Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna has offered public backing to Fred Vasseur as speculation over the team principal’s future continues alongside reports linking Christian Horner with a possible move to Maranello. While Vigna acknowledged that Ferrari must improve its Formula 1 car, his message indicated that the current leadership remains focused on the work ahead rather than preparing for an immediate change.
Pressure around Vasseur has intensified as Ferrari continue to pursue the championship success expected of the team. Reports suggesting that Christian Horner is being considered have added another layer of uncertainty, although no decision over Ferrari’s management structure has been confirmed. Jacques Villeneuve is among those to have argued that the Scuderia should resist replacing the Frenchman.
The situation also comes against the backdrop of expectations created by Ferrari chairman John Elkann, who in 2022 set out the ambition of delivering a championship by 2026. That target has inevitably increased scrutiny of the Formula 1 operation and its leadership as Ferrari attempt to convert their resources and driver line-up into sustained title contention. The wider pressure on Ferrari’s senior management has been a recurring subject, with John Elkann and Benedetto Vigna previously facing questions over the team’s direction.
Benedetto Vigna backs Fred Vasseur as Ferrari pressure grows
Speaking to the Italian edition of Motorsport.com, Benedetto Vigna acknowledged that Ferrari still has clear areas in which it must improve. He accepted that rival teams had performed better and stressed that the car itself needed to become more competitive.
At the same time, however, the Ferrari CEO emphasised that Fred Vasseur and the rest of the Scuderia remained determined and concentrated on what needed to be done. His comments therefore amounted to another public show of support for the existing project rather than an indication that Ferrari was preparing to abandon it.
Ferrari entered the 2026 campaign after committing significant resources to the new technical regulations, following a period in which the team had already made major decisions about how to prepare for the rules reset. The extent of Ferrari’s commitment to its 2026 Formula 1 project has consequently made the performance of the current structure particularly important.
Lewis Hamilton’s second-place finish for Ferrari at Sepang has at least provided the team with a valuable positive result amid the continuing discussion surrounding its management. The podium gives Maranello something more encouraging to build on as it attempts to keep attention focused on its on-track progress through the closing stages of the season.
Fred Vasseur addresses his relationship with John Elkann and Benedetto Vigna
Fred Vasseur has also responded directly to the speculation surrounding his position. In comments to Italian publication Quotidiano Sportivo, the Ferrari team principal described his relationship with both John Elkann and Benedetto Vigna as excellent and explained that communication between them takes place on an almost daily basis.
Vasseur also indicated that the intense pressure accompanying his position is not unexpected. He explained that anyone accepting responsibility for Ferrari’s Formula 1 operation has to understand both the positive and negative sides of the role, particularly given the expectations attached to managing the most famous team in the sport.
The Frenchman further stressed the importance of collective responsibility inside Ferrari, maintaining that success and difficult periods have to be experienced as a team. His comments reinforce the message coming from the company’s senior leadership that the current group remains united despite the external speculation.
Christian Horner’s name nevertheless remains part of the wider discussion surrounding Ferrari. Previous speculation has also raised questions about how a potential Horner move could affect Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari, particularly because of Hamilton’s established relationship with Vasseur.
For now, Ferrari’s public position is one of continuity. Vigna has acknowledged that the car must improve while backing the determination of Vasseur and his team, and Vasseur himself has insisted that his relationships with Ferrari’s senior leadership remain strong. Unless the situation changes behind the scenes, the pressure around Maranello is therefore likely to remain centred on results rather than any confirmed management reshuffle.
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