Ferrari have once again affirmed their unwavering confidence in Frederic Vasseur as the head of their Formula One operation, dismissing recent speculation about his future that was sparked by comments from Red Bull boss Christian Horner. The Italian racing giant made it clear that it "has made its choices" regarding the leadership of the Scuderia and will continue to back Vasseur fully.
Vasseur himself acknowledged after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last Saturday that the team was not operating in a state of "perfect serenity" due to the persistent and "frustrating" rumours surrounding his position. Those whispers grew louder after an interview with Horner published in The Times, in which the former Red Bull team principal said that Ferrari was the only team he would consider returning to the pit wall for, even though he is currently focused on securing an ownership stake before making any comeback to the sport.
In an unusual move, Ferrari arranged a media briefing on Tuesday morning, just before the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend in Malaysia, to address the swirling gossip. A Ferrari spokeswoman stated unequivocally that the marque retains full confidence in Vasseur and his staff, and that the organization will continue to support them. "Ferrari's position is clear and unchanged," the spokesperson said. "Ferrari has made its choices and has full confidence in the leadership of Fred Vasseur and his team, and we will continue to do so.
Ferrari has always attracted interest; it is a reflection of what Ferrari represents. We are saying this today to put an end to gossip and speculation in Malaysia and to keep our focus on the weekend's racing." The spokesperson added that the statement was a direct response not only to the piece featuring Horner in The Times but also to a series of subsequent stories that have been gaining momentum rather than fading away. Vasseur is now in his fourth season at the helm, having arrived from Sauber at the start of 2023, and he signed a multi‑year contract extension last year that ties him to the team for the foreseeable future. When asked whether Vasseur still enjoys the full backing of Ferrari chairman John Elkann and chief executive Benedetto Vigna, and whether he will remain in his role for the remainder of his contract, the spokesperson reiterated the same message: "Ferrari's position is clear and unchanged.
Ferrari has made its choices, it has confidence in Fred Vasseur and we continue to do so." After a disappointing 2025 campaign in which Ferrari failed to win a single race and slipped to fourth place in the Constructors' Championship, Vasseur has overseen a remarkable turnaround. This season the team has already claimed two victories and sits second in the Constructors' standings, narrowing the gap to the dominant Mercedes squad. However, the challenge for the world title has waned in recent weeks, as Ferrari has not reached the podium in the last five races. In the Drivers' Championship, Lewis Hamilton currently occupies third place behind Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.
Hamilton's title hopes were effectively dashed after the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where he finished sixth and Ferrari's performance fell short of expectations. The previous weekend in Baku saw Charles Leclerc finish fourth and Hamilton sixth, leaving Ferrari 160 points behind championship leaders Mercedes. Yet, a misstep by third‑placed McLaren, which failed to score any points, allowed Ferrari to extend its lead over the reigning champions to 72 points, highlighting the volatile nature of the points battle.
With eight races remaining in the season, Ferrari must aim to preserve its current position in both the Constructors' and Drivers' championships. Hamilton has insisted that a top‑three finish in the drivers' standings would still be a "huge achievement" for the team, given the difficulties they experienced last year. The upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia marks the first Formula 1 event at the Sepang International Circuit since 2017. Fans can watch the action live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW without a long‑term contract.
Ferrari's leadership hopes that the focus will shift back to performance on the track rather than off‑track speculation, and that Vasseur's strategic vision will continue to guide the team toward further success as the season draws to a close.