Toto Wolff WARNS Fred Vasseur about Ferrari fans

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has warned old friend and Ferrari counterpart Fred Vasseur about Italian F1 fans.

Vasseur's position has recently come under fire from Italian media, and questions about his future at the helm of the Maranello-based outfit remain, with his contract set to expire at the end of 2025.

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Ferrari have gone backwards in 2025, currently 238 points behind championship leaders McLaren, despite having signed seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton to their ranks.

Wolff has become a recent figure to support Vasseur, but suggested the 57-year-old needs to get used to the strong opinions delivered by Ferrari fans.

"Maybe that’s something you need to grow a little bit of a thick skin, because if he wins, he is Jesus Christ, and if you lose, you’re a loser. That’s how Italy is. That’s fantastic," he told F1 media.

"That’s the passion that is in there. You’ve got to embrace that. Maybe that’s something he needs to learn. But the rest, he should be given the confidence in running this team. They won’t get anybody better."

Wolff defends Vasseur at Ferrari

Wolff also warned Ferrari against making an abrupt decision regarding their leadership, and referenced the Jean Todt-Michael Schumacher era to evidence how long a championship winning project takes.

"It seems to be a bit of a revolving door with teams generally," Wolff continued. "I think in F1, you can’t buy time, and you need to give senior leadership the time to get on top of things.

"Today we talked about Jean Todt. Jean Todt, if I’m not wrong, joined the team in 1993 and they won the first championship in 2000. ‘93, ‘94, ‘95, ‘96, ‘97, ‘98, ‘99, 2000. Eight years. That’s how it goes, and it comes at cycles."

The Mercedes team principal echoed the sentiments of Hamilton and Leclerc, who maintained complete confidence in the abilities of Vasseur, and gave a glowing character assessment of his rival.

"Fred is one of the best racing managers that I know," Wolff added. "If I wasn’t here, I would take Fred. So, I respect him a lot. He’s a great personality. He’s a straightforward guy. He doesn’t do politics and lies. He knows what he’s talking about.

"He just needs to be given the trust to run this. He’s perfectly aware that in Italy, it’s like managing the football national team. You’re going to have the scrutiny from the media."

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