Nico Rosberg reveals Fred Vasseur's kids were texting him about Ferrari firing rumors

Former Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg has shared that Fred Vasseur's kids texted the Ferrari team principal after rumors around his exit surfaced earlier this week. Rosberg stated that the Frenchman's children were concerned about the speculation, which is a hurtful thing for the family.

Before the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix kicked off, Italian media reported that Vasseur could be sacked from his role of team principal by Ferrari at the end of the year. Apparently, the team's senior management is dissatisfied with the underwhelming results unfolding under Vasseur's leadership.

Moreover, his hesitancy to address technical flaws and conduct business as usual is reportedly being criticized by the hierarchy.

Meanwhile, during the FP3 session of the Canadian GP held at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal on June 14, 2025, former world champion Nico Rosberg shared his take on the incident.

As part of the Sky Sports panel, Rosberg revealed that Fred Vasseur's kids were also affected by headlines around the team principal's future at Ferrari. The kids apparently sent text messages to their father to comprehend the situation.

"It's horrible. You look at the biggest newspaper in Italy, and its headline is 'Vasseur is about to get kicked out,' and then 'Horner' in a question mark. It's tough. They'll read it, and the whole vibe in the team is just painful. Also for him, it's a lot of suffering," Rosberg said.

"Sometimes it's difficult from the outside to see it. Vasseur's children are writing him WhatsApps like, 'Hey, is it true? What's happening?' It hurts. It's a lot because he's doing the best he can. He's a great team leader essentially. Great qualities, great skills. But it's not easy to turn a Ferrari culture around in very little time," he added.

Vassuer and Rosberg go way back, as the former was the latter's team boss during his GP2 days at ART Grand Prix. The German driver has a close relationship with the French motorsport executive.

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Fred Vasseur slams media for spreading rumors about his future

Fred Vasseur at F1 Grand Prix of Qatar - Sprint & Qualifying - Source: Getty

Meanwhile, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur also didn't take the incident lightly. Responding to the speculation around his future with Ferrari, he accused Italian media of being disrespectful. He added that the headlines surrounding his future leave a wave of uncertainty in the team back in the Maranello factory.

While as team principal, he is immune to criticism and rumors; his team does not deserve to be treated with this speculation, he feels. Talking to media in Montreal, Vasseur said (via Formula 1):

“It’s not about myself, I think, because this I can manage. It’s more about the people of the team. To throw their name like this, I think it’s just disrespectful—for them, for their family. I don’t know the target. Perhaps it’s to give s**t to the team, but in this case, I don’t see the point. Perhaps it’s for them the only way to exist. This is probably more the reason. But it’s really hurting the team."

Fred Vasseur added that such rumors can shift the focus of the team away from the goal, which can hurt their run on the track.