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Being the team principal of the most famous outfit in Formula 1 means living under a microscope, and for Fred Vasseur, the gossip mill went into overdrive over the Baku weekend. The chatter started picking up after former Red Bull chief Christian Horner suggested he might welcome a role with the Maranello-based squad, instantly triggering speculation that Vasseur was feeling the heat and that Horner could be lined up to take his place.
Thankfully, the Scuderia didn't wait around for the fire to spread. Just before the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia weekend kicked off, Ferrari stepped in with a media call to clear the air. They made it explicitly clear that Vasseur retained the full backing of the team, crucially including both Chairman John Elkann and Chief Executive Officer Benedetto Vigna. By the time Thursday rolled around in Sepang, drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton both threw their weight behind their boss. Leclerc didn't mince words, calling the speculation surrounding Vasseur "not nice" and "disrespectful", while Hamilton praised him as a "fantastic leader".
What is sometimes a bit unfair, and when you put someone under the bus, I'm there also to defend my team, my guys,
When Vasseur sat down in the Friday press conference alongside Alpine's Flavio Briatore and Williams' James Vowles, he was asked why that defensive media call had even been necessary in the first place. Pointing the finger straight back at the press room, the Frenchman explained that the relentless rumors were getting in the way of actual work. "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," Vasseur stated. He added that the statement was mandatory to restore stability and focus, rather than constantly batting away distractions.
That said, the team boss also had to field questions about some intriguing comments from his own garage. While Hamilton backed him on Thursday, the driver also hinted that the Ferrari structure could use some tweaks, noting that "there are changes that I would make, but I'm not going to talk about what those are." Reminded of this, Vasseur insisted that any racing outfit must continually evolve, pointing out that individual recruitment is a never-ending story for every squad on the grid. He refused to single anyone out, emphasizing that the team wins together and suffers together, while acknowledging that their start to the season—though positive—is still not enough to satisfy their championship ambitions.
Addressing the brutal reality of leading the Prancing Horse, Vasseur admitted he knew exactly what he was signing up for. The job comes with glaring spotlights, and while he expected the immense pressure, he drew the line at personal attacks. "What is sometimes a bit unfair, and when you put someone under the bus, I'm there also to defend my team, my guys," he said. For now, the Frenchman remains firmly in place, backed by the top brass and his drivers as the team looks to fight back through upcoming developments.
