrari now - I can't perchance know. But it has surely been, according to those who person witnessed it, successful nan past.

The past squad principal, Mattia Binotto, utilized to talk astir trying to found this type of civilization astatine Ferrari, but it was ne'er clear that it was working. Many, indeed, felt that past it was twisted into a "no-fault" culture, which is not nan aforesaid astatine all. And now Frederic Vasseur is trying to inculcate thing similar.

Vasseur has been fixed a caller statement and nan spot and religion of nan guidance successful nan shape of president John Elkann and main executive serviceman Benedetto Vigna. It's now up to Ferrari to make it work.

Gabriel Bortoleto and Fernando Alonso locomotion side-by-side astatine nan Hungarian Grand PrixImage source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Gabriel Bortoleto (right) is managed by two-time world champion Fernando Alonso

Is Gabriel Bortoleto apt to beryllium offered a much competitory drive? - Steven

Bortoleto scored nan champion consequence of his young profession truthful acold pinch sixth spot astatine nan Hungarian Grand Prix for Sauber.

This continues an awesome rookie season, successful which nan 20-year-old Brazilian has truthful acold beautiful overmuch matched his knowledgeable team-mate Nico Hulkenberg for gait successful qualifying and has begun to look progressively effective successful races.

When Sauber announced Bortoleto would beryllium driving for them this year, they said that he would title successful 2025, and that he was connected a multi-year contract.

This sounds for illustration a emblematic statement pinch a rookie driver - nan squad locks them down from their broadside pinch a statement that guarantees 1 twelvemonth of racing, pinch options connected nan team's broadside to proceed if they execute arsenic expected, and to merchandise them if they don't.

Owner Audi, who will participate F1 officially successful 2026, will not remark connected driver contracts, but they opportunity that their squad of drivers "works truthful good together" and that "another driver line-up is not expected".

On apical of that, pinch respect to nan question, it's difficult to cognize which drives will beryllium "more competitive" adjacent year, because location will beryllium caller chassis and motor rules successful F1 successful 2026 and they are expected to reset nan field, astatine slightest to immoderate extent.

With Audi group to participate nan sport, there'll beryllium 2 powerhouse German manufacturers connected nan grid from 2026. Is location immoderate dream that this could bring backmost a German Grand Prix? - Grant

With some Mercedes and Audi successful Formula 1 from 2026, it would surely make consciousness connected 1 level for a German Grand Prix to return, but location is nary talk of it astatine nan moment.

F1 president Stefano Domenicali already considers nan existent 24-race almanac to beryllium nan precocious limit.

European races are nan ones nether unit arsenic nan athletics continues to look to grow - a caller title successful Thailand seems to beryllium good connected nan way, for example, and F1 would for illustration a title connected nan African continent somewhere.

The Belgian Grand Prix has already signed a caller woody that will spot it rotate connected and disconnected nan calendar, missing retired successful 2028 and 2030 erstwhile it is replaced by different race.

This could hap pinch different races successful Europe, too.

Germany's problem, arsenic it is pinch different European events, is that it is difficult to find nan title interest without money from section aliases cardinal government, and it is not easy for authorities to warrant that benignant of money connected a expansive prix successful a occidental wide democracy.

Canada and Australia are among nan exceptions wherever authorities backing is critical, but that is justified connected nan ground of tourism. This has proved to beryllium a little easy statement to warrant successful Germany.

Hockenheim fell disconnected nan almanac successful 2018 because it was not financially viable, and it only returned successful 2019 because of assistance from Mercedes.

That's not to opportunity that benignant of point could not hap again, but location is nary talk of it astatine nan moment.

The manufacturers are successful F1 for world trading reasons, not nationalist ones. Mercedes and Audi would person to see nan costs worthwhile to moreover commencement talking astir it.

With specified a melodramatic alteration successful F1 car specifications for 2026, shouldn't we disregard humanities circuit thigh times and, successful particular, thigh records arsenic aged times are for older cars? - Chris

Just to return 1 example, changing aspects of a way specified arsenic nan kerbs aliases resurfacing it automatically alters nan imaginable fastest thigh clip a car tin achieve.

It's because of issues specified arsenic this that immoderate comparison of thigh times betwixt years and eras should beryllium taken pinch a pinch of salt.

But it doesn't look for illustration thing to get peculiarly worked up astir aliases return that seriously.

This is nan point pinch statistics, isn't it? They person their place, but they are not nan beryllium each and extremity all. Just look astatine nan all-time driver statistics, for example.

Is Lewis Hamilton much than 3 times amended a driver than Fernando Alonso, aliases Michael Schumacher much than doubly arsenic bully arsenic Ayrton Senna? Of people not.

Nigel Mansell lifts his correct limb successful ceremony aft winning nan 1992 F1 world title astatine nan Hungarian Grand Prix. Ayrton Senna has his correct limb astir him connected nan podium, and Gerhard Berger is connected nan acold rightImage source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Nigel Mansell won 9 of 16 races successful 1992, securing nan world title astatine nan Hungarian Grand Prix

Who do you deliberation is nan champion single-time world champion? - Kevin

Any reply to this mobility is ever going to beryllium subjective, and my sentiment is of nary much worth needfully than anyone else's.

The mobility taps into an rumor pinch statistic successful wide which I've besides touched connected above. They're not everything. For example, Nelson Piquet won 3 world titles and Nigel Mansell only one. That does not look a adjacent comparison of their abilities, particularly fixed really they compared arsenic team-mates astatine Williams.

There person been amazingly fewer one-time world champions successful F1's 75-year history.

The 15 are Giuseppe Farina, Mike Hawthorn, Phil Hill, John Surtees, Denny Hulme, Jochen Rindt, James Hunt, Mario Andretti, Jody Scheckter, Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve and Jenson Button.

Of that list, you'd astir apt opportunity Rindt and Mansell were nan stand-out names successful position of really they were regarded astatine nan time, and successful galore all-time lists.

At nan aforesaid time, Andretti was an unthinkable all-rounder, Surtees stands retired for his titles connected 2 wheels and four, and each nan others person galore merits and astir apt person their supporters.

Ultimately, it's an intolerable mobility to answer. And there's different 1 that goes on pinch it - what astir who is nan champion non-world champion? Stirling Moss and Gilles Villeneuve are nan main contenders for that truthful far.

Get successful touch

Send america your mobility for F1 analogous Andrew Benson