Last Updated on May 26 2025, 10:40 pm

Vasseur’s reign already under Threat – The rumours in the Formula 1 paddock are growing louder as disillusioned by another disappointing campaign, Ferrari are actively exploring their options to replace team principal Fred Vasseur. Whispers now suggest that the approach made to Red Bull’s Christian Horner was not an isolated attempt, but part of a broader search — a discreet yet determined hunt for new leadership to guide the Scuderia out of its current slump.

While Vasseur continues to lead the team with calm, calculated assurance, his position is reportedly far from secure. Ferrari’s approach to Horner, as reported by Sport Bild, was just one of many feelers they have put out to prominent figures within the sport. The Scuderia are not just sounding out big names — they’re preparing contingency plans.

This marks a sharp reversal from the narrative Ferrari tried to push at the beginning of the season, when Vasseur was presented as the man who would usher in a new era — one anchored by Lewis Hamilton’s imminent arrival and built on lessons learned from years of missteps. However, with the 2025 season already spiralling and the team falling behind Red Bull, McLaren and even a resurgent Mercedes, confidence in the Frenchman appears to be waning rapidly in Maranello.

 

Vasseur’s position weakened as results faltered

Although Charles Leclerc’s podium finish in Monaco provided some relief, it did little to hide the underlying performance issues that have plagued Ferrari this year. The team’s inconsistent performance, particularly in terms of race pace and strategy execution, has left fans and insiders questioning whether any real progress has been made since Vasseur took over in early 2023.

Within Ferrari’s corridors of power, doubts have reportedly been simmering since the early flyaway rounds. According to Sport Bild, team executives — including CEO Benedetto Vigna and chairman John Elkann — have been privately questioning whether Vasseur is the right man to lead the team, especially as the deadline for laying the foundations for their 2026 engine and chassis projects approaches.

Contacting Christian Horner was therefore less about poaching a specific individual and more about testing the waters for a potential change. Horner was reportedly approached ‘loosely’, and while he turned Ferrari down, reaffirming his loyalty to Red Bull, the approach itself was telling. It confirmed Ferrari’s willingness to consider external candidates and their awareness that they need to set a competitive direction soon, before the next big regulation reset.

Newey identifies hug Aston Martin weakness

 

Not just Horner: Ferrari’s wider search begins

Even more significant is the fact that Horner isn’t the only person that Ferrari have reached out to.

Behind the scenes, multiple figures with team management experience are believed to have received informal enquiries from the Scuderia. These include former F1 personnel, current executives at rival teams and prominent figures from motorsport outside of F1.

The criteria are clear: Ferrari are looking for someone with a proven ability to deliver championships, strategic acumen and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to command respect in a high-pressure, politically charged environment.

What’s striking is how early in the season this process has begun. It underscores the urgency within Ferrari’s hierarchy to avoid another false dawn. With Hamilton set to leave and the new regulations due to come into effect in 2026, the team cannot afford to enter the next chapter with structural uncertainties or a lack of unified direction.

Marko admits another Red Bull driver shuffle is on the cards

 

Ferrari’s Leadership Problem

Vasseur’s predicament is not entirely of his own making. He inherited a team plagued by dysfunction and recovering from years of technical instability, frequent personnel turnover and a loss of direction under his predecessor, Mattia Binotto.

However, the Ferrari board — and their fiercely loyal Tifosi supporters — are not known for their patience. While Vasseur has made efforts to stabilise the operation and rebuild morale, the tangible results on the track have been underwhelming. Ferrari still struggle with tyre management and erratic decision-making by the pit wall, and their car development curve lags behind rivals such as McLaren and Red Bull, who have made consistent gains throughout the season.

The arrival of Lewis Hamilton in 2025 will only add to the pressure. Hamilton is not joining to be part of a rebuilding project — he’s coming for a final shot at an eighth world title. Ferrari’s leadership must now ask themselves whether Vasseur is capable of delivering a car and team structure worthy of that ambition.

By reaching out to Christian Horner and others, they may already have answered that question privately.

Announced: “Verstappen grateful to Red Bull [but] Aston Martin place for the future”

 

Why Horner said no

Christian Horner’s rejection came as no real surprise. Having led Red Bull since its debut in 2005, he has overseen the rise of the most dominant Formula 1 team of the modern era. He has full control, deep roots in the team’s culture and the unwavering support of Red Bull’s Thai owners, even in the face of recent internal controversies.

Ferrari, by contrast, is a minefield. A combination of corporate interference, public pressure and political undercurrents makes it arguably the hardest team to manage in motorsport. For someone like Horner, who values autonomy and has experienced enough Red Bull drama to last a lifetime, the idea of plunging into the cauldron of Maranello is understandably unappealing.

Nevertheless, Ferrari’s approach to Horner wasn’t necessarily about securing a commitment. It was about gauging interest, testing the waters and building a picture of who might — or might not — be willing to take the reins if change becomes unavoidable.

How Leclerc missed a historic pole in Monaco

 

The clock is ticking

With the European leg of the season now underway, the pressure on Vasseur will only intensify. The upcoming races in Spain, Austria, and Silverstone will be pivotal. Strong performances could ease the tension. However, further disappointment could trigger open discussions about succession — discussions that have clearly already begun behind the scenes.

While Fred Vasseur remains the public face of Ferrari’s Formula 1 operation, the quiet search for his successor suggests that the decision-makers in Maranello are hedging their bets. If results don’t improve quickly, the Frenchman’s tenure may be cut short.

If that happens, the list of names that Ferrari has already begun to contact will no longer be just a rumour. It’ll be a shortlist.

Marko admits another Red Bull driver shuffle is on the cards

 

MORE F1 NEWS – Monaco scrapping

Formula One is being forced to confront an uncomfortable truth – and it’s happening increasingly behind closed doors. For all its glamour, tradition and prestige, the Monaco Grand Prix is no longer be compatible with the modern direction of the sport. What was once considered untouchable is now being seriously, if quietly, debated at the highest levels: could Formula One actually drop Monaco from its calendar?

A decade ago, the idea would have been heresy. Now it’s an inevitable conversation. The race has become synonymous with spectacle, not sport – and as pressure mounts from fans, broadcasters and even the teams themselves, Monaco’s future is no longer guaranteed. A Grand Prix that once defined F1 now risks being defined by everything the sport is trying to move beyond…. READ MORE ON THIS STORY