Carlos Sainz has leapt to the defence of Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur, pushing back against what he sees as an all-too-familiar media narrative engulfing the Scuderia after a faltering start to the 2025 Formula 1 season.
The Spaniard, now racing for Williams, was blunt when asked in Montreal on Thursday about swirling speculation over Vasseur’s future in Maranello, calling out the media’s penchant for “finger-pointing” in times of crisis.
“Same story as always, the moment that the results don’t click in Ferrari, there’s always finger-pointing by the media, and all this chaos happening,” Sainz told the media. “For me, it’s all about focusing on the process and delivering when it matters.”
The criticism aimed at Vasseur comes as Ferrari languishes 197 points behind McLaren in the Constructors’ standings after nine rounds – a staggering gap for a team that came tantalisingly close to winning the title in 2024.
With no victories this season and mounting scrutiny, Italian media reports have speculated Vasseur could be on the chopping block unless results turn around – claims Ferrari itself has outright dismissed as “fantasy.”
But Sainz, who partnered Charles Leclerc through the team’s revival and was instrumental in their runner-up finish last year before being replaced by Lewis Hamilton, sees the storm surrounding Vasseur as more theatre than substance.
Despite being shown the door by Vasseur in favour of the seven-time world champion, Sainz said he harbours no ill will – quite the opposite.
“But if you ask me, Fred, I have a great relationship with him. In the past, obviously, we went through a tough month where he didn’t want me and signed Lewis, but apart from that, we made peace about it, and I get on well, and I always rated him as a team principal and as a person,” he said.
The remarks show a rare moment of honesty in F1 – a driver not only defending a former boss but doing so after being dropped in a ruthless decision.
It’s a testament to the mutual respect between Sainz and Vasseur, forged in the pressure-cooker environment of Formula 1’s most scrutinised team.
Sainz also offered insight into what was, from his vantage point, a team on the verge of a title challenge at the time of his departure, raising questions about what’s gone wrong since.
“I can only talk about my time there when I left, and my feeling is that the team, the car, we felt like we were ready to fight for our championship,” he recalled.
“I thought, honestly, Ferrari could be in the fight for the championship this year. That’s what I communicated to Charles [Leclerc], [and] to the team. For me, everything was coming into place.”
Notably, Sainz distanced himself from any responsibility for the SF-25’s underperformance, pointing out his lack of involvement in this year’s car development.
“I had zero involvement in the development of the 25’ cars, so I don’t know where they went with the balance, with the setup, and why they are struggling to get a result this year out of it,” he added.
Still, he was quick to credit rival team McLaren for raising the bar, perhaps too high for Ferrari to clear at present.
“At the same time, probably, McLaren is just doing an excellent job,” he said.
“If McLaren is doing such a good job, then it doesn’t matter how good you do, there’s just someone performing at a very high level with two super strong drivers and doing very, very good in F1 right now, and that is McLaren.”
Sainz’s comments carry weight not only as a former Ferrari insider but as someone now thriving in a revitalised Williams outfit.
While he trails teammate Alex Albon in the Drivers’ Championship by 30 points, his leadership has helped lift Williams to a surprise fifth in the standings – a testament to his ability and perspective.
In defending Vasseur, Sainz has done more than just push back against the noise – he’s reminded the paddock that short-term memory and knee-jerk blame games often ignore the longer, more complex story playing out behind the scenes at Maranello.
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