Ferrari boss hits back at Italian media spreading rumours: ‘Too much is too much'
The Ferrari team principal wonders if the big-screen audition might help him land a second career in acting, since so many Italian newspapers are calling for his ousting.
'I'm looking for a new job,' he said, filling a news conference room with laughter Friday at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Multiple reports suggest Vasseur's future is under threat at Ferrari as top-tier drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc fall short of race wins so far this season.
Some outlets have also written that Leclerc might take his talents to another garage. And speculation that the 40-year-old Hamilton might retire is routine — even though he's only just joined Ferrari on a multi-year contract.
'I have to stay calm, because I will have to finish at the stewards,' Vasseur said, hoping not to get fined. 'It's some Italian media, it's not all Italian media.
'I don't understand the target. Perhaps it's to give (crap) 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.'
Vasseur joined Ferrari in 2023 and came 17 points shy of securing its first constructors' championship since 2008 last year.
The prestigious Italian outfit — with a record 16 titles — is on a quest to return to its past dominance and had expectations of competing for a championship this season.
Ferrari, however, trails McLaren by 197 points despite ranking second in the constructors' standings heading into Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix — the 10th stop of the 24-race circuit. For reference, a driver earns 25 points for one win.
Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, joined Ferrari in a highly anticipated move last winter but has yet to reach the podium in red.
He and Leclerc — who has reached three podiums — rank sixth and fifth, respectively, in the drivers' championship.
Despite his relatively slow start with Ferrari, Hamilton came to the defence of his boss Thursday.
'I do believe Fred is the person to take us to the top,' he said. 'To me, it's all nonsense what people have written.'
'And also, to everyone writing stories of me considering not racing — I literally only just started here with Ferrari. I'm here for several years, and I'm here for the long haul,' he later added. 'There's zero doubts. Please stop making stuff up.'
As for the Leclerc rumours, the Monégasque driver was shocked to hear them. Leclerc is racing in his seventh season with Ferrari and under a long-term contract.
'I have no idea where it's coming from,' Leclerc said. 'I've never said anything of this in the last few races. If anything, I keep saying how much I love the team and how much I want to bring back Ferrari to the top.'
Added Vasseur: 'Each single interview from the beginning of the season, he is telling that he wants to stay with Ferrari, he wants to win with Ferrari, his future is with Ferrari. But every single Monday we have an article telling that, 'Ah, Charles will go next year.''
Even former Ferrari pilot Carlos Sainz Jr., who Hamilton replaced as Leclerc's teammate, chimed in.
'The moment that the results don't click in Ferrari, there's always finger-pointing by the media, and all this chaos happening,' said Sainz, who now races for Williams.
Leclerc finished third last time out at the Spanish Grand Prix, while Hamilton placed sixth.
Hamilton said both drivers had issues 'hindering us massively' midway through the race, calling it 'the worst-feeling car I'd ever had.'
Ferrari has apparently solved the issue heading into the Canadian Grand Prix, although Friday's first free practice was far from ideal.
Leclerc crashed his front left wheel into the wall at Turn 4 less than 10 minutes into the session. He needed a new chassis and missed the second free practice.
'None of us is satisfied with how it's going at the moment, that's clear. We came into the season thinking that we had chances to challenge McLaren and Red Bull in order to win the championship,' Leclerc said Thursday. 'If we compare ourselves to our other competitors, apart from McLaren, it's not like we are having a shocking season.
Winnipeg Jets Game Days
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.
'We just need to find ourselves as well, just like Mercedes, just like Red Bull, needs to find the outstanding thing that McLaren have found.'
Mercedes' George Russell posted the fastest lap in the second free practice at one minute 12.123 seconds, followed by McLaren's Lando Norris (1:12.151) and Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli (1:12.411).
Hamilton drove around Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 1:12.653 — the eighth fastest time — on a sunny, 19 C day in Montreal.
