Vasseur: New Ferrari contract protects team’s 'crucial stability'

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur says his newly signed multi-year contract extension is a crucial step in preserving the Scuderia’s stability as it continues its fight at the sharp end of Formula 1.

The Frenchman, who took the helm at the start of 2023, had been the subject of speculation in recent months. In the lead-up to the Canadian Grand Prix, several Italian media outlets claimed he was set to leave Maranello – rumours firmly denied at the time by Vasseur.

Those reports were finally silenced on July 31, when Ferrari confirmed Vasseur’s extended deal.

“My job is probably the most exciting position in the paddock. If you’re able to win in F1, it is mega, but to win with Ferrari is something very exciting,” Vasseur told F1.com.

Putting Rumours Behind and Focusing Forward

Vasseur admits the contract resolution was important not just for himself, but for the entire team.

“It’s a good step into the process,” he added. “We had a couple of discussions and there were some rumours in the press the last couple of weeks. It’s not easy for the stability of the team and for the mood of the team but now this is behind us. It’s important, it’s a good step.

“We have to be ready for the last part of the season. We are fighting with Mercedes and Red Bull for P2 and we want to win some races until the end. The 2026 project is a huge challenge that we have to be all fully aligned and all together to manage it.”

Ferrari currently sits in the thick of the constructors’ championship battle, targeting second place while also eyeing race victories before the season’s end.

But Vasseur stresses that the Scuderia’s long-term ambitions – particularly with the new regulations arriving in 2026 – require unity and continuity.

Patience is Key to Returning to the Top

Since joining Ferrari, Vasseur has maintained that restoring the team to its championship-winning form is a multi-year project.

“I’m really convinced that it’s taking time,” he said. “It’s taking time at Ferrari, but everywhere in general, if you have a look at the good story of F1 that when Christian [Horner] joined Red Bull or when Jean [Todt] joined Ferrari, before all these good success stories [it] took time before the first win.

“You need a couple of years to build up a team, to recruit people that you want to have with you, and then it takes also time to work together. We want to be very agile in F1, but the reality is that we have a lot of inertia.”

Vasseur’s extension signals Ferrari’s commitment to allowing him the time and authority to execute his vision, something he believes is vital if the Scuderia is to return to the sport’s summit.

With the leadership question settled and the rumours laid to rest, Ferrari’s focus now turns entirely to chasing victories in the short term and building a championship-winning foundation for the future.

Read also:

• Vasseur: Ferrari perhaps ‘underestimated’ the challenge for Hamilton

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