As F1 gears up for the sixteenth round of the 2026 season in Malaysia, Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have rallied around Fred Vasseur and reflected on the impact of the recent speculations on team morale.
Having secured their last podium at Spa-Francorchamps back in July, the Scuderia have come under heavy criticism in recent rounds. Amid Leclerc and Hamilton clashing on the opening lap at Monza and the Brit expressing his frustration over the lack of rules of engagement, certain publications further stoked the fire and reported that Vasseur’s position as the head of the team was at risk.
Meanwhile, former Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner told The Times that Ferrari was his “dream job” and that he was willing to offer his services to the historic Italian outfit even without an ownership stake.
Horner’s comments were enough to fuel speculations that he was a potential candidate to replace Vasseur, with reports emerging that Ferrari’s upper management was planning a stage-managed, amicable exit or internal demotion for the Frenchman at the end of the 2026 campaign.
Ferrari issuing a statement to quell speculations about Vasseur’s exit
Ferrari had arranged a sudden press call on Tuesday to quash the rumours surrounding Fred Vasseur’s future and declared their “full confidence” in him.
“In the recent days there has been increasing speculation surrounding Scuderia Ferrari HP and particularly dedicated to its leadership,” said Chief Communication Officer Maria Conti.
“So, Ferrari’s position is clear, [it] has not changed.
“Ferrari has made its choices already. We have full confidence in Fred Vasseur and in his team and we continue to do so. At this time, it’s really important that the team remains united and cohesive, and we focus all the energy on the work ahead.”
Furthermore, Conti explained why Ferrari had opted to go public with their support of Vasseur before heading to Malaysia.
“We would like to avoid that the next weekend in Malaysia will be focused only on this kind of gossip and speculation.
“The fact is that after the race [in Azerbaijan] and on Sunday and yesterday, this power of communication was increasing. Normally it is going down.
“Everybody—not just you guys, but also Italian media from all over the world—they are still creating a lot of different stories around Fred, and this is not useful. So, this is why we decided to do that.”
The Italian also clarified that the team coming to Vasseur’s defence was not just about the fallout from Horner’s interview.
“We do not intend to fuel speculation or comment on assumptions coming from outside the company.
“It is not just related to the story in The Times of Mr. Horner, but in general there was other speculation also.
“Ferrari has always attracted extraordinary interest, and it is only natural that many professionals aspire to be part of it. It is a reflection of the strength of what Ferrari really represents.”
Elkann and Vigna stand by Vasseur
With respect to why Ferrari chairman John Elkann or CEO Benedetto Vigna had not addressed the media themselves, Maria Conti made it abundantly clear that her statement was fully aligned with theirs.
“I don’t have John and Benedetto with me, but I’m, of course, aligned with the top management, and Ferrari has made its choices.
“There is confidence in Fred Vasseur and his team. Nothing has changed, and we continue to do so. That’s it.
“We were not expecting to do any call and so on because normally we are used to have a lot of communication around Ferrari, in many different areas, and not just Scuderia.
“So why, from any news, do we need to put the chairman and the CEO in front of the camera? I think it’s enough, [to have] Maria.”
Leclerc agrees with Vasseur that recent rumours are not good for Ferrari’s “serenity” in F1
Speaking in a print media session ahead of the F1 race weekend in Malaysia, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc shared his thoughts on what Fred Vasseur’s best qualities are as a leader.
Emphasising how good the Frenchman is at managing people, the 9-time race winner explained that he is adept at using supportive language and providing the optimal conditions to get the most out of them.
“I think to manage people, which is exactly, I think, you’ve got to be good at when you’re a Team Principal.
“I think he knows what are the words to be used and what are the conditions that someone needs to be put into in order to extract the maximum out of an individual. That’s why I think he’s so important for the team.”
With regard to Vasseur saying that Ferrari were “not working in perfect serenity” after the previous race in Baku, Leclerc disclosed that he has taken a break from social media amid the recent media storm.
Nonetheless, the Monégasque driver admitted that he is aware of the rumours floating around the paddock and agreed that such distractions do not bode well for the team’s stability.
“For Fred’s [Vasseur] comment, I mean, honestly, me personally, I took off everything that is social media. So, I don’t see much of what’s going on around.
“But of course, you hear about what’s going around and many people from the team knows what’s going on. That is not good for the serenity of the team, for sure.
“But at the end of the day, this is something that we have little control over. And we’ve got to maximise our result anyway.”
Leclerc reaffirms his faith in Vasseur and reveals where the Ferrari F1 team stands internally
Asked if the recent show of support for Fred Vasseur from the corporate side of Ferrari was useful and whether there are any vulnerabilities he can still improve on, Charles Leclerc reiterated that the Frenchman is a very capable F1 Team Principal.
Reaffirming his confidence in Vasseur, Leclerc asserted that he would continue to play a key role at the helm of the Italian outfit in the upcoming seasons.
Although the 28-year-old maintained that Vasseur commands the respect and support of the team, he also appeared frustrated that the persistent “silly rumours” paint a false picture of where Ferrari stand.
“I’ve always said how much I trust Fred and how important he is for the team. I mean, we have a very special relationship. But other than that, I think he’s extremely capable of what he does.
“And I think he’s been extremely valuable so far, and he will be extremely valuable in the years to come as well.
“And for the support, I think there was never any doubt inside the team that he has all of our support. Then sometimes, it’s needed to make it clear to the outside world as well.
“But to me, that doesn’t really matter in a way that I know where we stand inside the team. And that’s the most important [thing]. I just wish that sometimes there were less of these silly rumours going around.”
