Ferrari’s 2025 Formula 1 results seem like the automotive version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In the FIA World Endurance Championship, Antonello Coletta’s men are dominating the scene, while in Formula 1, Frederic Vasseur’s position at Ferrari seems increasingly shaky, at least that’s what is being whispered in the paddock. But is moving one of the architects of the 499P’s success into a different world like Formula 1 really the best solution for the Prancing Horse?
Fred Vasseur’s Position
The press rumors have become too persistent to ignore. Frederic Vasseur, now in his third year as Ferrari’s Team Principal, is reportedly close to being shown the door. But while it’s often said “the fish rots from the head,” there are reasons to believe the Frenchman isn’t the root of Ferrari’s issues.
Fred Vasseur, in fact, never had the benefit of a solid staffing structure. After the Mattia Binotto era, the Technical Director role was held by Enrico Cardile before being taken over this year by Loic Serra. It was never fully clear where one’s responsibilities ended and the other’s began when it came to the performance of the various cars, which might suggest that Vasseur—before being definitively dismissed—should be allowed to build his own cycle and be judged on that.
Why Moving Coletta Might Not Be a Good Idea
There are three main reasons why Antonello Coletta should stay in the FIA World Endurance Championship program. The first is that it makes no sense to weaken a winning team to fix a struggling one. If a mechanic has one broken car and one that works, they’ll take appropriate parts to fix the broken one—but not by cannibalizing the good one. The problem would simply shift. Likewise, Ferrari shouldn’t move Coletta to F1, especially since he has no specific experience in that world. Instead, they should look for another suitable Team Principal to replace Frederic Vasseur.
That brings us to the second reason. Moving Antonello Coletta from WEC to Formula 1 would be like treating the former as a lower-tier championship. Nothing could be further from the truth. It would make absolutely no sense for Ferrari to strip itself of such a key figure just when the FIA World Endurance Championship is entering a new golden age of endurance racing, with popularity potentially rivaling the legendary World Sportscar Championship of the 1950s. Ferrari can’t risk stepping down from the top of the category with such a move.
Then there’s a more technical reason. Antonello Coletta’s role isn’t exactly that of Team Principal; the 58-year-old manager from Rome officially holds the more complex title of Global Head of Ferrari Endurance and Corse Clienti. In other words, he leads a structure managing both official and semi-official racing programs in WEC and other series like the GT World Challenge. He also oversees relationships with numerous GT3 program customers and heads the vast, profitable Corse Clienti department—something he’s managed since 2003. This includes the Ferrari Challenge, the XX Programs, F1 Corse Clienti, and the 499 Modificata. Naturally, he has capable deputies for each role, but even so, replacing him would be no simple task.
Who Could Replace Fred Vasseur?
Christian Horner has been mentioned, but the Red Bull Team Principal has denied the rumors. Another alternative seems to be Andreas Seidl, who held the role at McLaren before being replaced by Andrea Stella, a former Ferrari man. Considering Seidl didn’t exactly shine at McLaren, it wouldn’t make sense to fire Fred Vasseur without a truly valid alternative. Let’s not forget that even the legendary Jean Todt was nearly dismissed in 1996 before being “saved” by Michael Schumacher’s famous statement: “If he goes, I’ll go too.”
