Ferrari statement was needed, but team is unified - Vasseur

Ferrari needed to make a statement to stop speculation over his future but is unified as a team, according to team principal Fred Vasseur.

Comments from Christian Horner naming Ferrari as “the dream” job and the only team he would work for without having equity had been described as a distraction from Vasseur in Baku. Ferrari then moved to give its team principal its full backing via a press call with its chief communications officer, which Vasseur says was a necessary step.

“When you see the noise and all the rumors in the press all the week, I think as a team we need to work in serenity, and it was absolutely not the case,” Vasseur said. “I think the statement was mandatory to do something, or it would have been the same this weekend. But honestly, the big issue that we have today is the stability, the serenity into the team, the focus that we need to have, and not to have this kind of question all the day.”

Both Ferrari drivers backed Vasseur on Thursday ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, although the Frenchman downplayed comments from Lewis Hamilton that fingers should be pointed elsewhere and suggested the structure above Vasseur needs addressing.

“About the structure of the team, I think that in the technical [department] at least, it’s a non-end story. It means that you have to improve. I think it’s the DNA of what we are doing to not take a success as a final situation, but try to improve in the good and the bad moments. Honestly, the dynamic that we have, we recruited a lot, but as the other teams, and we are trying to push the limit of everything.

“On the comment of Lewis, I think it would be a mistake to finger-point someone or something or whatever. In the good moments, we are winning as a team. In the bad moments, we are suffering as a team, and I don’t want to speak about a single individual or whatever. Honestly, I think it would be a huge mistake to start to not be unified.

“We had a good beginning of the season. For sure, it’s not enough, we want to get more, we want to win more, we want to win the championship. But at the end of the day, we had a positive start. We are struggling the last couple of races, but we are hoping to come back soon with development and to be back on the pace.”

Further elaborating on the structure at Ferrari, Vasseur says he does not see that as a weakness even if he would like more control.

“Honestly, the relationship that I have with my bosses, Benedetto and John, is a very good one. We are in daily contact, and I can’t complain at all about the organization. But for sure, you always want to get more, you always want to do more, you always want to recruit more too. But I think it’s true for me and it’s true for everybody on the grid, that you always want to do more because it’s the DNA of what we are doing. But honestly, it has nothing to do with the organization.”

Vasseur also received the backing of Williams team principal James Vowles, with the former Mercedes figure highlighting the improvement of Ferrari under his counterpart.

“Normally we beat each other up and put knives in our backs, but Ferrari is in the best place it’s been in the championship for a while,” Vowles said. “They have innovation on the car this year with a rear wing and exhaust blowing that we’ve all copied as a result of it. It’s a team that’s doing brilliantly. So, I mean, for me personally, there is no question that Fred is the right person to do this.”