Ralf Schumacher makes his feelings crystal clear about Fred Vasseur being potentially dropped from Ferrari

Ralf Schumacher has dismissed speculation that Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur is at risk of losing his job. Speaking on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, the former F1 driver called the rumours circulating in the Italian media unfounded and supported Ferrari’s official denial of any internal pressure on Vasseur.

Schumacher argued that other aspects within the Ferrari organisation require attention and improvement, rather than focusing on the leadership. He added that if the position were hypothetically open, his personal choice would be Andreas Seidl. However, he acknowledged that even a figure like the former McLaren team principal would need the right team structure to succeed.

Talking on the podcast about rumours swirling around Ferrari and Vasseur, Schumacher said:

“There are rumours that Fred Vasseur is the one putting on the brakes, but that’s not true. In fact, many things are not carried out as they should be, despite being requested.”

He added:

“If I had to choose today, I would take Andreas Seidl. But Andreas Seidl can’t do it alone. He needs structure around him.”

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Frederic Vasseur dismissed speculation about his future at Ferrari

Frédéric Vasseur has dismissed speculation surrounding his future at Ferrari, addressing the rumours in the media after the Canadian Grand Prix. The Frenchman stated that the criticism directed at the team and its personnel was unwarranted and increasingly detrimental to the internal atmosphere. He expressed concern that the ongoing negative narrative was beginning to impact the mindset of team members.

Speaking to the media in Montreal, Vasseur firmly refused to entertain or validate any rumours, urging for focus and calm within the organisation. Addressing the negative narrative surrounding Ferrari and his future at the team, Vasseur said (via PlanetF1):

“To close this chapter, because I don’t want to put oil on the system, for myself, when I signed at Ferrari, I was perfectly aware of this, and I can’t blame someone except myself, that if I didn’t want to have this kind of story, it was better to stay out. But it’s very, very harsh for the team, for the 1500 people, to have your name spread like this on the press, ‘Okay, you have to change this one’, because it’s not that, just a name or a position, it’s someone with a family will have saw that. And now, each Monday, I have people coming in my office, ‘Is it true?’ ‘No, it’s not true. Stay calm’.”

Ferrari currently sit third in the Constructors’ championship with 183 points, trailing Mercedes by 16 points and championship leaders McLaren by a significant 191-point margin. In contrast to their stronger showing in 2024, where the Maranello squad claimed two victories and multiple podiums in the first ten races, the 2025 season has yielded just a single sprint win and two podium finishes so far.

With performance concerns mounting, Ferrari are in a race against time to reverse their fortunes. An upgrade package is expected to be introduced at the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix, as the team looks to close the gap to its rivals and reignite its campaign.