Ferrari Formula 1 team principal Frederic Vasseur received unequivocal backing from the top of the company following rumours linking them to Christian Horner.
John Elkann, the chairman of Ferrari, issued a statement on Saturday supporting Vasseur.
“I want to express our full confidence in our team principal, Fred Vasseur, and in the work he is carrying out together with all our colleagues at Scuderia Ferrari — the mechanics, engineers, and drivers competing this weekend in Austin,” said Elkann.
“I also want to reaffirm the importance of teamwork by everyone to maintain focus on the only goal that matters: always giving our very best on the track.”
Elkann renewed Vasseur’s contract in July this year, three weeks after Red Bull announced it was parting ways with Christian Horner. Reports elsewhere claimed Horner, who brought Red Bull into F1 and guided them to multiple championship successes, was a target for Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton said the claims were “distracting for us as a team” and saw no reason why they would replace Vasseur so soon after extending his contract.
“Obviously, the team have made it clear where they stand in terms of re-signing Fred,” said Hamilton. “Fred and I and the whole team are working really hard on the future for the team so these things naturally aren’t helpful.
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“I know everyone back in the factory is working incredibly hard, focused, and these sort of rumours can sometimes be distracting.”
Horner is understood to be keen to return to F1. Aston Martin CEO Andy Cowell said this month “it looks as though Christian’s ringing up pretty much every team owner at the moment.”
Ferrari appointed Vasseur in charge at the beginning of the 2023 season. The following year he successfully lured Lewis Hamilton away from Mercedes to join them for this season. The team said his latest contract is a “multi-year” deal.
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