Jenson Button reveals 'pushed-out-the-door' Ferrari fear

Fred Vasseur's leadership at Ferrari will face its acid test at the start of next season with the introduction of F1's new regulations.

That is the belief of F1 champion Jenson Button, who is hoping Vasseur can ride out the storm swirling around him and see Ferrari through what promises to be a turbulent and transitional campaign in 2026.

Coming into this year, hopes were high that Ferrari could build on its constructors' championship challenge last season, which saw it come within 15 points of beating McLaren and clinching its first piece of silverware in 16 years.

The arrival of seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton was an added spur, forming a formidable driver pairing with Charles Leclerc.

Ferrari, however, has had to scrap for results and is in danger of slipping to fourth in the standings by the end of the season. Aside from lying 352 points behind McLaren, it is 27 points behind Mercedes and only eight points ahead of Red Bull.

Leclerc's five podiums have provided light relief, whilst aside from Hamilton's sprint win in China, the 40-year-old Briton has failed to finish in the top three in the 18 grands prix so far this campaign.

Although Vasseur signed a contract extension at the end of July, pressure is mounting as the SF-25 is wanting for performance, with Leclerc, Hamilton and all inside the Scuderia unable to fathom how it should work.

It is placing enormous strain on the team to get next year's car right from the outset as F1 ushers in a new era. Button believes the fear of failure is weighing over on Ferrari.

"You can't be afraid to fail," said the Sky Sports F1 pundit. "And that's what it feels like at Ferrari. I think everyone feels it's easy to be pushed out the door, and it's not a nice feeling to have.

"You need to have consistency throughout the team. It gives everyone confidence, and [it gives] the drivers confidence.

"So I hope that's not the case next year. I hope that they see out the whole year together, because there's going to be so much change for the first race, but also the 24th race of next year. So much is going to change throughout the year.

"So it's a great team, and I think it has really good leadership, and you don't get a better driver line-up than that, no?"

'Tough to remember' for Ferrari

Three-time W Series champion, working alongside Button on punditry duty, feels Ferrari will face a "tough" 2026 if it does not come flying out of the box with a car to challenge for wins and podiums.

"They've got a world-class line-up," said Chadwick. "They bought in a seven-time world champion that they ultimately want to see on the top step, winning races, performing with them.

"You kind of have these seasons where you're just not able to get any results, and that plays a part for everyone. Everyone in that team will feel that.

"Hopefully, they have a car that's capable of being up there next year. If they don't, and they're in a scrap, then it's going to be tough for them to kind of remember what it's like, and remember what that feeling is like, to be winning every weekend."