Ferrari must execute Lewis Hamilton plan as Fred Vasseur gets summer break to-do list

Ferrari are in an awkward spot heading into the summer break with marquee summer signing Lewis Hamilton misfiring and speculation regarding internal team matters intensifying. While team principal Fred Vasseur won't be able to work on the car during the summer shutdown, the Prancing Horse's chief has lots of work to do.

Express Sport looks at Ferrari's to-do list ahead of the season's return at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Step one: Restore Hamilton's confidence

Hamilton's 2025 season has been far from the fairytale that he and Ferrari had hoped for. After 14 races, he sits 42 points behind team-mate Charles Leclerc in the standings and trails the Monegasque racer six-nil on trips to the podium. After qualifying in Hungary, his battered confidence was on show for the world to see.

For Vasseur, the onus is on him to restore his big-money signing's confidence. Hamilton is the most decorated driver in F1 history for a reason and he demonstrated last year that he still has the pace to challenge the sport's best drivers, including George Russell and Max Verstappen.

Find a sweet spot with the SF-25's setup, and Hamilton will start hauling in points for his new team.

Step two: Grant Hamilton's wish

With McLaren long gone, Ferrari are fighting for second in the Constructors' Championship standings. Red Bull are fading, meaning third place is likely the worst outcome the Scuderia could face. It is, therefore, worth following Hamilton's advice and focusing on the 2026 challenger.

"We should be fully focused in terms of development onto next year's car," Hamilton explained at the Austrian Grand Prix. "I am sure all the teams are doing that already. I know Mercedes have already focused on next year. The key is going to be developing that engine.

"Making sure whoever comes up with the right philosophy, suspension-wise and everything. I am trying to work with the engineers to make sure we rectify some of the issues with this car because there's a few problems that need fixing next year."

Step three: Put together the succession plan

While Hamilton's form is far from beyond saving, there is no denying that, at 40, he is in the twilight years of his glittering career. The seven-time world champion's "change driver" comment set alarm bells ringing, and while he may still see out his contract, which runs until 2026, Vasseur will want to have a succession plan in place.

At the moment, the obvious candidate to replace the Brit is his compatriot, Oliver Bearman, who is turning heads with his impressive pace at Haas. The 20-year-old still needs to iron out mistakes, but has already proven what he can do in Ferrari machinery, having replaced Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix last year.

Should Hamilton continue beyond his current deal, Rafael Camara could come into the picture. The Brazilian prodigy, who is a member of the Ferrari academy, has already wrapped up the Formula Three championship with a round to spare after notching four feature race victories in 2025.