Formula 1 chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali has backed Fred Vasseur to continue leading Ferrari, while making clear that coping with relentless scrutiny is an unavoidable part of running the Scuderia. The former Ferrari team principal believes Vasseur deserves the time and support required to pursue success at Maranello despite renewed speculation surrounding his position.
Questions over Vasseur’s future have resurfaced after Christian Horner’s comments about Ferrari added to an already intense debate around the team’s management. The Frenchman has led the Scuderia since replacing Mattia Binotto in December 2022, but Ferrari’s continued wait for a first Drivers’ Championship since 2007 ensures his position remains under close examination whenever results fall short of expectations.
There had been renewed optimism earlier in the 2026 season after Lewis Hamilton won in Barcelona and Charles Leclerc triumphed at Silverstone. However, Ferrari’s title hopes have since faded, with Hamilton now 103 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
Stefano Domenicali explains what Fred Vasseur must handle at Ferrari
Recent speculation intensified after former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner indicated that he would be prepared to give up the prospect of owning shares if joining Ferrari required it, while describing the Maranello position as his dream job. The possible obstacles to a move have already been examined in detail, including the level of control Christian Horner could expect at Ferrari.
Ferrari subsequently responded by publicly expressing confidence in Vasseur, whose contract is due to run through 2027. Stefano Domenicali has particular experience of the environment surrounding the role, having served as Ferrari team principal between 2008 and 2014.
Speaking to Sky Sports Italy, Domenicali explained that noise and speculation were simply part of Ferrari’s environment and something anyone working at Maranello had to learn to coexist with. He stressed that the pressure surrounding the team was difficult to fully understand from the outside because of Ferrari’s unique relationship with its supporters and the expectations surrounding the organisation.
The Formula 1 CEO argued that personal resilience was therefore essential for anyone occupying the team principal position. In his view, a Ferrari boss who could not remain strong amid that pressure would struggle to fulfil the demands of the job.
Fred Vasseur urged to keep Ferrari focused on its main objective
Domenicali also explained that periods of intense speculation can become amplified during particular stages of a season, but insisted those distractions could not be allowed to interfere with the team’s primary objective. He identified maintaining organisational control, keeping Ferrari focused on its goals and managing relationships with the drivers as central responsibilities for the team principal.
That leadership dynamic has also attracted attention because of questions surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s relationship with John Elkann and Fred Vasseur’s authority within the Formula 1 operation.
Despite the scrutiny, Domenicali made clear that he considers Vasseur the right person for Ferrari. Having followed the recent comments surrounding the Frenchman’s position, he regarded the responses from Maranello as normal and appropriate and argued that Vasseur and his team should now be allowed to work under the best possible conditions.
For Domenicali, Ferrari returning to major sporting success would matter beyond Maranello itself. He suggested that a strong Ferrari is important for Formula 1 as a whole, reinforcing his belief that the current leadership should receive the support necessary to pursue that objective.
Ferrari’s public vote of confidence indicates that Vasseur continues to have that opportunity for now. Yet the expectations attached to the Scuderia remain enormous, and the Frenchman’s position is likely to remain closely scrutinised until Ferrari finally ends its long wait for another Formula 1 championship.
Vasseur is already familiar with that reality. His future came under pressure during 2025 before Ferrari extended his contract through 2027, and the renewed debate in 2026 underlines how quickly scrutiny can return when the team’s championship ambitions begin to recede.
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