Ferrari will try to regain second place in the constructors’ championship at the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend. They slipped back to third after Mercedes bagged a double podium in Canada.
The Scuderia were anonymous in Montreal, with Charles Leclerc the lead car in fifth after carrying out a dubious strategy. Lewis Hamilton was sixth as he nursed heavy floor damage.
A lacklustre showing has only increased the pressure on team principal Fred Vasseur. The Frenchman is out of contract at the end of the season.
Numerous reports in Italy on the eve of the race claimed that his job was at risk. He joined at the start of the 2023 season as the successor to Mattia Binotto.
Ferrari have only won the Austrian Grand Prix once since it returned to the calendar in 2014 (Charles Leclerc in 2022).
Ferrari management assessing how Fred Vasseur handles Austrian Grand Prix media
A report from F1 Insider claims the outlook is ominous for Vasseur. It appears ‘certain’ that he will soon be ‘history’ at Maranello.
Hamilton and Leclerc both backed the 57-year-old in Canada, but neither driver has the same level of influence Michael Schumacher was able to exert. Schumacher saved Jean Todt before his historic run of dominance at the turn of the century.
What’s more, ‘high-ranking engineers’ don’t trust the current chain of command. That’s naturally a big concern for chairman John Elkann.
A final decision hasn’t been made, but Vasseur is under intense scrutiny. Ferrari’s senior management will ‘closely’ observe his handling of media pressure in interviews this weekend.
Fred Vasseur can give Ferrari two big reasons to keep him for 2026
Vasseur was pugnacious in the Canadian GP press conference, standing up for the Ferrari colleagues who had also been mentioned in the media reports. It’s unclear whether Elkann welcomed that approach.
Elkann has been silent on the Vasseur rumours, even though he had the chance to express his faith. That suggests he’s considering alternatives for 2026.
Ferrari sources scoffed at speculation over Vasseur a couple of weeks ago, but that’s nowhere near as impactful as a public statement from the chairman.
In addition to the backing of the drivers, Vasseur can point to promising signs from Ferrari’s 2026 project. The expectation was a championship this year, but it may not be a case of win or bust.
