Fred Vasseur has spoken out. Amid mounting speculation about his future, Vasseur made it clear that the priority is not gossip but calm within the Ferrari team. On Friday at Sepang, the Frenchman faced another round of questions about his position, just days after Ferrari took the unusual step of publicly reaffirming its support.
Ferrari's decision to speak through communications chief Maria Conti was no accident. They wanted to quell speculation that was beginning to affect the atmosphere ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Conti stressed that Ferrari's position had not changed: full confidence in Vasseur and his team, reflecting the view of chairman John Elkann and CEO Benedetto Vigna. "Ferrari's position is clear, has not changed, and Ferrari has made its choices already. We have confidence, full confidence, in Fred Vasseur and in his team," she said.
The latest trigger was comments from former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who said Ferrari was the only F1 operation he would consider joining without an ownership stake and described it as "the dream". There has been no suggestion Ferrari approached Horner, but his remarks added fuel to the fire surrounding Vasseur after the team's inconsistent form in recent races.
Vasseur himself acknowledged that pressure is part of the job. "When you take the role, you know the positive and the negative side of the job. I was expecting something like this," he said. But he feels a line is sometimes crossed. "What is sometimes a bit unfair is when you put someone under the bus, and I'm there also to defend my team, my guys. When we are winning, we are winning as a team, but when we are struggling, I'm there to defend all of them."
He added that some of the criticism had become personal. "I'm not surprised at all, but sometimes the attacks are a bit personal. It's not good. We need friendly media," he said. Vasseur stressed that external noise distracts the team. "When you see the noise and all the rumours in the press all the week, I think as a team we need to work in serenity, and it was absolutely not the case. The statement was mandatory to do something, or it would have been the same this weekend."
Ferrari currently sits second in the constructors' championship and has won twice this season. However, inconsistent performance in recent races has put Vasseur's position back in the spotlight. His multi-year contract extension in 2025—understood to run through at least 2027—should provide stability, but results on track have not fully reflected that.
In the paddock, this situation serves as a reminder that pressure at Ferrari is always different. Vasseur knows all too well that expectations in Maranello never wane. Now, he simply wants his team to work without distraction, focus on the races, and prove that the trust placed in him is not without basis. "We need serenity, focus, and not to have this kind of question all the day," he concluded.
Read Also
Charles Leclerc dan pembalap F1 lainnya mengeluhkan permukaan Sirkuit Sepang yang kasar dan licin jelang GP Bahrain di Malaysia. Simak selengkapnya.
James Vowles has warned that F1's cost cap is widening the competitive gap, with the top four teams now accounting for 83 per cent of the points.
Rumor Christian Horner ke Ferrari dibantah setelah Martin Brundle menelepon langsung. Simak klarifikasi dan alasan Horner belum tertarik kembali ke F1.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!