Fred Vasseur/Ferrari speaks out in no uncertain terms: “That does us a world of harm”

By the end of September 2026, Ferrari chairman John Elkann and managing director Benedetto Vigna had had enough. Amid persistent rumours that team principal Fred Vasseur’s time at the helm of the world’s most famous Scuderia might be coming to an end, Ferrari has set out its position on the matter.

Senior company spokesperson Maria Conti stated: “In recent days, there has been increased speculation surrounding Scuderia Ferrari HP, particularly with regard to its leadership. Ferrari’s position is clear and has not changed. We have full confidence in Fred Vasseur and his team – and that will remain the case. At the moment, it is crucial that the team presents a united and cohesive front.”

“We are commenting on this today because we want to avoid the situation where, this coming weekend in Malaysia, everything once again revolves solely around such rumours and speculation. We want to focus on the race, the performance and the team.”

All this has not left Fred Vasseur unscathed. In an interview with former Ferrari driver Jean Alesi for Canal+, Vasseur says: “I don’t have Instagram, I don’t have Twitter, I don’t read the press. I try to isolate myself from all of that.”

“But I’m not the number one problem; rather, it’s the 1,500 people who work with me and who – whenever something negative about me or the team is reported in the Italian press – feel the impact first thing in the morning. And I think this is doing enormous damage to the team’s results.”

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“Joining Ferrari isn’t the Holy Grail; winning with Ferrari is. I don’t feel I’ve made my mark at all. Working at Ferrari is great, but it’s even better when you win.”

“There’s a striking difference between what you might read about Ferrari in the press, on blogs or elsewhere, and the genuine attitude of our staff, which is always extremely positive. We have hundreds of people outside the factory when we win, but people are there for us even when we lose. I don’t see that as pressure, but as an added bonus.”