Vasseur frustrated by Horner links amid Ferrari’s struggles
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has expressed his frustration regarding Christian Horner’s comments about a potential role with the Scuderia. Horner, 52, has been absent from Formula 1 for over a year following his dismissal as Red Bull team principal and stated to The Times that he would only be interested in joining Ferrari, reports BritPanorama.
His remarks come in the wake of a disappointing performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where neither of Vasseur’s drivers managed to secure a podium finish. The comparison to Horner’s aspirations has added pressure to Vasseur, who articulated his aim for his team amidst ongoing media speculation.
Vasseur commented, “We are not working in the perfect serenity. For me, first, but for everybody in the team, for the media, for 50 per cent of the questions [to be] about this, it’s a bit of a frustrating situation.” He underlined that focus should remain on securing P3 in the championship rather than being distracted by speculations.
Following the race, when asked about Vasseur’s position, Lewis Hamilton dismissed the notion of a managerial change, voicing confidence in Vasseur’s leadership skills. Meanwhile, Horner’s contract termination at Red Bull reportedly resulted in a settlement amounting to approximately £51.5 million, yet the reasons for his departure remain publicly unexplained.
Vasseur is currently steering Ferrari towards a potential top-three finish in the Constructors’ Championship. This season has seen both Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc each achieve a race win, although recent events reflect a need for improvement, particularly illustrated by the shortcomings at Baku.
Speaking candidly about the race, Vasseur remarked, “With the situation that we are in the engine, we are losing one position per lap, and then we lose the path of the race.” He added that starting from the front row had been unexpected, considering Baku’s demanding nature, and that maintaining competitiveness during the race proved challenging.
As teams prepare for the next Grand Prix, the focus for Ferrari remains clear: to put engine woes behind them and find the form needed to reclaim their status among the leaders in the championship. In the high-octane world of Formula 1, it’s a reminder of how quickly fortunes can shift, reflecting not only the challenges of engineering but the intricacies of team dynamics.
