Fred Vasseur has said it has become “frustrating” to constantly address rumours of Christian Horner replacing him at the Ferrari Formula 1 team.
It’s been more than a year since Horner was shown the exit doors to Red Bull in July last year.
Since then, the Briton has been keen to find his way back into the paddock, albeit in a role that also offers him an ownership stake within the team.
With that prospect coming short for Horner so far, he has revealed that the “only” team he would join without any equity promises would be Ferrari.
“Would I consider Ferrari? I mean, Ferrari is the biggest brand in Formula 1. It’s the dream. And arguably it’s the sleeping giant of Formula 1,” he said.
Naturally, the rumour mill has picked this up, and it would appear that Vasseur’s job is once again under scrutiny in the media.
Responding to suggestions that he might be replaced by Horner, the Frenchman has said it is becoming increasingly “frustrating” to keep addressing such baseless rumours.
“We are not working in the perfect serenity. For me firstly, but for everybody in the team,” he told media after the race in Baku.
“For the media, for 50 percent of the questions [that are] about this, I think it’s a bit of a frustrating situation.
“We are fighting for P2 in the championship, and at the end of the day, we are all speaking a lot about this, and even for the guys in the garage, to discuss about this, it’s the best discussion that we can have.”
Fred Vasseur shuts down the Christian Horner to Ferrari F1 rumours
Under Vasseur, Ferrari has not seen a stark change that it would have expected after moving on from the likes of Maurizio Arrivabene and Mattia Binotto.
Last season, the Maranello-based team missed out on the Constructors’ championship by the slimmest of margins to McLaren.
And under F1’s latest technical rule-set, the team has arguably some cathcing up to do to the likes of Mercedes in terms of its power unit.
But Vasseur is adamant that despite all the rumours connecting Horner to the Scuderia, his only job at the moment is to ensure it can get Ferrari back to the very top of F1.
“But it is what it is, it’s not in my hands. Mr Horner is looking for a job – that everybody knows – everywhere,” Vasseur added.
“What can I do? Just try to do my best to push the team, to rise them to be motivated, focus on what is better today.
“Each interview, 25 times a day, we are coming back to this.”
When prodded if he could be open to working alongside Horner in the future, he retorted, “You have to ask my assistant.”
“But it is like it is. We have still seven races to go, and I will push until the last corner.”
Ferrari are locked in battle for P2 in the Constructors’ with McLaren with the Bahrain GP in Malaysia up next at the Sepang International Circuit.
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