Fred Vasseur has revealed how he felt “really angry” about the media rumours which reported he was set to lose his job as Ferrari‘s Formula 1 Team Principal.
The Frenchman was subject of increasing speculation at the start of the summer, which pointed towards a bleak and short future at the Scuderia.
Vasseur was appointed Team Principal at Maranello in 2023, and has overseen steady progress which saw them narrowly miss out on the Constructors’ title last year.
But amid a disappointing 2025 campaign, which has still yet to see the team score a Grand Prix victory, the rumour mill began to turn as fast as one of its scarlet cars.
The rumours reached a head at the Canadian Grand Prix, when Vasseur launched a furious tirade at Italian media for furthering the reports.
But the speculation was finally put to bed at the end of last month, when it was announced Vasseur had put pen to paper on a new deal to remain in charge.
Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, Vasseur reiterated his displeasure with the situation, placing the blame squarely on the media.
“Rumours caused the turmoil,” he said. “I didn’t spread them, the media did. Neither Ferrari nor I said anything.
“But today, you can’t avoid this kind of distracting noise.
“I don’t want to tar all journalists with the same brush, but with the internet reporting has become much more aggressive. There is pressure to generate clicks.”
Vasseur blasts media for additional negative Ferrari stories on Serra and Leclerc
Vasseur cited not just the stories solely focused on him, but also conveyed his annoyance with the additional stories around a senior member of the Ferrari team, and those around Charles Leclerc’s supposed unclear future.
“When these rumours first appeared in Canada, I was really angry because they went too far,” Vasseur continued.
“My technical director Loic Serra was accused of not doing a good job, but the 2025 car was practically finished when Loic started working for us.
“The story with Charles Leclerc was similar. Some people regularly wrote that Charles was going to Mercedes.
“No one cared that he repeatedly confirmed he had a long-term contract with Ferrari.
“That has an impact on the team. In Italy, people tend to react more emotionally.
“Without all this noise, my talks with Ferrari would have gone much faster.”
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