Ferrari sends Togninalli to speak after alleged spat with Vasseur: engineer’s comments
Last week, rumors emerged about an alleged disagreement in the garage between Fred Vasseur and Matteo Togninalli. Ferrari sent the engineer himself to speak to the media in Austin.
It hasn’t been an easy few weeks for Ferrari following the disappointments in Monza, Baku, and Singapore, where expectations were much higher — possibly even aiming for a victory to lift morale ahead of the next season. After the disappointing qualifying in Singapore, speculation arose regarding a clash between Fred Vasseur and Ferrari’s chief engineer Matteo Togninalli. Most likely for this reason, the Scuderia sent the Italian to speak with the press in the United States.
In recent weeks, particularly over the past few months, criticism of Fred Vasseur has circulated following Ferrari’s disappointing 2025 season. The team had championship aspirations, but the car designed in Maranello proved to be underperforming, making it impossible to compete for titles. This created some unrest within the sporting management, with reports of a tense atmosphere. Ferrari, in an attempt to calm the situation, sent Togninalli to address the media after the Singapore rumors.
Togninalli on the Singapore error
“Singapore is a very challenging circuit for car cooling. We chose an approach knowing the car would be pushed to its limits. The car was designed this way, and we knew we would need to manage it during the race. However, due to circumstances and management decisions, we ended up with almost no brakes in the final four laps,” the engineer explained, clearly referring to Lewis Hamilton’s brake issues, which almost prevented him from finishing the race.
“We were too aggressive and failed to anticipate this. We made a mistake, and we need to admit our errors when they happen. We are now reviewing all the data and processes to avoid similar issues in the future, especially in races where similar challenges may arise. The next demanding circuit in this regard will be Mexico, so we are accelerating processes and working in the factory to resolve these problems. We must improve our tools to better assess the risks we take. In cases like this, you learn even more. We need to be more aware and adopt a more reasonable approach.” These were Matteo Togninalli’s comments as reported by Autoracer.it.
As expected, the chief engineer did not comment on the alleged disagreement with Fred Vasseur. However, Ferrari sending him to the microphones is a notable sign, as the team rarely puts anyone other than the Team Principal or deputy in front of the press. This move appears aimed at silencing rumors about the clash and any potential departure of Matteo Togninalli at the end of the season. Of course, execution errors are not solely the responsibility of the Italian engineer; they stem from a fundamentally flawed car. Therefore, when things go wrong, it is a collective responsibility.
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