Fred Vasseur reveals the goal of Ferrari’s uncommon vote of confidence

Fred Vasseur says the assertion of assist from Ferrari chairman John Elkann was geared toward a “third celebration” amid rumours linking Christian Horner with the crew.

Ferrari took the bizarre step of releasing a press release throughout the USA Grand Prix weekend during which chairman Elkann expressed “full confidence” in crew principal Vasseur.

Regardless of being handed a recent contract extension in July, Vasseur has come beneath strain amid Ferrari’s troublesome 2025 marketing campaign.

Elkann’s feedback got here within the wake of a report claiming that Ferrari had been speaking to former Crimson Bull crew principal Horner about taking up from Vasseur.

“I need to categorical our full confidence in our crew principal, Fred Vasseur, and within the work he’s finishing up along with all our colleagues at Scuderia Ferrari – the mechanics, engineers, and drivers competing this weekend in Austin,” Elkann stated.

“I additionally need to reaffirm the significance of teamwork by everybody to take care of deal with the one purpose that issues: all the time giving our absolute best on the monitor.”

Charles Leclerc scored Ferrari’s first podium since July by ending third in Austin, one place forward of Lewis Hamilton, who equalled his greatest end result since becoming a member of the Scuderia.

Vasseur was requested about Elkann’s assertion following Sunday’s grand prix.

“For everyone it is good to have this type of message,” he stated. “However as we’ve a everlasting contact, we already had the message, that was extra for the third celebration and exterior goal.”

When pressed on how essential the vote of confidence was to him, the Frenchman replied: “Sure, it is essential as a result of like this you cease the dialogue and you’re centered on the following one and to not reply to all of the questions on this.”

Hamilton and Leclerc take purpose at ‘noise’

Talking forward of the weekend, seven-time world champion Hamilton admitted the hypothesis about Horner had been “a bit of bit distracting for us as a crew.”

“Clearly, the crew have made it clear the place they stand when it comes to re-signing Fred, and Fred and I and the entire crew are working actually onerous on the longer term for the crew,” he added. “So these items naturally aren’t useful.

“I do know everybody again within the manufacturing unit is working extremely onerous, centered, and these kind of rumours can typically be distracting.

“However for me, it is actually attempting to maintain the deal with the purpose that is in entrance of us and constructing on subsequent 12 months’s automobile, actually persevering with to construct a basis on this 12 months in order that subsequent 12 months we will have higher execution, higher general efficiency.”

After claiming his sixth podium of the season, Leclerc hit out on the “unfounded noise” in the direction of Ferrari.

“It was a very good race for us. So it is a good factor, particularly contemplating the entire state of affairs,” stated Leclerc.

“The second a part of the season hasn’t been simple. There may be fully unfounded noise and rumours across the crew.

“I believe to display that in these sorts of conditions we will keep centered on the job and be rewarded with a podium is a very nice feeling.”