Ferrari F1 boss Fred Vasseur slams false media rumours, defends Hamilton, Leclerc, and calls for respect inside Maranello team.
Fred Vasseur voiced his anger yesterday over the rumors circulating about him. The Ferrari team principal specifically slammed Italian media outlets claiming that his days might be numbered if Scuderia’s performance doesn’t improve quickly enough.
The Frenchman, who labeled all these speculations as stupid (read here), also made a point of highlighting the quality of his relationship with his drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Both the Briton and the Monegasque are also constant targets of rumors, but they stood united behind their boss as early as Thursday in Montreal.
Does this give Vasseur confidence that their performance and mindset won’t be affected by speculation about his future or internal events within the team?
“It’s a good example to talk about Charles to start with. I also read that he was looking to move to Mercedes F1!”
“It’s nonsense. Charles has a long-term contract with us. In every interview since the start of the season, he says he wants to stay with Ferrari. He wants to win with Ferrari. His future is with Ferrari. But every Monday, there’s an article saying: ‘Charles will leave next year,’ ‘Charles is going to…’. At some point, I don’t know what else to do.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t repeat the same things every weekend. But that’s how it is.”
“Now, with Lewis and Charles, I think we have a good relationship. We have a clear goal. We know we need to work. We know we need to push. But the atmosphere within the team is excellent. That’s the foundation to bounce back and win. Everything is there. Everything is on the table to do a good job, and overall, we are working well.”
What does it mean to him to have such public support from both his drivers?
“Their reaction… I understand it, because we work together every day.”
“We’re working to reach a goal, and we’re all working together. And it’s not about me. I already knew that. I knew perfectly well that I was in the spotlight. The issue isn’t with the team principal, we’re fully aware of that.”
“Once again, the problem in this kind of situation is more about the team members than me or my drivers. At some point, we have to take into account that the people in every team on the grid are all working very hard.”
“You have to understand that when a journalist announces ‘Ferrari will hire so-and-so for such position’ when someone is already in that role. On Sunday evening, the guy thinks: ‘Well, tomorrow morning, I won’t have a job anymore, because if what’s written in the paper is true, someone else will be in my position.'”
“And it’s the same for everyone working under him. And we face this situation every day in Italy. Enough is enough. Honestly, to succeed, you also need to be able to work in a clean environment. And we’re not in that situation right now.”
“I’m not a firefighter, in the end. It’s simply a matter of respect. We’re completely transparent with them. That means if someone has a question about recruitment or anything, either I say no, I can’t talk, or I say yes.”
“Sometimes names are mentioned in the press… I even had to Google a name to see the person’s face because I didn’t even know who it was. That’s where we are now: they can spread a rumor about someone I’ve never met. And we’re talking about people, not things. And I think everyone deserves a bit of respect.”
Frustrated by the ongoing sabotage from certain Italian media outlets, he didn’t hesitate to hit back again—this time on television.
“It comes from journalists—I’m not even sure that’s the right word. These are people who want to harm the team. They’ve been doing it since the beginning of the year and even in previous seasons.”
“They care more about clicks for their newspapers or gaining followers than anything else. And I’m not talking about myself, but they’re talking about individuals, men and women who work at Ferrari, who put their lives and souls into this project. And when you throw their names out there like that, it’s a lack of respect. And I’m really angry with these pseudo-journalists.”
Finally asked about negotiations to renew his contract with Ferrari, Vasseur seemed to confirm at least the information that his three-year deal would expire on December 31.
“We still have time to discuss it. There’s still plenty of time.”
