In a press conference on Friday at the F1 British GP, Team Principals Christian Horner and Zak Brown commented on the rumours surrounding Fred Vasseur’s position at Ferrari. Rumours about Vasseur’s and a potential firing have been circulating the F1 paddock for the last couple of weeks. The pressure for the Ferraris to perform is immense. The Frenchman is facing the brunt of it at the moment.
Horner on the importance of teamwork and the added pressure of working for Ferrari
Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has been involved in F1 for two decades. Horner became team principal of Red Bull Racing in 2005 at age 32 after Red Bull purchased Jagua in late 2004. In this role, Red Bull went on to win eight drivers’ championships and six constructors’ championships.
Christian Horner believes that consistency is key in F1. He believes Red Bull’s successes can be attributed to the stable environment he has helped create and maintain.
“Well, look, I think in any organisation, stability is tremendously important. We’ve had 21 years of stability and that has borne the kind of results that we’ve achieved.”
The Red Bull team principal then spoke on the pressures that come with representing what is essentially Italy’s national team, Ferrari.
“I think Fred is a very capable manager. He’s obviously managing what effectively is a national team in Ferrari, and with that comes expectation and pressure. He’s still relatively new to the role, and it takes time to put the right processes in place, the right people, the right culture.”
The Red Bull boss likely relates to this expectation. Winning and defending championship titles in F1 supplies its own heap of pressure.
Horner then remarked on the fact that the answers are never as straightforward as they seem in F1. Especially not for teams with legendary histories and cultural significance.
“There are no silver bullets in this business. It’s about collectively getting a group of people to work towards one objective. And with Ferrari, there is the added pressure of national expectation.”
Brown on his admiration for Vasseur and the Ferrari boss’s accomplishments
McLaren Team Principal Zak Brown has worked as a motorsports executive since founding a marketing agency in 1995. Brown knows both the business and driving sides of motorsports all too well, which has brought him success throughout his career.
Both Brown and Vasseur have been in the motorsports industry for a long time along with Christian Horner. The American and Frenchman have gotten to know each other well over the course of their respective careers. Zak Brown commented in the Friday press conference that he is always rooting for the guy.
“I’m a Fred fan. I’ve known Fred for a long time, as we all have. I find him to be very sporting, so I enjoy racing against him. He’s very technical. He’s a racer. He’s in multiple disciplines of motorsports.”
Last season, McLaren and Ferrari finished P1 and P2 in the constructors’ championship, with only 14 points difference between them. While the McLaren versus Verstappen battle was the focal point of last season, Ferrari came remarkably close to a constructors’ championship in 2024.
When asked about the Vasseur firing rumours, Zak Brown pointed out this major accomplishment.
“He was one pass away from winning the World Championship last year. So, I think the results, they’re winning races.”
“It’s hard to see from the outside looking in, but I’m a Fred fan. I think he does a good job and almost won the World Championship last year.”
If Ferrari continues to struggle, the Tifosi and the powers that be may look for a scapegoat in the form of their team principal. However, no real evidence to confirm or deny Fred Vasseur’s departure has been made public at this time.
