Ferrari have reportedly been trying to convince endurance racing chief Antonello Coletta to take charge of their Formula 1 operation in place of Fred Vasseur, but the highly successful Italian manager remains reluctant to accept the role.
The Italian manager has spent almost three decades at Ferrari and has led the marque’s endurance racing programme since 2014, overseeing three consecutive victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 2023 and 2025 before adding the world championship last season. Despite that record, he reportedly believes his experience does not make him the right candidate to run Ferrari’s Formula 1 team.
Antonello Coletta reportedly reluctant to replace Fred Vasseur
According to the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera, Ferrari chairman John Elkann and chief executive Benedetto Vigna have been attempting for some time to persuade Coletta to move across to the Formula 1 operation.
The endurance racing chief has nevertheless continued to resist the approach. Coletta reportedly believes he does not possess the appropriate experience for such a demanding position and is also conscious of Ferrari’s long history of changing Formula 1 team principals when results fall short of expectations.
That concern is particularly significant given the turnover Coletta has witnessed during his own lengthy spell at Maranello. Since he joined Ferrari in the late 1990s, six different figures have led the Formula 1 team. Stefano Domenicali, who became team principal in 2008, remains the last Ferrari boss to oversee a world championship success.
Domenicali departed in 2014, while his replacement Marco Mattiacci survived only seven months in the role. Maurizio Arrivabene then spent three years in charge before being dismissed, with Mattia Binotto later leaving by mutual consent after reaching a similar point in his tenure.
Pressure around Fred Vasseur grows after Ferrari title hopes fade
Fred Vasseur remains under contract, but questions surrounding his position have intensified as Ferrari’s initially ambitious 2026 championship challenge has lost momentum. Much-anticipated power unit developments have not produced a sufficient improvement to close the gap to Mercedes, while operational mistakes have also cost the Maranello team opportunities.
The broader situation has become increasingly important with Ferrari’s championship ambitions fading and attention beginning to turn towards 2027.
Lewis Hamilton has largely supported Vasseur, the team principal with whom he previously worked at ART during his junior career. However, the seven-time world champion also publicly questioned aspects of Vasseur’s management after Ferrari decided not to prioritise Hamilton’s pursuit of Kimi Antonelli.
Vasseur is currently among Formula 1’s longest-serving team principals, behind only Toto Wolff and Andrea Stella among those ahead of him in tenure. Even so, the Frenchman was already confronted by uncertainty over his future last season before subsequently extending his Ferrari contract.
Christian Horner also linked with Ferrari
The uncertainty surrounding Ferrari’s leadership has coincided with renewed speculation involving Christian Horner. The former Red Bull team principal recently made clear that Ferrari would be an exceptional opportunity for which he could consider returning to Formula 1 without securing an ownership stake.
Christian Horner has openly expressed interest in a potential Ferrari role after an extraordinarily successful two decades at Red Bull, during which the team collected 14 drivers’ and constructors’ world championships combined.
There is, however, no indication in the information currently reported that Ferrari’s interest matches Horner’s willingness to consider the position. For now, Coletta appears to have been the figure Elkann and Vigna have actively attempted to persuade, although his continued reluctance leaves Ferrari facing another important leadership question as the team searches for a route back to sustained Formula 1 championship success.
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