F1 boss intervenes in Ferrari drama as Christian Horner makes Maranello move

Stefano Domenicali, Christian Horner in conversation — Photo: © IMAGO

Ferrari F1

F1 boss intervenes in Ferrari drama as Christian Horner makes Maranello move

Battle lines are being drawn

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Thursday 1 October 2026 18:58

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Stefano Domenicali has waded into the conversation surrounding his former team Ferrari this week, as rumours swirl about Fred Vasseur's future as team principal.

The Frenchman's position already looked somewhat precarious as the team's performance dropped off in recent months, and speculation was turbocharged last week when Christian Horner threw his hat in the ring to take over.

Horner called the Scuderia 'the dream' in an interview with The Times last week, as he continues to try to worm his way back into the sport.

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Domenicali was in Vasseur's role from 2008 to 2014 before being squeezed out by a series of poor results, later taking up his current role as CEO of Formula One Management in 2021.

It's relatively unusual for Domenicali to step into conversations about teams under his FOM purview, but he went on Rai Radio 1's Radio anch’io sport to effectively urge patience from his former employers.

F1 HEADLINES: Christian Horner in Ferrari U-turn as Lewis Hamilton reveals fight with bosses

Domenicali: The captain needs to stay on course

"It's a moment in which the results are not what we expect," said the Italian.

"My experience tells me that especially at a time of so many rumours, including self-candidates from important people, we must remain strong, united, and avoid fanciful solutions that risk leading us astray and accumulating further delays."

For Vasseur specifically, he added: "Whoever is in charge of a team like Ferrari must have the will to stay on course and be clear about what needs to be done to ensure a winning streak. The more stormy the conditions, the more the captain needs to stay on course."

It's unclear whether Domenicali's effective backing will help Vasseur, but it is part of a larger trend of important figures calling for him to remain in place – including, most recently, Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton backed Vasseur ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia

Ferrari defend Vasseur in surprise media call

The swirling rumours about the future of Vasseur and Horner's recent comments led Ferrari to take the highly unusual step of calling a media briefing on Tuesday.

Maria Conti, Ferrari's chief communications officer, scheduled the call to reaffirm the team's commitment to Vasseur, insisting that the 58-year-old Frenchman retains the full support of the Scuderia's top brass.

"In the recent days, there has been increasing speculation surrounding Scuderia Ferrari HP, and particularly dedicated to its leadership," Conti said.

"Ferrari's position is clear, has not changed, and Ferrari has made its choices already, and we have full confidence in Fred Vasseur and in his team, and we continue to do so."

Conti continued, stating that the media call was not simply in response to the Horner speculation, but to the increased scrutiny that Vasseur has been under in recent weeks.

"Ferrari has always attracted extraordinary interest, and it is only natural that many professionals aspire to be part of it.

"It is a reflection of the strength of what Ferrari really represents. So this is why we really want to avoid and we do not intend to fuel speculation or comment on assumptions coming from outside the company."

Ferrari comms chief: Vasseur defence not just Horner-driven

Conti also insisted that the decision to address the media was not just because of the former Red Bull man's latest comments, saying: "It is not just related to the story in The Times of Mr Horner.

"But in general, there is a lot of speculation about Fred. So again, we have confidence in Fred Vasseur and his team, and we continue to do so. And the position is clear, but not just now, we already confirmed in the past.

"Our focus now is on the work. We would like to be focused on the future. And this is always the Ferrari spirit and the spirit of our founder - humility and complete focus on the future.

"We are doing that today because we would like to avoid the next weekend in Malaysia being focused only on this kind of gossip and speculation. We would like to be focused on the race, on the performance, on the team, on Fred."

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Chris Deeley - Editor

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F1 Ferrari Christian Horner Fred Vasseur Stefano Domenicali