Another session takes place Saturday afternoon before qualifying.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2025.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Canada News.Net
7 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Jasmine Paolini, Leylah Fernandez bow out in Montreal
(Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images) Aoi Ito of Japan completed a stunning comeback to eliminate Italian No. 7 seed Jasmine Paolini, and hometown favorite Leylah Fernandez also experienced an early exit from the Omnium Banque Nationale on Tuesday in Montreal. Ito, ranked No. 110 in the world, was down a set and a break before charging back to upset Paolini 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5) in second-round action. Ito trailed 4-1 in the second set before coming back to tie the score; she saved one match point in the 10th game on her way to forcing the third set. Ito controlled most of the third set before Paolini forced the tiebreaker. The Italian held several one-point leads in the back-and-forth tiebreaker but Ito came back from down 5-4 to record the final three points of the match. Ito, 21, had not won a tour-level match all season until beating Katie Volynets in the first round Sunday. That made it even more shocking that she could oust Paolini, who already has two WTA 1000 titles under her belt this year in Qatar and Italy. Ito won despite committing 11 double faults. She converted 7 of 10 break points against Paolini while saving 11 of the 19 break points she faced. As for Fernandez, she never held a lead in a 6-4, 6-1 first-round defeat to Australian Maya Joint. Fernandez had beaten Joint in the first round of last week's WTA 500 event in Washington, D.C., where the Canadian went on to capture the biggest title of her career. It was not a banner day for the Canadian contingent. No. 8 seed Emma Navarro breezed past Canada's Rebecca Marino 6-1, 6-2 in 63 minutes. Bianca Andreescu, meanwhile, withdrew due to a foot injury, allowing a walkover for fourth seed Mirra Andreeva of Russia. The Ontario native was the 2019 Canadian Open and U.S. Open champion. In another first-round match, Caty McNally battled past fellow American Alycia Parks 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7). McNally fell behind 3-0 in the third-set tiebreaker and saved two match points before she pulled in front. Other Round of 64 winners Tuesday included No. 15 seed Daria Kasatkina of Australia; No. 24 Marta Kostyuk and No. 30 Dayana Yastremska, both of Ukraine; Russians Anna Kalinskaya and Veronika Kudermetova; Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro; and Romania's Jaqueline Cristian. Six matches had yet to be completed, including No. 1 seed Coco Gauff's tournament opener against countrywoman Danielle Collins.
Canada News.Net
7 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Coco Gauff overcomes 23 double faults to win in Montreal
(Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images) Top-seeded Coco Gauff survived an error-laden second-round test from Danielle Collins, prevailing 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (2) in an all-U.S. matchup at the Omnium Banque Nationale on Tuesday in Montreal. Gauff, who won the French Open last month for her second Grand Slam title, overcame a whopping 23 double faults. She served only three aces, though one came on her match point in the third-set tiebreaker. Collins' success ratio in that category wasn't much better, as she had two aces and 13 double faults. Both players converted nine of their 16 break-point opportunities. 'I was practicing well and I don't think I transferred it today, but hopefully I got my bad match of the tournament out of the way,' Gauff said. Regarding her double-fault total and her 74 unforced errors, Gauff said, 'Maybe if I cut that in half, it would be a quicker match for me. ... Danielle is a great ball-striker, and for me to break her as many times as I did, there's definitely some positives to take from today.' Gauff advances to a third-round match against Russia's Veronika Kudermetova, who topped 29th-seeded Olga Danilovic of Serbia 6-4, 6-2. Earlier Tuesday, Aoi Ito of Japan completed a stunning comeback to eliminate Italian No. 7 seed Jasmine Paolini, and hometown favorite Leylah Fernandez also experienced an early exit. Ito, ranked No. 110 in the world, was down a set and a break before charging back to upset Paolini 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5) in second-round action. Ito trailed 4-1 in the second set before coming back to tie the score; she saved one match point in the 10th game on her way to forcing the third set. Ito controlled most of the third set before Paolini forced the tiebreaker. The Italian held several one-point leads in the back-and-forth tiebreaker but Ito came back from down 5-4 to record the final three points of the match. Ito, 21, had not won a tour-level match all season until beating Katie Volynets in the first round