Ferrari backs Frédéric Vasseur as Horner comments fuel speculation

Ferrari has reaffirmed its support for Formula 1 team principal Frédéric Vasseur after former Red Bull boss Christian Horner expressed interest in joining the team. Speaking on behalf of Ferrari’s senior leadership, chief communication officer Maria Conti said the company had made its choice and remained confident in Vasseur and his team, BBC Sport reported on 29 September.

The statement followed renewed questions about Vasseur’s position during a season in which Ferrari is fighting for second place in the constructors’ championship. It establishes Ferrari’s stated position on its current team principal; Horner’s comments establish his interest, rather than any appointment or offer from Ferrari.

What Ferrari said

Conti delivered the message on a media call, saying she spoke for Ferrari chairman John Elkann and chief executive Benedetto Vigna. ‘Ferrari’s position is clear,’ she said, according to BBC Sport. ‘It will not change.’ She added: ‘Ferrari has made its choice. There is confidence in Fred and his team. Nothing has changed.’

Vasseur has led Ferrari since the start of 2023. He signed a new deal in July 2025 that Ferrari described as a multi-year contract for coming Formula 1 seasons, BBC Sport reported. The team did not specify an end date, so the public description of the agreement does not establish how long it runs.

Why the questions intensified

Vasseur addressed the questions after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He said repeated discussion of his future made it harder for the team to work with ‘perfect serenity’ and was frustrating for people beyond himself, BBC Sport reported. Grandprix.com separately reported his complaint that questions about Horner were consuming attention during Ferrari’s fight for second place.

Asked about Horner after the race, Vasseur said the former Red Bull chief was looking for a job. He said the matter was not in his hands and that he would focus on pushing and motivating Ferrari’s team, according to BBC Sport. Lewis Hamilton gave a brief answer when asked whether Ferrari was still heading in the right direction under Vasseur: ‘Yes.’

The sporting pressure

Ferrari’s result in Azerbaijan helps explain why its leadership was under scrutiny. Charles Leclerc finished fourth and Hamilton sixth in Baku. Formula 1 reported that Leclerc had qualified second but lost ground in the opening laps, when he struggled to defend his position. Vasseur said Ferrari had maximised what it could achieve at the race, while also saying fourth and sixth were results with which the team could not be satisfied.

The team had entered the 2026 season hoping the changes to Formula 1’s car and engine rules would help it challenge for the championship, BBC Sport reported. Its account described Ferrari’s engine performance as falling short of Mercedes and Red Bull, despite a strong start for its chassis. That performance context sits alongside the questions about Vasseur, although the results alone do not establish a change in Ferrari’s plans for him.

Formula 1 reported that Leclerc pointed to a lack of recent development when discussing Ferrari’s Azerbaijan form. Vasseur promised upgrades ‘soon’ but declined to give a date. He also described the difficulty of defending on straights and said the team had faced a similar problem at Monza. The timing and effect of the planned developments remain open questions as Ferrari continues its season.

Vasseur took over after Mattia Binotto’s departure, following a period in which Ferrari’s promising start under the previous rules was followed by a slump, according to BBC Sport. The current debate therefore concerns a team principal appointed to guide Ferrari through another rules cycle. For now, Ferrari’s public message is that its confidence in him remains in place.