Fred Vasseur concedes his Ferrari F1 future is ‘not in my hands’

Fred Vasseur could be set to leave Ferrari at the end of the F1 season, as whispers of a planned succession process have emerged in the paddock.

Ferrari could be preparing for another change at the top after four years with Fred Vasseur, with the Frenchman making a stark confession over his future as he spoke to the media following his team’s fourth and sixth-place finishes in Baku.

Is Fred Vasseur set for Ferrari F1 exit?

Vasseur took over from Mattia Binotto at the helm of the Ferrari F1 team in 2023 and, as many have before him, spoke glowingly about his desire to bring championship glory back to the long-starved outfit.

But this, so far, has proven to be too great a task, with Ferrari able to show astonishing pace on occasion, but never with the required consistency; indeed, the team’s current performance level and prevailing issues are surprisingly similar to that of 2022, under Binotto’s reign.

Ahead of the Azerbaijan weekend, multiple sources revealed to PlanetF1.com that a succession plan is being planned behind closed doors at Ferrari, and that a ‘stage managed’ exit for Vasseur is being positioned: it’s not yet clear what this may look like, or whether Vasseur has been presented with the terms of the plan, although sources have indicated that Vasseur is aware of the possibility.

The suggestion is that, following this season and a year earlier than his current contract expiry, the 58-year-old will be given the opportunity to step back from the very public and demanding rigours of the coalface at Ferrari, allowing him to retreat back to a position in which he can concentrate on more personal priorities.

The details of this rumoured plan, first reported by PlanetF1.com, emerged on the same day as the publishing of an extensive interview in the UK’s The Times, in which former Red Bull boss Christian Horner revealed that Ferrari is the sole team for whom he would relinquish his desire for a team shareholding or equity position in order to command.

However, this is not thought to be a firm declaration of intent from Horner and, indeed, sources have indicated that Vasseur’s successor is more likely to be Ferrari AF Corse WEC boss Antonello Coletta.

While it is possible to draw connections between the two angles, it appears the timing of the publishing of Horner’s interview is coincidental: the first rumours surrounding Vasseur emerged in the paddock several weeks ago.

Amidst all the rumours, Vasseur was asked how the attention on his future had affected the mood at Ferrari across the Baku weekend, and he told the media including PlanetF1.com: “We are not working in the perfect serenity.

“For me, firstly, but for everybody in the team. For the media, for 50 per cent of the questions [to be] 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 not the best discussion that we can have.”

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With Horner putting forward the idea that a chance to work with Ferrari is a “dream” for anyone involved in Formula 1, Vasseur agreed with that suggestion as he outlined his commitment to the job, one he says is “the best in the world”.

“It’s my life, my business,” he said, “What can I do, what can I say?

“But it is what it is, it’s not in my hands. Mr. Horner is looking for a job – that everybody knows – everywhere.

“But what can I do? Just try to do my best to push the team, to raise them to be motivated, focus on what is better today.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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