Flavio Briatore doesn’t envy Fred Vasseur the headaches of managing the “bickering” Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc but insists the Ferrari team principal’s work “must be respected”.
Having led Ferrari since he replaced Mattia Binotto in 2023, Vasseur’s position at Ferrari is reportedly under threat.
Flavio Briatore backs Fred Vasseur amid Ferrari leadership pressure
Ferrari has not won a world title since Kimi Raikkonen’s 2007 success, while the team’s last Constructors’ title came a year later in 2008.
Under Vasseur’s tenure, the team’s best result was runner-up to McLaren in 2024, before falling to fourth a year later. Although the team is holding onto second place in this year’s championship, the Scuderia has lost ground to McLaren and Red Bull in recent weeks.
It also lost ground in the Drivers’ Championship.
While Lewis Hamilton was potentially in the fight for the world title after the British Grand Prix when he was just 32 points behind Kimi Antonelli, that gap has grown to 103 points.
The seven-time world champion has, in part, blamed Vasseur for not taking a stronger stance on Ferrari’s intra-team battle.
Clashing with Charles Leclerc in Monza, Hamilton told PlanetF1.com and other accredited media: “Ultimately, it comes from the top and it trickles down as decisions.
“It starts with Fred.
“There’s only so much you can say, so much you can push and shove at the mountaintop.”
The situation at Ferrari has led to speculation that Vasseur’s days could be numbered.
Over the weekend of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, multiple sources told PlanetF1.com that Ferrari is eyeing a succession plan that would include a ‘stage-managed’ exit to ease the 58-year-old out of his role as team principal.
But while Ferrari has since insisted that it has “full confidence” in Vasseur and his leadership, Briatore doesn’t envy his position.
“Ferrari is competitive, but there’s always something missing,” the de facto Alpine team boss told Corriere della Sera.
“The thing is, winning a world championship is complicated, not least because there are the others…”
The internal situation at Ferrari also isn’t helped by having two drivers both eager and capable of winning a world title, if Ferrari give them the car to win.
“As far as I know,” added Briatore, “they’re a bickering pair.
“Managing two big drivers isn’t easy.
“You just need to make it clear to everyone that the car belongs to the team. It takes responsibility and care.
“I’d never want to see one of my drivers push the other off the track.”
It begs the question; what would Briatore do?
While he would not weigh in on an answer given he doesn’t know the extent of the internal issues, he believes Ferrari should back Vasseur.
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“Solutions come when you know the patient. You have to understand the problem before you can try to fix it.
“In the meantime, Vasseur’s work must be respected; mistakes happen in every team.
“But a winning Ferrari is an asset for the whole of F1; we’re all rooting for that Prancing Horse to some extent.”
But as the rumours of Vasseur’s pending exit continue, Briatore made it clear that he is not interested in the job.
“It’s too late,” he said when asked if he would want the call. “Even though Ferrari is the lover everyone would like to have.
“But I’ve never been close to Maranello; I’ve always been on the other side of the fence.”
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Originally published by Planet F1 —
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