Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has backed Fred Vasseur’s contract extension with Ferrari.
The Frenchman was at the centre of rumours indicating he was on the way out at Ferrari during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, which he firmly denied at the time. The Maranello outfit formally announced a multi-year contract extension for Vasseur on 31 July, officially putting the speculation to bed.
Steiner insisted that the team needed Vasseur to remain in his position to keep stability.
“I gave you my opinion that for Ferrari the best is if Fred stays,” Steiner explained during The Red Flags Podcast.
“That’s the best for Ferrari at the moment. And it’s not because he’s a friend, it’s because I think it needs stability. If they change again, then the next guy has got an excuse for two years, and oh and then we change him again. Give at least until the end of next year to Fred.
“If they are not where they want to be and I don’t know where they want to be – obviously, I know where they want to be, they want to be world champion, but only one can be world champion. But even in the moment, they are second. What do you expect from Fred? I mean, he’s not a magician, he needs time, and I think they’re doing pretty good except for a few problems like everybody has got, and Lewis [Hamilton] is not performing.
Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal, Ferrari
Photo by: Mark Thompson – Getty Images
“But if you think Lewis is not performing as it was expected, they are still second in the world championship in a very solid position. So in the end, McLaren is just better this year. What can you do? I mean, it’s a competition. So I think it’s the right decision to keep him there.”
Vasseur joined Ferrari at the start of 2023. The team closely followed McLaren in the constructors’ championship in 2024, losing out on the title by just 14 points. Vasseur was also instrumental in signing seven-time champion Hamilton to the team at the beginning of 2025, although the British driver is taking time to adjust.
Ferrari currently sits second in the standings, 299 points behind McLaren and 24 points ahead of Mercedes.
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