Fred Vasseur’s future as Ferrari team principal has come under renewed scrutiny after claims emerged that the Scuderia is quietly preparing a succession plan for 2027. Although Ferrari continues to publicly back the French manager and he remains under contract for next season, journalist Thomas Maher has reported that paddock sources increasingly expect Vasseur to step back from the role at the end of 2026 rather than be dismissed.
The distinction is important. Ferrari has not announced a leadership change, and the team’s chief communications officer Maria Conti recently made clear that the organisation retains full confidence in the Frenchman. However, Maher believes the lack of an unequivocal public statement confirming that the Frenchman will remain team principal in 2027 has allowed the speculation to continue.
Fred Vasseur remains under contract with Ferrari for 2027
Ferrari’s formal position remains straightforward: Fred Vasseur has a contract covering 2027. On that basis, the default expectation would normally be that he continues to lead the Formula 1 operation next season.
Yet Thomas Maher has highlighted what he considers an important gap between that contractual position and the wording being used publicly by senior Ferrari figures. He explained that it has proven extremely difficult to obtain a direct statement from anyone above Vasseur explicitly confirming that he will still be team principal next year.
Ferrari chief executive Benedetto Vigna was questioned about the matter in the Malaysia paddock and emphasised that both the team and Vasseur were focused on their current work. According to Maher, however, Vigna did not address the longer-term leadership question directly.
The uncertainty comes during another period of intense scrutiny around Ferrari’s management structure. Questions over whether the team needs a different leadership model have already fuelled debate about whether Ferrari could require another senior figure alongside or above Fred Vasseur.
Report suggests a planned step back rather than a Ferrari dismissal
Maher does not expect Fred Vasseur to be fired or forced out. Instead, the scenario being described to him is one of an organised succession, with the French manager potentially stepping away from the highly exposed team principal position through an arrangement that could suit both sides.
His understanding is that Ferrari may view four years under Vasseur as the end of one leadership cycle and could decide that the Formula 1 operation needs a different direction from 2027. In that version of events, the change would not be framed as punishment for failure or as an abrupt dismissal.
Maher also stressed that Ferrari believes it has already responded sufficiently to speculation surrounding the team principal. From Maranello’s perspective, the public backing already offered is considered enough to establish its position.
However, he pointed to the absence of a firm declaration from Maria Conti that Vasseur will definitely remain team principal next year. He also indicated that attempts by multiple journalists to secure similarly explicit confirmation from Benedetto Vigna have not produced such a statement.
That distinction has become central to the latest speculation. Ferrari has defended Vasseur repeatedly, while figures elsewhere in Formula 1 have also pushed back against the level of criticism directed at him. Flavio Briatore, for example, has previously argued that the criticism of Fred Vasseur has become excessive.
Paddock sources reportedly expect Fred Vasseur to be succeeded
Thomas Maher says the issue is now being discussed openly enough within the Formula 1 paddock that he no longer regards it as an isolated rumour. While accepting that Ferrari’s official position still points towards Vasseur remaining in place, he claims sources across the paddock are hearing a consistent message that a successor could take over the team principal role.
One reporter at the circuit has also described Fred Vasseur as visibly fatigued after overseeing 86 races as Ferrari boss. The team principal role at Maranello brings an exceptional level of public and media attention, and Maher believes the reported plan could allow the Frenchman to step away from that pressure.
Under the scenario presented to him, such a move would give Vasseur more room to focus on his personal life and priorities away from the racetrack rather than leaving through a confrontational separation with Ferrari.
Maher ultimately sees Ferrari’s refusal to issue one definitive sentence guaranteeing Vasseur’s 2027 position as the key reason the story continues. In his view, such a declaration could immediately shut down the speculation, making its continued absence notable.
Who could replace Fred Vasseur at Ferrari?
There is currently no clear answer over who would take control if Ferrari ultimately made a change. Antonello Coletta, who leads Ferrari’s successful World Endurance Championship programme, has reportedly been approached about the Formula 1 role.
However, the Italian manager is believed to be reluctant to take on the team principal position, leaving Ferrari without an obvious confirmed successor at this stage.
Jérôme d’Ambrosio represents another internal possibility because he already serves as Fred Vasseur’s deputy. At the same time, his close association with the current leadership structure could work against him if Ferrari’s intention is genuinely to make a fresh start rather than simply promote from within.
The wider debate around Ferrari’s leadership has intensified as the team searches for a structure capable of consistently translating its technical potential into results. Vasseur has also received backing from people inside and outside the organisation during that process, making any eventual succession decision more complex than a simple assessment of race results.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have backed Fred Vasseur
Any potential change would also have implications for Ferrari’s drivers. Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have expressed their support for Fred Vasseur, meaning a leadership transition could alter an important relationship within the team.
Hamilton’s connection with the French manager is particularly significant within the broader Ferrari project, while Leclerc has also defended Vasseur during periods of increased scrutiny. The Monegasque’s influence inside Maranello has itself attracted attention, including discussion of Charles Leclerc’s wider role and influence within Ferrari.
For now, there is no confirmed change. Fred Vasseur remains Ferrari team principal, is contracted for 2027 and retains the organisation’s publicly stated confidence. The latest report instead describes a possible future transition that paddock sources believe is being prepared behind the scenes.
That leaves Ferrari in an unusual position: the Maranello team has defended its principal and pointed to his existing contract, but questions over whether he will actually occupy the same role next season have not disappeared. Until Maranello gives an explicit answer about 2027 or announces a different plan, Fred Vasseur’s future is likely to remain one of the most closely watched leadership stories around the Scuderia.
Leave a Reply