Vasseur future as Ferrari F1 boss still uncertain as Horner looms

Vasseur, a long-time ally and mentor of Lewis Hamilton, was seen as instrumental in luring the seven-time F1 World Champion to Maranello for 2025. Hamilton is known to hold Vasseur in high regard from their title-winning GP2 days, and any shake-up at the top of the Ferrari structure could impact the Briton's long-term commitment.

Yet with Ferrari winless so far this season and trailing McLaren by a staggering 238 points, pressure on Vasseur is mounting fast.

During the Friday press conference ahead of the British Grand Prix, mere days before his own axing became public, Horner acknowledged the challenge Vasseur faces: “Fred is a very capable manager. He’s managing what is effectively a national team, and with that comes expectation and pressure. There are no silver bullets in this business.

"It takes time to put the right culture in place," added Horner, whose two-decade reign as Red Bull F1 boss included eight F1 Drivers titles, 6 Constructors' titles and 124 victories.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown said of Vasseur: “I’m a Fred fan. I think he does a good job. He was one pass away from winning the World Championship last year. They’re winning races. It’s hard to see from the outside, but I think he’s doing well.”

Despite these words of support for the Ferrari boss, the Italian media is on high alert, as now the shadow of Horner now looms large over Vasseur’s position at the helm of the sport's most famous and supported team.

Speaking to Stats Perform, former Red Bull and Toro Rosso driver Vitantonio Liuzzi suggested that Horner would be a strong candidate if Ferrari opted to make a change: “I think Vasseur was the right person to sort Ferrari's problems. But should Ferrari decide to part ways, Horner would be a perfect choice.”

Liuzzi added: “It is too early to say if Vasseur can reverse this difficult moment… People expect Ferrari to win, but things do not happen overnight in F1.”

Ferrari, the sport’s most successful team with 16 F1 Constructors’ titles, has not won a championship since 2008. Despite Hamilton’s arrival and a promising pre-season, they have slipped well behind McLaren.

Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna gave no clear assurance over Vasseur’s long-term role when he told reporters at Silverstone: “He’s the team principal, it’s July, and we’re discussing. We just had lunch together,” he told Sky Italia, before Horner’s dismissal became public.

Despite Vasseur’s central role in Ferrari’s current project and Hamilton’s arrival, no contract extension has been announced, leaving his future increasingly precarious as the season progresses and the all-change 2026 Formula 1 season approaches.