If you’re new to Formula 1, there’s one thing you’ll hear sooner or later: Ferrari is sacred. They’re the only team that’s been in F1 since the very beginning in 1950. They’ve got more fans than some entire sports. And their cars? They’re fire-engine red streaks of history.
But here’s the weird bit: Ferrari hasn’t won a championship in nearly two decades. Nineteen years, to be precise (no Drivers’ title since 2007, no Constructors’ since 2008). For a team that used to be the gold standard, that’s basically an eternity. So… what happened? Is Ferrari cursed, clumsy, or just stuck in an unlucky loop? Let’s dig in.
Ferrari’s Golden Era (and the Pain of the Drought)
To understand why Ferrari’s struggles sting so much, you need to know its history.
- 2000–2004: The Schumacher Years. Michael Schumacher, alongside Ferrari’s dream team, won five straight championships. Ferrari was the dominant force, the standard every other team chased.
- Post-2008: The drought began. After Kimi Räikkönen’s 2007 title, Ferrari never won another championship. For the most famous team in F1, that’s unthinkable.
Ferrari isn’t just another F1 team. They are F1. The Scuderia holds:
- 16 Constructors’ titles (a record).
- 15 Drivers’ titles (second only to McLaren). In Formula 1, the Drivers’ title is awarded to the season’s best driver, reflecting individual excellence on the track.
- Legendary names: Michael Schumacher, Niki Lauda, Kimi Räikkönen.
And then… nothing. After Kimi’s 2007 title and since then? Endless “almosts.” This isn’t just losing. It’s like the Yankees missing the playoffs for 15 years. For tifosi (Ferrari fans), it feels like betrayal.
How Other Teams Compare
Ferrari’s decline looks dramatic, but other giants have stumbled too:
- Mercedes struggled for years, then rewrote F1 history with dominance from 2014 – 2020.
- McLaren went from winning with Lewis Hamilton in 2008 to years in the midfield, only to show promise again in 2023–2024.
- Williams, once legendary, fell all the way to the back of the grid.
In F1, slumps happen. Ferrari’s difference? Their failures are front-page news.
The “Jinx” Theory
Fans joke that Ferrari is “jinxed.” Even Ferrari’s own Kimi Räikkönen once said: “Unlucky things just keep following us.” Piero Ferrari (son of Enzo) sighed that when a bad run starts, “you don’t know when you’ll hit rock bottom.” Check the F1i.com for more details.
Tifosi (Ferrari’s fan army) half-laugh, half-cry over it. On Reddit, one fan summed it up perfectly: “Looks like Ferrari did Ferrari again already? What’d I miss?” It’s become a culture. Ferrari messes up, the internet memes it, and the cycle continues.
But let’s be honest: the truth is way more practical (and painful). As for the headlines, you can read these insights into Ferrari’s late problems on Race.com.
Why Does Ferrari Struggle? Reality Check:
Ferrari’s drought is less about superstition and more about:
- Leadership Musical Chairs
Ferrari has swapped team principals more often than some people swap phones. Stability? Not really
- Strategy Gone Wrong
If you watched F1 in 2022–2023, you’ll remember radio calls that felt like tragic comedy. Wrong tyre choices, pit stop blunders, baffling racing strategy.
- Engineering Lag
Under the cost-cap rules, every mistake counts double. While McLaren and Mercedes have bounced back with smart upgrades, Ferrari has struggled to consistently catch up. A prime example is the contrasting floor designs of the two teams in 2023. Ferrari stuck with familiar setups, showcasing less flexibility in design revisions. Here’s more on technical terms in Formula 1.
In contrast, McLaren aggressively pursued aerodynamic tweaks, gaining substantial tactical advantages. This contrast highlights the importance of freedom to innovate. By empowering designers to explore and implement new ideas without restrictions, teams like McLaren can effectively adapt and leverage engineering breakthroughs to their advantage.
As new team boss Frédéric Vasseur admitted, the culture needed an overhaul. Vasseur, known for his successful leadership stint at Alfa Romeo, aims to infuse Ferrari with a fresh perspective. His mission? To make Ferrari bold again by giving engineers the freedom to innovate without fear. Since taking over, he has already initiated changes in the team’s strategic approach and personnel management, focusing on creating a more cohesive and daring team environment.
A Pattern in F1 History
Ferrari’s struggles also fit a bigger Formula 1 story: the sport is full of great teams and drivers chasing glory against the odds.
- Michael Schumacher left Ferrari to join a then-unproven Mercedes in 2010.
- Fernando Alonso returned to McLaren in 2015, hoping for a revival that never came.
- And now, Lewis Hamilton is taking his own gamble—leaving Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025. Nigel Mansell called it “monumental,” believing it could finally break the drought.
These moves show how even legends chase the dream of making history. For Hamilton, winning with Ferrari would be the ultimate legacy.
So… Is Ferrari Jinxed?
Ferrari is the eternal heartbeat of Formula 1. Their drought hurts not just tifosi, but the sport itself—because love them or roast them, everyone watches Ferrari.
Jinxed? Not really. The “jinx” is a mix of high expectations, public failures, and the sheer spotlight that comes with being Ferrari. Every mistake feels bigger. Every loss feels heavier.
Are they overdue for a comeback? Absolutely. And if Hamilton, Vasseur, and Leclerc can finally align the stars, the next great Ferrari chapter might just be around the corner. With promising upgrades and a dedicated team effort, Ferrari’s 2024 outlook appears optimistic. Fans are hopeful that recent progress signals a return to form and renewed championship contention. Until then, the ‘jinx’ lives on—in headlines, in memes, and in every tifoso’s nervous laughter.
So, don’t just see Ferrari as the team that messes up pit stops. See them as the sport’s heartbeat—flawed, passionate, dramatic.
If F1 were a movie, Ferrari would be the tragic hero. And every race, we watch to see if they can finally flip the script. But as the new season approaches, the question remains: when the lights go out, will you bet against the red tide? Will you be witness to a historic comeback or just another chapter in a story of near misses? The track awaits the answer, and the red saga continues.
