F1 | Paddock support grows for Fred Vasseur as rivals defend Ferrari boss. Fred Vasseur finds support among rival team principals as the F1 paddock reacts to media pressure .

Even rival team principals are siding with Ferrari. The media attention directed at the Prancing Horse has not gone unnoticed—here are some voices from the F1 paddock.

Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur has found allies in the F1 paddock. Some team principals from rival teams have shared their views on the current situation at Maranello. Both James Vowles, Team Principal of Williams, and Ayao Komatsu, TP of Haas, have come out in support of Fred Vasseur.

Komatsu and Vowles are well familiar with the dynamics of the paddock and with Fred Vasseur himself. Both spoke about the value and weight of words, and how these can have repercussions on the entire team.

The power of words
Following the media speculation about French manager’s future and his reaction during the Canadian Grand Prix press conference, several team principals have expressed their full support for the former Alfa Romero team boss. During a media session at the tenth round of the championship, James Vowles said: “Fred [Vasseur] is an incredibly good leader. And what you see him doing here today is that he’s taken all of this on himself, because that’s what we do, it’s our job.” The Williams TP was referring to Fred Vasseur’s harsh outburst during the press conference.

James Vowles added: “His point of view is valid. For me personally, it has never caused me pain or distress. But what I have seen is individuals being destroyed as a result of a line written by someone who may or may not know the details behind the matter.”

The Williams Team Principal concluded his remarks with a reflection on the importance of words: “It shows you the power of words – in a positive or negative sense. But what I would say is that I have the utmost respect for Fred [Vasseur] and what he is doing at Ferrari, because they are competitive and moving forward. Simple.”

Ayao Komatsu also sides with Fred Vasseur and Ferrari
Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu agreed with James Vowles’ comments but added: “I think it’s part of F1. These rumors – people like to talk about these things when they have nothing else to write about. So yes, it affects the team to some extent. But I think when the team leader is there – I’ve been with two different teams in the past that had really good leaders – and when internal communication is clear, then we trust them.” Komatsu concluded: “So yes, outsiders can say whatever they want. I think the real teams will be fine.”