Ferrari publicly backs Fred Vasseur amid Christian Horner links

The Ferrari Formula 1 team has publicly thrown its support behind team boss Fred Vasseur, amid intense speculation about his future in the role.

Over the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, Ferrari’s ongoing struggles in the second half the season have piled the pressure on Vasseur.

With reports already emerging of Vasseur potentially being replaced at the end of the year, this speculation was only heightened when Christian Horner told The Times that a return to F1 with Ferrari would be “the dream”.

An angry Vasseur gave a strong response to his future on Saturday in Baku.

“We are fighting for P2 in the championship, and at the end of the day, we are all speaking a lot about this, and even for the guys in the garage, to discuss about this, it's the best discussion that we can have,” he said.

“But it is what it is; it's not in my hands.

“Mr Horner is looking for a job - that, everybody knows - everywhere.

“But what can I do? Just try to do my best to push the team, to raise them to be motivated, focus on what is better today.

“Each interview, 25 times a day, we are coming back to this.”

Ferrari has “made its choices”

Amid the rumours of Vasseur’s position being under threat, Ferrari held a media call on Tuesday in an unusual move to silence these.

"In the recent days, there has been increasing speculation surrounding Scuderia Ferrari HP, and particularly dedicated to its leadership,” Ferrari’s chief communications officer, Maria Conti, said.

“Ferrari's position is clear, has not changed, and Ferrari has made its choices already, and we have full confidence in Fred Vasseur and in his team, and we continue to do so.

“At this time and in this particular moment, it's really important that the team remains united and cohesive, and we are focused all the energy on the work ahead.

"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 really represents.

“So this is why we really want to avoid, and we do not intend to fuel speculation or comment on assumptions 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 about Fred.

“So again, we have confidence in Fred Vasseur and in his team, and we continue to do so. And the position is clear, but not just now. We already confirmed in the past."

Former Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabenne recently told Sky Italy that Horner would bring a "disadvantage" to the Scuderia due to his past successes with Red Bull, which would only heighten expectations.