Ferrari F1 boss assigns blame over ‘aggressive’ contract situation

F1 team principal Fred Vasseur has blamed the ‘aggressive’ media for delaying his contract renewal with Ferrari.

Vasseur has been a man under pressure in 2025, with Ferrari firmly under the microscope since Lewis Hamilton’s signing with the team.

Ferrari's poor results in 2025 have placed Vasseur under intense scrutiny, with rumours circulating in the Italian media that he could be replaced as team principal.

Speaking to German publication AMuS, Vasseur criticised the press for starting these rumours, discussing to what extent they ended up hindering his Ferrari contract.

"Rumours caused the turmoil. I didn't spread them, the media did. Neither Ferrari nor I said anything," the Frenchman declared.

"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. When these rumours first appeared in Canada, I was really angry. Because they went too far."

Vasseur addresses Ferrari axe rumours

It was not just Vasseur who was criticised for Ferrari’s performance, with technical director Loic Serra in the firing line. Speaking to the press at the time, the attack on his staff was what angered Vasseur the most and he continued to defend Serra in his recent interview.

"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," he continued.

"In Italy, people tend to react more emotionally. Without all this noise, my talks with Ferrari would have gone much faster."

The 57-year-old signed a multi-year agreement with Ferrari at the end of July, reflecting the team’s trust that the Frenchman can take the team to the top.

Only time will tell if Vasseur remains the right man for the job at Ferrari, but his drivers Hamilton and Charles Leclerc clearly have a lot of trust in their team principal, with both actively supporting the Scuderia's decision to retain him.

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