Outside Line: Ferrari extending with Vasseur is a total no brainer

After weeks of silence on the matter, Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna finally confirmed a multi-year extension for their team principal, though without specifying how many years. But what mattered is that the speculation is over. Christian Horner (recently booted from Red Bull) wasn’t the saviour the great Scuderia were waiting for, and nor should he have been.

Vasseur has only been in charge since 2023. Expecting anyone to rebuild a sporting team as massive, as complex, political, and volatile as Ferrari, in under three seasons in charge, would have been farcical.

We cannot forget how Binotto left behind a squad in disarray. What Vasseur inherited was potential, not performance. And yet, the team has already begun turning around under his watch.

Formula 1 dynasties aren’t built in a year or two. Look back: Jean Todt was given five years to construct the juggernaut that delivered five straight titles with Michael Schumacher. Todt’s reign lasted from 1993 to 2007, and Ferrari won 98 races and seven world championships during that time.

History shows that the most successful Formula 1 team principals were given time and stayed a long time. Think Christian Horner, Toto Wolff: stability and longevity breed success. McLaren have stuck with Zak Brown, despite a few setbacks, and look what those Papaya cars are doing now. It took him and his handpicked team half a dozen years to turn a 'Formula 2' car into a serial winner.

By contrast, recent decades have seen Ferrari become a carousel of leadership. Stefano Domenicali lasted until 2013, bringing home Ferrari’s last F1 Constructors’ Title in 2008. Then came the short stints: Marco Mattiacci (2014), Maurizio Arrivabene (2015–2018), Mattia Binotto (2019–2022).

Now, Vasseur, in charge since 2023, already has six wins under his belt, just one shy of Binotto’s tally. For context, Domenicali oversaw 20 wins, and Marco Piccinini delivered 26 wins and three titles between 1978 and 1988. But those were eras of 16 GPs per season, not 24.

Vasseur deserves time at the helm. He’s already done the unthinkable: brought Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari. Integrating the sport’s greatest driver into the sport’s most iconic team alongside Charles Leclerc is no easy managerial feat. It requires subtlety, diplomacy, and serious leadership, the kind that isn’t found easily in the paddock.

Possibly, Horner was in the loop. But throwing him into the chaos of Ferrari right after 20 seasons of managing Red Bull’s internal warfare, and his 'sexting scandal' baggage, would have been self-generating by the Reds. They need calm. They need vision. They need Fred.

With undoubted support from Hamilton and Leclerc, both in sync with Fred as boss and also showing form on track. Leclerc is proving to be a podium magnet, while Hamilton delivered one of his classic Sunday comebacks at Spa-Francochamps. Suggesting clearly this car isn’t the lost cause some had suggested. They’re not yet on McLaren’s level, but they’re in the Red Bull conversation again.

This contract renewal should signal the end of transition talk. Ferrari may not win the Constructors’ Title this year—McLaren are cruising—but there’s still pride to fight for. And there’s still time to lay the groundwork for 2026, when the new regulations level the playing field again.

Both Hamilton and Leclerc are known Vasseur allies. This matters. It ensures alignment at the top and cohesion within the garage. And above all, it confirms that Ferrari's big bosses are finally thinking long-term again.

There is no more important team in Formula 1 than Scuderia Ferrari. And right now, there is no better man to guide them than Fred Vasseur.