Outside Line: Ferrari replacing Vasseur would be insanity

Is it temporary? Is it permanent? Will he be back? When? These are logical questions prompted by Vasseur's unexpected departure. It is hard to recall when a F1 team principal departed a race weekend on the final and crucial raceday. But this is the case, and we can only wish Fred that the personal issues are not severe.

Whatever the case, this comes amid an uncomfortable saga, when criticism of Vasseur has been the loudest by respected and influential Italian media outlets since he was made Ferrari F1 boss, replacing Mattia Binotto.

Discussing the latest episode of Ferrari turmoil during our 2 Soft Compounds with Rick Houghton, I shared my thoughts on the most loved team on the grid. The knives are out in Italy. Again.

Team principal Vasseur finds himself staring down a barrel sharpened not only by a winless run in recent races but by the unrelenting scrutiny of the Italian media and F1’s sharpest outside observers. The pressure is not new. This is Ferrari, after all. But it has grown dangerously acute ahead of the 2026 regulation reset.

Jacques Villeneuve has gone public with what many inside Maranello are likely whispering. Vasseur is under threat. He hasn’t delivered a title-contending car. His drivers are fracturing under pressure. And most damning of all, according to the ever-informed Leo Turrini, Ferrari’s top brass now face a simple but brutal decision: back Fred or bin him.

It's just another episode of many. We’ve been here before. Vasseur arrived at Maranello with a smile and a promise of stability after Binotto’s messy exit. But the 2025 season is slipping into familiar mediocrity. Ferrari are not challenging for wins consistently, and the internal politics are just as toxic as ever.

Turrini, who knows Ferrari better than anyone not on the payroll, says the clock is ticking. Either give Vasseur a long-term contract, five years, or cut him loose now. There’s no room left for dithering. With the 2026 rules looming, Ferrari need either full commitment to their team boss or a fast-tracked Plan B.

What makes it worse for Fred is that the attack hasn’t just come from the usual tabloid corners. The criticism is now measured, pointed, and coming from voices that carry weight. Even his defenders, including Lewis Hamilton, seem to be treading carefully when asked about their new boss.

The easy call is to sack Fred. That’s what Ferrari have always done. Impulse leadership at its finest. But let’s not forget history. Jean Todt wasn’t an overnight success. It took him five years, and if not for Montezemolo stepping in, he and Michael Schumacher would have been dumped just before delivering the greatest Ferrari era since the 1970s.

More recently, McLaren’s Zak Brown promised success in five years and delivered in six. And yet here we are, with Vasseur barely into year two is being judged like he’s had a decade in charge, but has only just begun cleaning up Binotto’s legacy mess, created almost a decade ago by ill-advised and destructive, late Sergio Marchionne.

If Ferrari cut Vasseur now, who replaces him? Who walks into Maranello mid-regs cycle and turns things around faster than Fred could? There’s no clear successor, no Todt, no Brawn, no sure thing waiting in the wings. You fire Fred tomorrow. What happens the day after?

This isn’t just about Fred. It’s about a team addicted to volatility. It’s about boardroom politics dictating trackside performance. It’s about short-term thinking. Ferrari have cycled through leaders like tyres on a wet-dry-wet race day, expecting miracles every 18 months.

If Vasseur isn’t the guy, then yes, make the call now. But don’t pretend someone else can come in and win overnight. Don’t pretend the car is suddenly going to beat the McLaren or Red Bull just because there’s a new name on the office door. And if you do bring someone new in, don’t hang them when 2026 rolls around and the team is still behind. That’s the hole this team keeps digging for itself.

Ferrari need to decide. Fast. But they also need to think long. Either back Fred Vasseur with the full weight of the Scuderia or cut him loose with enough time for his replacement to prepare. What they cannot do is coast through another season in limbo, with rumours swirling, leadership in doubt, and results slipping.

And if they do sack him, they had better be damn sure they’ve got the right person ready. Otherwise, the next name they throw to the wolves will just be the latest in a long, sorry list.

Now, what are those personal reasons that forced Vasseur to depart the Red Bull Ring this morning? If they are firing him, there's one word in English to sum up this saga aptly: Insanity! Or a couple of words in Italian: "Che casino!" But always "Forza Ferrari!"