Fred Vasseur, Ferrari Team Principal, has firmly dismissed suggestions of an internal crisis within the team. In an exclusive interview with Autosport, he acknowledged that there were matters to clear up between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton after the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, but rejected the escalation that followed in the media.
The incident at Monza, where the two Ferrari drivers nearly made contact, sparked speculation about tension within the team. Vasseur did not deny that there was an issue to resolve. He held meetings with both drivers to discuss what happened on track and the comments made afterwards.
“We had some good meetings with Lewis and Charles,” Vasseur told Autosport. “They cleared things up together and I reminded them of some fundamental principles of the way I manage the team. And I will continue to stick to them.”
Vasseur emphasised the importance of shared responsibility in protecting the team's work. He reminded Hamilton that when Ferrari won in Melbourne two years ago thanks to strategy, he sent Ravin Jain to the podium to receive recognition. Conversely, when Ferrari lost a race due to strategy, Vasseur himself faced the TV cameras to take responsibility.
“My job is to protect the hundreds of people in the team and to take responsibility. That is what I have asked the drivers to do as well: if we want to achieve results, we need to protect the team and each of us needs to take responsibility,” he stated.
However, Vasseur does not intend to silence his drivers. He only stresses that comments made in front of the media can carry far more weight than intended. “I’m not asking them not to be open or not to be tough. But very often they are much calmer with us than they are when they go and speak to the press,” Vasseur explained. “Lewis told me: ‘Fred, 80% of my message was positive and they took the 20% that was negative.’ But we all know how it works. If you say the team is doing a good job and then add a ‘but’, that is the part that will become the headline. It’s part of the game.”
Vasseur connects this to the narrative that developed after Monza. The two Ferrari drivers came close to making contact, Hamilton was aggressive and Leclerc subsequently admitted his own mistake. But what began as an on-track incident quickly turned into questions over the management of the drivers and even the stability of the Scuderia’s leadership. “Charles, after the discussion, said: ‘I was too aggressive.’ And for me, that’s fine. When Kimi was fighting with Russell he ended up in...
With his statement, Vasseur aims to quell speculation and reaffirm that the team's focus remains on performance. He wants to ensure that internal dynamics stay healthy and everyone works towards the same goal: returning Ferrari to winning ways.
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