Lewis Hamilton dreams dashed by F1 insider as Ferrari warned after Fred Vasseur contract

Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft does not believe that Fred Vasseur will be able to deliver Lewis Hamilton a World Championship over the coming years. He cited concerns with the 2026 Ferrari power unit project as the leading factor in his prediction. Vasseur has been team principal of Ferrari since replacing Mattia Binotto in 2023, and he came close to ending the Scuderia's trophy drought last year.

The Italian constructor finished second in the Constructors' Championship standings after taking McLaren down to the wire at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. In 2025, Ferrari have regressed relative to Zak Brown's squad, but the Prancing Horse remains ahead of Mercedes and Red Bull, despite bedding in a new driver in seven-time world champion, Hamilton. The 40-year-old is still waiting for his first podium with his new team, but is slowly getting to grips with his fresh machinery.

While Ferrari's fortunes have improved lately with four podiums in the past six race weekends, Vasseur has been under significant pressure in a contract year. To ease the constant speculation, the Italian squad have opted to extend the Frenchman's deal on a multi-year basis.

"His ability to lead under pressure, embrace innovation and pursue performance aligns fully with Ferrari's values and long-term ambitions," a team statement explained ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.

"Under Fred's leadership, Ferrari is united, focused and committed to continuous improvement. The trust placed in him reflects the team's confidence in its strategic direction and reinforces a shared determination to deliver the results that Ferrari's fans, drivers and team members expect and deserve."

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According to Croft, this won't have a significant impact on Hamilton's chance of bagging a record-breaking eighth Drivers' Championship title. "No," he said when asked if Ferrari will win a crown under Vasseur's stewardship.

"And I don't mean that in a nasty, negative way. No, I don't think he will because I don't think I'm hearing anything in terms of next season from the engine side of Ferrari that makes me feel they've got the best engine.

"And next year is an engine formula, it's a fuel formula. So, however good Fred Vasseur is, unless he could design a championship-winning fuel and a championship-winning engine, he's not going to deliver that championship."