Leclerc says non-stop media frenzy is distracting and disrespectful
Contemplating how the media’s fixation on Ferrari and the F1 rumour mill blowing things out of proportion can impact the team negatively, Charles Leclerc pointed out that baseless speculations can divert their attention, create tension, and keep them from focusing on the job.
While he mentioned that constructive criticism is welcome, the Monte Carlo native also proclaimed that the external noise can never contribute positively to a team’s progress. He added that the media repeatedly peddling the same rumours about Vasseur and Ferrari is disrespectful when they are sparing no effort to turn their campaign around.
“Well, by definition, I think you don’t spend time speaking about the right things. And by that, at the factory, we need absolutely everything to be pushing in the same direction. If you have this kind of rumours, you spend maybe a bit more time speaking about this kind of things, which is not nice.
“And how much of an effect it has, I don’t think it’s those kinds of things that are black and white. And it’s a bit more difficult to weigh the effects that it has. But I don’t think it does any good, that’s for sure.
“And honestly, it’s just not nice to see this kind of things. We are all trying to do our best. Fred, the first, and all of us inside the team, we are pushing ourselves to the limit, and I find it a little bit disrespectful to see so many rumours.
“It’s part of our job to take criticism, etc. But when you spread this kind of things over and over, I think at one point it’s just not so respectful.”
Hamilton backs Vasseur but questions the upper management in Ferrari’s hierarchy
Given his extremely successful stint with Mercedes under the leadership of Toto Wolff and whether a stable management structure is important for a team, Lewis Hamilton agreed with the assessment during Thursday’s media session at Sepang.
“Well, structure, I think, is very important and definitely stability. And ultimately, having everyone row in the same direction, I think, is key, probably in any business.”
As to whether everyone around and above Fred Vasseur is rowing in the same direction, Hamilton responded, “I think Fred has the full backing.”
The Brit drew attention to how the Scuderia have appointed multiple individuals as Team Principals over the years to no avail and reiterated that the 58-year-old is the right leader to bring championship glory back to Maranello.
“There often seems to be a lot of focus on one individual and one role here. And you can see that, obviously, [Ferrari have] switched out lots of different people in Fred’s role.
“But Fred is a fantastic leader, and he really is the guy to take this team in the right direction.”
Having previously pointed the finger at Vasseur when asked about Ferrari losing points operationally at Monza, Hamilton highlighted the progress they have made under the Frenchman since last year and suggested that the F1 team’s upper management structure might need to undergo some changes.
“However, there is a structure that’s been there for some time. Whether or not that needs looking at moving forwards! There are obviously also people above Fred, and it’s not about one person.
“Fred has led the team; he’s helped make changes in this past year. He’s helped us get to second in the Constructors’ Championship. That’s a huge step from last year.”
Hamilton believes Ferrari’s mistakes in F1 get blown out of proportion
While refusing to elaborate on the changes he would like to apply to Ferrari’s management, Lewis Hamilton mentioned how Mercedes’s structure differs from that of the Maranello-based team.
“There are changes I would make, but I am not going to talk about what those are. Toto [Wolff] is in a different position to Fred. The structure is a lot different.”
Noting that the horsepower deficit is currently holding Ferrari back in the 2026 F1 season, Hamilton also admitted that the constant scrutiny is disheartening.
The 7-time world champion called out the media for making a mountain out of a molehill whenever Ferrari make a mistake—irrespective of its gravity—on the track. However, he conceded that the intense spotlight comes with the Italian marque’s stature in the F1 paddock.
“The deficit we have is simply just on engine. And that’s something we don’t shy away from. We know that every weekend we carry a four-tenth deficit, if not sometimes six tenths just in straight-line power.
“And we’re aware of it. It’s something we need to try and work on, and we’re working extremely hard to try and fix that for next year. Everybody else is working so hard within the team back in the factory and here at the track weekend in and weekend out.
“It’s frustrating to see all the negativity because you see other people making mistakes and no one really says too much about them.
“And we either make the same mistake or are not perfect, and we know we’re not. And it’s ten times worse for some reason for Ferrari.
“But that’s also to be expected, given that it’s the best brand there is. It’s the most iconic by far.”
Hamilton on how frustrating the rumours are and what’s needed going forward
With Ferrari’s ADUO 2 engine upgrade failing to bridge the deficit to Mercedes and their podium-less streak since the F1 Belgian GP fuelling rumours about potential dismissals, Lewis Hamilton said that it’s imperative to shield the team from the scathing and demoralising headlines.
“For me, I don’t really read the sites. So yeah, zero effect on me. But of course, when I come into the room and see, it definitely affects individuals in the team because every weekend they try and show up and do the best job they can and don’t get it right all the time.
“And when your families are messaging you with all the negative things that they’re reading, when the people back in the factory are reading all those things, it’s almost like sometimes you feel there’s nothing you can do right even when you’re giving your all.
“For me, the message is to not read any of the stuff that’s been written because the fact is nobody that’s writing any of this stuff has actually any clue what they’re talking about because they’re not in the team.
“They don’t know what’s happening behind closed doors. They don’t know how hard everybody is working. It’s all done through assumptions and opinions.
“So, it’s frustrating to see, and what we’re going to do is just continue to try and focus on doing the best job we can regardless of what’s written.
“We will get to where we want to be. I knew it wasn’t going to be the second year we were going to be where we wanted to be. But I’m hoping and praying with the hard work of everybody, maybe next year we can get to where we want to be and where we deserve.”
