Fred Vasseur fiercely dismissed speculation over his future, denouncing irresponsible media attacks and defending Ferrari’s unity and internal stability.
Vasseur was highly anticipated at Friday’s official FIA press conference in Montreal: as one of the day’s three invited guests, he was inevitably questioned about the intense rumors and speculation surrounding him, jointly published in recent days by Corriere della Sera and Gazzetta dello Sport in Italy.
After receiving support from his drivers yesterday, the Ferrari team principal responded strongly regarding his future, calling the situation “stupid.”
Ferrari has seen a succession of team principals in recent years, having not won a world championship since 2008. The pressure on the team to succeed brings with it a heavy burden for the person in charge: to lead the team into a new era of success. This places them under intense media scrutiny, especially in Italy, Ferrari’s home.
Vasseur did not criticize all Italian media, but he had harsh words for some.
“I must first stay calm, otherwise I’ll have to answer to the stewards!” the Frenchman said.
“This is a matter of the Italian media. Not all of them. I don’t think this is about me, because I can handle it.”
“It’s mainly about the team members. Throwing around names like that, I think it’s simply disrespectful to them, to their families.”
“We had a similar situation last year with the aero director, Loïc [Serra]. I don’t know what the objective is. I don’t understand it. Maybe it’s to target the team, but I don’t see the point. Maybe it’s their only chance to exist. That’s probably the main reason, but it really hurts the team.”
“At some point, it becomes a distraction. When you’re fighting for the championship, every detail matters. From the start of the weekend, that’s all we think about. If their goal is to put the team in this situation, then they’ve succeeded—but I don’t think that’s how we’ll win a championship, certainly not with those kinds of journalists around us.”
Vasseur quickly emphasized that he fully understood the role of Ferrari team principal and that championships were crucial to his long-term future.
When asked whether such media scrutiny was inherent to the Ferrari team principal role, Vasseur responded firmly, fiercely defending the team’s staff and criticizing the apparent harsh treatment from some Italian outlets.
“Being the team principal of Ferrari—I knew from the beginning, when I took the job, that there would be exposure. That’s fairly easy to handle. For me. Again, it’s mainly about the people on the team.”
“These media outlets apparently work very hard to decide one day that this person will be replaced, that one is useless.”
“Honestly, it’s very, very hard because these journalists—I’m not putting everyone in the same basket—but they need to remember that these people have families, wives, children, and it’s totally disrespectful. Now, I don’t want to talk about this… nonsense anymore.”
When asked if he could do anything to protect his team, Vasseur replied: “Yes, I’ll go in Monday morning and tell the guys, ‘This isn’t true.’ It’s simply a matter of respect.”
“Well, that’s it—I managed to keep it together and avoid a call from the stewards.”
A joke to close on, but Vasseur clearly meant every word.
