Vasseur sees 'aggressive' media putting pressure on Ferrari and Verstappen

19:57, 18 Aug

bySandy van Wijngaarden

Frederic Vasseur has recently signed a contract extension with Ferrari, ending a period rife with speculation about the future of the French team principal. According to him, much of the rumor mill is fueled by the media, a phenomenon also experienced by Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing.

Vasseur has led Ferrari since 2023. While the Italian team has made notable improvements in strategic decision-making since his arrival, the car is still not performing at the level the Scuderia desires. This season, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have yet to secure a victory.

In recent months, speculation regarding Vasseur’s future had been mounting. To put the matter to rest, Ferrari has confirmed that the Frenchman has signed a new multi-year contract.

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur

Vasseur talks about turbulent period at Ferrari

In conversation with Auto, Motor und Sport, the Ferrari team boss spoke about the recent period: "The rumors have caused unrest. They were not spread by me, but by the media. Neither Ferrari nor I have said anything."

"But nowadays you can't avoid this kind of disruptive influences. I don't want to tar all journalists with the same brush. But with the internet, reporting has become much more aggressive. There is a compulsion to generate clicks."

Such rumors can have an impact on an F1 team. Recently, there has been a lot of speculation about Max Verstappen making a switch to Mercedes.

"Such things can lead people in the team to lose their focus,'' Vasseur said. ''Just look at Red Bull, what has happened there in the last few weeks. There were only rumors about Verstappen.''

In this context, the Ferrari team boss also pointed to the McLaren team, which is stable and has managed to keep all rumors at bay. In Hungary, Verstappen himself put an end to the rumors about his future by confirming that he will stay with Red Bull Racing next year.