Fred Vasseur says the assertion of help from Ferrari chairman John Elkann was geared toward a “third celebration” amid rumours linking Christian Horner with the staff.
Ferrari took the bizarre step of releasing a press release throughout the US Grand Prix weekend during which chairman Elkann expressed “full confidence” in staff principal Vasseur.
Regardless of being handed a recent contract extension in July, Vasseur has come below stress 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 Purple Bull staff principal Horner about taking on from Vasseur.
“I wish to specific our full confidence in our staff 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 mentioned.
“I additionally wish to reaffirm the significance of teamwork by everybody to keep up concentrate on the one objective that issues: at all times giving our highest on the observe.”
Charles Leclerc scored Ferrari’s first podium since July by ending third in Austin, one place forward of Lewis Hamilton, who equalled his greatest consequence 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 mentioned. “However as we’ve got a everlasting contact, we already had the message, that was extra for the third celebration and exterior goal.”
When pressed on how necessary the vote of confidence was to him, the Frenchman replied: “Sure, it is necessary as a result of like this you cease the dialogue and you’re targeted on the following one and to not reply to all of the questions on this.”
Hamilton and Leclerc take goal at ‘noise’
Talking forward of the weekend, seven-time world champion Hamilton admitted the hypothesis about Horner had been “a bit bit distracting for us as a staff.”
“Clearly, the staff have made it clear the place they stand by way of re-signing Fred, and Fred and I and the entire staff are working actually onerous on the long run for the staff,” he added. “So this stuff naturally aren’t useful.
“I do know everybody again within the manufacturing facility is working extremely onerous, targeted, and these form of rumours can typically be distracting.
“However for me, it is actually making an attempt to maintain the concentrate on the objective that is in entrance of us and constructing on subsequent yr’s automobile, actually persevering with to construct a basis on this yr in order that subsequent yr we will have higher execution, higher total 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 scenario,” mentioned Leclerc.
“The second a part of the season hasn’t been straightforward. There may be fully unfounded noise and rumours across the staff.
“I believe to display that in these sorts of conditions we will keep targeted on the job and be rewarded with a podium is a very nice feeling.”
