"Ferrari needs a dictator to be successful": Former F1 Supremo shares his honest opinion on the Italian team's struggles

Former F1 Supremo Bernie Ecclestone has claimed that Ferrari "needs a dictator" as their team leader if they want to become successful in F1 again. The Briton has said that nobody is taking stern decisions at the top of the Italian outfit, criticizing them for being almost too democratic.

In recent years, Ferrari has struggled to reach the heights that they achieved during their most successful periods in F1, especially at the beginning of the 21st century. Now, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel, team boss Fred Vasseur is hoping to restore the Prancing Horse to their former glory.

But the 2025 season has been almost disastrous for the team, which was one race away from winning the constructors' title last season. They have fallen behind their rivals and have become the fourth-quickest team on average.

Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has had his say about what has held Ferrari back in recent years. In an interview with RTL/ntv and sport.de recently, the 95-year-old has claimed that the Maranello-based team needs a dictator in charge.

“The problem is: Ferrari needs a dictator at the top to be successful. They don’t speak Italian there, they speak Ferrari,” said Ecclestone. “Everyone in Italy has a say and interferes, deciding what’s right and wrong,” he added.

Ecclestone also explained that, in his opinion, incumbent boss Fred Vasseur is "too weak" and not the autocratic leader the team needs. Numerous rumors about the Frenchman’s future at the team have been floating in recent months, but Vasseur has been given a contract extension, securing his short-term future in Maranello at least.

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"Everything is slipping through his fingers": Bernie Ecclestone criticizes Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari stint

Lewis Hamilton at the Australian Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Bernie Ecclestone has also claimed that Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari has already been a failure, explaining that “everything is slipping” through the veteran’s fingers. He also added that the Briton’s move to the Italian team was simply a marketing move.

Speaking to the aforementioned outlets, Ecclestone has dished out some harsh criticism towards Hamilton. He has claimed that the seven-time world champion has already failed at his new team, before adding:

"Everything is slipping through his fingers there. He wanted to become world champion there and is now surprised that he can’t."

He also claimed that while Hamilton is "one of the best of the last ten years", he is not out and out the best.

Ecclestone’s verdict didn’t stop there, with the businessman also going as far as saying that Hamilton’s move to the scarlet red team was just “a financial marketing project.”

I believe that in the future he will do more with fashion," he also added.

The Prancing Horse has shifted their focus to 2026, and they did so fairly early on, even amid the ongoing season. The team, including Hamilton and Leclerc, will be hoping that their 2026 challenger takes them to the top of the field, as a big shake-up of the pack is to be expected amid the huge regulation changes taking effect from next season.

Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar