Fred Vasseur is under intense media scrutiny regarding his future as Ferrari Team Principal, but support has come from an unexpected source: rival boss James Vowles of Williams.
Speculation about Vasseur's position at Ferrari is nothing new. It has sporadically surfaced for over a year, and recently flared up again. The Scuderia even issued an official statement reaffirming their full support for Vasseur, following comments from Christian Horner calling the Ferrari job a 'dream'.
During Friday morning's media session at Sepang, ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, Vasseur was one of three team bosses present. Questions about his future were inevitable. When asked why Ferrari felt the need to issue the statement, Vasseur cited maintaining 'serenity' within the team as a key motive.
"I think this you have to ask your colleagues," Vasseur told media, including Motorsport Week. "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. I think the statement was mandatory to do something, or it would have been the same this weekend. But honestly, the big issue that we have today is the stability, the serenity into the team, the focus that we need to have, and not to have this kind of question all the day."
At that point, James Vowles of Williams politely stepped in and offered his personal support for Vasseur. "I'm just going to add to that," he said. "Normally we beat each other up and put knives in our backs, but Ferrari is in the best place it's been in the championship for a while. They have innovation on the car this year with a rear wing and exhaust blowing that we've all copied as a result of it. It's a team that's doing brilliantly. So, I mean, for me personally, there is no question that Fred is the right person to do this."
Vasseur thanked Vowles for his words, while the third team representative, Flavio Briatore of Alpine, provided comic relief. "You're the right lawyer," the Alpine executive advisor joked.
This backing from Vowles is a breath of fresh air for Vasseur. Ferrari's performance this season has indeed shown improvement. Technical innovations like the rear wing and exhaust blowing are proof that the Maranello-based team continues to develop. However, pressure remains, especially with rumours swirling.
Vasseur himself emphasised that his main focus is stability and calm within the team. "We need to focus on our job and not be distracted by rumours," he stressed. With support from a rival like Vowles, Vasseur's position is at least slightly more secure, though challenges on track remain.
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