F1 news: Ferrari shut down Christian Horner noise and back Fred Vasseur

Ferrari have finally had enough of the noise surrounding Fred Vasseur, and quite frankly, it was about time.

The Scuderia have made their position crystal clear: they have “full confidence” in Vasseur and his team, and there is no reason for Ferrari to allow Christian Horner's interest in the job to derail their season.

The speculation intensified after Horner described Ferrari as “the dream” and suggested it was the only Formula 1 team he would consider joining without an ownership stake.

That was enough to send the rumour mill into overdrive, with Vasseur's position once again becoming a major talking point. But Ferrari's response should put an end to it.

Ferrari back their man

Ferrari's head of communications Maria Conti delivered a firm message on Tuesday, September 30, saying the team's position was “clear and unchanged”.

“Ferrari has made its choices and has full confidence in the leadership of Fred Vasseur and his team,” Conti said.

That is exactly what Ferrari needed to say.

Vasseur has been in charge since 2023 and signed a multi-year contract extension last year. 

Ferrari may not be where they want to be, but replacing their team principal simply because another high-profile figure has publicly expressed an interest would make little sense.

There are plenty of things Ferrari need to improve on the track. But creating constant speculation around the man leading the team is hardly going to help.

Horner needs to show some respect

This is where Horner's comments deserve a little more scrutiny.

Horner is perfectly entitled to discuss his own ambitions and say Ferrari is a team he would like to work for. That is his business.

But there is a difference between talking about your own future and repeatedly creating speculation around somebody else's job.

Vasseur has a job. He has Ferrari's backing and, whether Horner likes it or not, he is the man currently trusted to lead one of F1's biggest teams.

Vasseur himself made his frustration clear after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

“We are not working in perfect serenity,” he said, pointing out that roughly half of the questions he was receiving were about his future rather than Ferrari's performance.

His response to Horner was even more direct.

“Mr Horner is looking for a job,” Vasseur said.

That probably tells you everything you need to know about how much the speculation is being appreciated inside Ferrari.

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Ferrari need to focus on racing

There are legitimate areas Ferrari need to improve. The team has gone five races without a podium and remain behind Mercedes in the Constructors' Championship.

Those are sporting issues that deserve attention.

But constantly questioning Vasseur's future does nothing to solve them.

Ferrari have made their choice. They have backed Vasseur, backed his team and told everyone to focus on the work ahead.

Now Horner should respect that decision.

If he wants to talk about Ferrari being his dream job, that's his choice. But Ferrari do not need someone on the outside continually fuelling speculation about their team principal.

The Scuderia do not need another leadership circus. They need stability, development and results.

Ferrari have decided that Vasseur is the man to lead them forward. Until they say otherwise, perhaps everyone else should let him get on with the job.

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