Ferrari have moved to distance themselves from Christian Horner by declaring “full confidence” in team principal Fred Vasseur.
Horner said in a recent interview with The Times that it would be his “dream” to lead Ferrari. The 52-year-old has been out of Formula One for more than year after he was sidelined by Red Bull.
Horner’s remarks placed the spotlight firmly on Vassuer’s future at Ferrari amid a disappointing run of form.
They are second in the constructors’ standings but 160 points adrift of Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton claimed his first win for Ferrari in Barcelona in June but the seven-time world champion has finished off the podium for the past six rounds to leave him 103 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s 16th round of the season in Malaysia, Ferrari’s chief communications officer, Maria Conti – commenting on behalf of chairman John Elkann and chief executive officer Benedetto Vigna – said: “In recent days, there has been increasing speculation surrounding Ferrari and particularly dedicated to its leadership.
“Ferrari’s position is clear and it has not changed. We have full confidence in Fred Vasseur and in his team, and we continue to do so.
“Ferrari has always attracted extraordinary interest and it is only natural that many professionals aspire to be part of it. It is a reflection of the strength of what Ferrari represents.
“We want to avoid and do not intend to fuel speculation or comment on assumption coming from outside the company, and is not just related to the story in The Times of Mr Horner, but in general there is a lot of speculation.
“Our position is clear and we would like to avoid this weekend in Malaysia being occupied only with this kind of gossip.”