Sunday. That made it even more shocking that she could oust Paolini, who already has two WTA 1000 titles under her belt this year in Qatar and Italy. Ito won despite committing 11 double faults. She converted 7 of 10 break points against Paolini while saving 11 of the 19 break points she faced. As for Fernandez, she never held a lead in a 6-4, 6-1 first-round defeat to Australian Maya Joint. Fernandez had beaten Joint in the first round of last week's WTA 500 event in Washington, D.C., where the Canadian went on to capture the biggest title of her career. It was not a banner day for the Canadian contingent. No. 8 seed Emma Navarro breezed past Canada's Rebecca Marino 6-1, 6-2 in 63 minutes. Bianca Andreescu, meanwhile, withdrew due to a foot injury, allowing a walkover for fourth seed Mirra Andreeva of Russia. The Ontario native was the 2019 Canadian Open and U.S. Open champion. In another first-round match, Caty McNally battled past fellow American Alycia Parks 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7). McNally fell behind 3-0 in the third-set tiebreaker and saved two match points before she pulled in front. Other Round of 64 winners included No. 9 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan; No. 15 Daria Kasatkina of Australia; No. 24 Marta Kostyuk and No. 30 Dayana Yastremska, both of Ukraine; Russia's Anna Kalinskaya; Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro; Romania's Jaqueline Cristian; the Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova; China's Lin Zhu; and the Netherlands' Suzan Lamens. In the last match of the night, Canada's Victoria Mboko upset 23rd-seeded Sofia Kenin of the United States 6-2, 6-3.
Canada News.Net
7 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Coco Gauff earns double-fault-filled win in Montreal
(Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images) Top-seeded Coco Gauff survived a stiff second-round test from Danielle Collins, prevailing 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (2) in an all-U.S. matchup at the Omnium Banque Nationale on Tuesday in Montreal. Gauff, who won the French Open last month for her second Grand Slam title, overcame a whopping 23 double faults. She served only three aces, though one came on her match point in the third-set tiebreaker. Collins' success ratio in that category wasn't much better, as she had two aces and 13 double faults. Both players converted nine of their 16 break-point opportunities. Gauff advances to a third-round match against Russia's Veronika Kudermetova, who topped 29th-seeded Olga Danilovic of Serbia 6-4, 6-2. Earlier Tuesday, Aoi Ito of Japan completed a stunning comeback to eliminate Italian No. 7 seed Jasmine Paolini, and hometown favorite Leylah Fernandez also experienced an early exit. Ito, ranked No. 110 in the world, was down a set and a break before charging back to upset Paolini 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5) in second-round action. Ito trailed 4-1 in the second set before coming back to tie the score; she saved one match point in the 10th game on her way to forcing the third set. Ito controlled most of the third set before Paolini forced the tiebreaker. The Italian held several one-point leads in the back-and-forth tiebreaker but Ito came back from down 5-4 to record the final three points of the match. Ito, 21, had not won a tour-level match all season until beating Katie Volynets in the first round Sunday. That made it even more shocking that she could oust Paolini, who already has two WTA 1000 titles under her belt this year in Qatar and Italy. Ito won despite committing 11 double faults. She converted 7 of 10 break points against Paolini while saving 11 of the 19 break points she faced. As for Fernandez, she never held a lead in a 6-4, 6-1 first-round defeat to Australian Maya Joint. Fernandez had beaten Joint in the first round of last week's WTA 500 event in Washington, D.C., where the Canadian went on to capture the biggest title of her career. It was not a banner day for the Canadian contingent. No. 8 seed Emma Navarro breezed past Canada's Rebecca Marino 6-1, 6-2 in 63 minutes. Bianca Andreescu, meanwhile, withdrew due to a foot injury, allowing a walkover for fourth seed Mirra Andreeva of Russia. The Ontario native was the 2019 Canadian Open and U.S. Open champion. In another first-round match, Caty McNally battled past fellow American Alycia Parks 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7). McNally fell behind 3-0 in the third-set tiebreaker and saved two match points before she pulled in front. Other Round of 64 winners included No. 9 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan; No. 15 Daria Kasatkina of Australia; No. 24 Marta Kostyuk and No. 30 Dayana Yastremska, both of Ukraine; Russia's Anna Kalinskaya; Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro; Romania's Jaqueline Cristian; the Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova; China's Lin Zhu; and the Netherlands' Suzan Lamens.
