Dismissal looms for Vasseur, Horner positions himself for Ferrari

The first rumours emerged in Madrid that Vasseur could be in his final months at the helm of Ferrari. Those whispers were not surprising, because whenever Ferrari is not competing for world titles, the team principal quickly comes under pressure. That happened to Vasseur a year ago, but with new regulations on the horizon—and renewed hope at the Scuderia—the Frenchman was allowed to stay on.

Ferrari did win two Grands Prix, but a title challenge is, in typical fashion, a long way off in 2026. Even after the power unit upgrade, the Italian team appears more likely to move backwards than forwards in the pecking order. As a result, the stories are resurfacing—ones GPblog heard in Madrid and again this weekend. Various sources say they have also heard that Vasseur may have to leave, although nobody can say that a definitive decision has been made over the team principal’s future.

The fact Vasseur is being discussed again this weekend may also be linked to an interview with Christian Horner. The former Red Bull Racing team principal told a British newspaper that he would love to work at Ferrari—the only team for which he would want to take on that role. At the same time, GPblog understands there are currently no contacts with Ferrari regarding a potential appointment.

Nevertheless, Fred Vasseur was asked about “the rumours” in Baku this Saturday after the race. Mumbling and almost inaudible, the Frenchman said in his team’s hospitality that he was annoyed by such questions: “Fifty percent of the questions are about this, and that’s quite frustrating. We are fighting for the championship, and at the end of the day, we are speaking a lot about this and for the guys in the garage, it is not the best discussion we can have, but it is what it is."

At the same time, Vasseur acknowledged how things work in Formula 1. "It is not in my hands, and Horner is looking for a job, everybody knows, everywhere, but what can I do? Just try to do my best to move the team, to raise them and to be better than today.

Giving up is not an option for Vasseur, he assured: “This sport is my life, it is my business, and I try to do my best. I'm here to do my job, and I have the best job in the world, and we still have seven races to go. What can I do? What can I say?”