Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have publicly backed Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur, rejecting speculation about his future at the Scuderia ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.
Ferrari’s failure to reach the podium over the last five rounds fueled rumors that Vasseur’s position was under threat — speculation amplified when former Red Bull boss Christian Horner described Ferrari as his “dream” destination. The team responded by assembling selected media and declaring their “full confidence” in Vasseur, stating that “Ferrari has made its choices already.”
Hamilton was direct in his defense of the Frenchman. “Fred is the guy to lead us, he’s doing a fantastic job,” Hamilton told media at Sepang. “If you look at the history, how many people they’ve swapped out in that role and I feel like it’s in a better place than it’s been before. Fred’s in his position, he’s not going anywhere and I’m here to stay with him and I still believe fully in where we’re going.”
Hamilton attributed the negative coverage to “outside sources” attempting to destabilize the team. “People can continue with the negative narrative but inside, everyone is working really hard,” he said. “If you want to point fingers, point them somewhere else.”
The seven-time world champion also pushed back against criticism of Ferrari’s recent results, noting the team sits second in the Constructors’ Championship despite carrying an average power deficit of four tenths of a second per weekend — rising to six tenths at times. “We’re second in the Constructors’ Championship — huge improvement from last year already — and that’s with a deficit on power of an average four tenths every single weekend,” Hamilton said. He currently leads Leclerc by 20 points in the drivers’ standings.
Hamilton credited Vasseur directly for improvements in his own performance after a difficult debut season with the team. “Fred has been fantastic working with me,” he said. “Fred has done a lot of the changes that I’ve asked for and there are more for us to do.”
Leclerc, who has worked under Vasseur since the Frenchman replaced Mattia Binotto as Team Principal ahead of the 2023 season, was equally emphatic. “He’s exceptional at what he does and I fully trust in Fred,” Leclerc said, dismissing what he called “crazy rumours” that he has grown accustomed to during his time at the team. “Fred has got all our support and we are very proud of having him with us inside the team.”