Formula 1
Why Ferrari Just Secured Fred Vasseur’s Future — And Charles Leclerc Thinks It’s a Game-Changer
Ferrari has doubled down on its Formula 1 revival plans by handing team principal Fred Vasseur a new multi-year contract, putting to rest weeks of speculation about a potential shakeup in Maranello’s leadership.
Announced ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the deal signals Ferrari’s complete confidence in the 57-year-old Frenchman, Fred Vasseur, who took the reins in January 2023. Despite a winless 2025 season so far, Fred Vasseur’s vision and emotionally grounded leadership have earned praise from both inside and outside the garage.
Ferrari star Charles Leclerc, currently enjoying a run of four podiums in six races, was quick to highlight Fred Vasseur’s emotional control as a critical asset in the high-pressure environment of Formula 1’s most storied team. “Fred really knows how to leave his emotions aside and have a clear vision of where we are at, no matter how much noise there is around the team,” Charles Leclerc told reporters. “This is very, very important.”
In a team renowned for passion-fueled decision-making, especially given its Italian roots, Fred Vasseur stands out. As Ferrari’s first non-Italian team boss since Jean Todt, his rational approach has helped steady the ship during turbulent periods, including persistent media speculation and the intense scrutiny that comes with managing a team as iconic as Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton, who joined Ferrari this season from Mercedes and has yet to stand on a Grand Prix podium with the Scuderia. “Fred’s the main reason I’m in this team,” Lewis Hamilton said. “I love working with Fred… I do believe Fred is the person to take us to the top.”
The move ends recent whispers that Ferrari was courting former Red Bull team boss Christian Horner—rumors the team has flatly denied.
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Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna reaffirmed the company’s long-term commitment, noting that success would take “more than three years” and that Vasseur was always part of the plan. “This renewal reflects our trust in Fred’s leadership, rooted in shared ambition, mutual expectations and clear responsibility,” Vigna said.
Despite sitting second in the constructors’ championship, Ferrari still trails dominant McLaren F1 by a daunting 268 points. But within the paddock, there’s a growing sense that Vasseur has laid the “strong foundations” needed to bring the team back to title contention for the first time since Kimi Räikkönen’s 2007 championship.
For now, the message from Maranello is clear: Ferrari believes in Fred Vasseur’s plan—and is willing to silence the noise to let him execute it.
