Ferrari have taken the unusual step of arranging a hurried media briefing to publicly back team principal Fred Vasseur amid speculation that Christian Horner could replace him.
Journalists were given around 25 minutes’ notice of Tuesday morning’s online call, which was led by Ferrari’s chief communications officer Maria Conti.
Her message was direct, saying the team has made its decision about who should lead it.
“Ferrari has made its choices already,” Conti said.
“We have full confidence in Fred Vasseur and in his team and we continue to do so.”
Ferrari said it wanted to stop the growing speculation before this weekend’s race and keep its staff focused on improving the car.
A separate briefing for Italian journalists was also planned.
The public intervention follows comments from Horner that fuelled talk of a possible return to Formula One with Ferrari.
Ferrari have taken the unusual step of arranging a hurried media briefing to publicly back team principal Fred Vasseur amid speculation that Christian Horner could replace him
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The former Red Bull boss said the Italian team was the one place he would consider working without an ownership stake.
“Would I consider Ferrari?” Horner said in an interview with The Times.
“Ferrari is the biggest brand in Formula One. It’s the dream.”
He has not announced any agreement with Ferrari. Nevertheless, his remarks arrived at a difficult point for Vasseur, whose future has faced renewed scrutiny as the team struggles to sustain a challenge at the front of the grid.
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Ferrari sit second in the constructors’ standings, but Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have gone five successive races without a podium.
The team remain in pursuit of their first championship title since 2008, despite the ambition that accompanied Hamilton’s arrival.
Vasseur, who took charge at the start of 2023, made his frustration clear after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
He said repeated questions about his job were affecting the atmosphere within the team.
Fred Vasseur has overseen a difficult season for Ferrari
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“We are not working in the perfect serenity,” he said, adding that the focus on his future had become frustrating for people in the garage as well as for him.
Ferrari’s briefing was intended to give its answer without leaving Vasseur to address the same question at every race.
Conti said the team needed to remain “united and cohesive” and concentrate its energy on the work ahead.
She also acknowledged that Ferrari’s standing in the sport would always attract interest from prominent figures.
The company, however, did not want outside speculation to dictate discussion of its leadership.
