Ferrari Boss Vasseur Slams Media Amid Exit Rumors
FERRARI TEAM chief Fred Vasseur on Friday launched a scathing attack on Italian media amid speculation that threatens to undermine him and stability at the scarlet Scuderia.
Speaking between practices and as Ferrari confirmed that Charles Leclerc would be unable to take part in the second session after crashing in the first free practice, Vasseur made clear his feelings on stories that claim his future is in doubt.
Speaking at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve where Ferrari have a been a focus of attention ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix after a disappointing start to the season, Vasseur was defiant.
'First, I have to stay calm because I will have to talk to the stewards,' he said. 'It's some Italian media. It's not all Italian media. And 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 the family.'
He added: 'It's really hurting the team. At one stage, it's a lack of focus. When you are fighting for the championship, every single detail makes a difference.'
Vasseur agreed that as Ferrari team principal he knew he would be exposed to scrutiny.
'I knew when I joined, when I took the position, that you are exposed, this I think it's quite easy to manage, but for me it's more for the people of the team.
'They are working very hard -- to decide one day that this one will be replaced, this one will be replaced, this one is useless.
'Honestly, it's very, very harsh because these journalists -- and I'm not putting everybody in the same basket -- they have to consider that these people, they have family.
'They have wives, they have kids, and this is completely unrespectful. Now, I don't want to speak any more about this stupid (subject).'
Vasseur's outburst followed a similar reaction from seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton on Thursday, when the British driver gave his complete backing to Vasseur and Ferrari, and came only minutes after Red Bull team boss Christian Horner had quashed rumours he was moving to Ferrari.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Horner said: 'There are so many rumours, but I'm not going anywhere. I'm fully committed to Red Bull. We've got so much good stuff coming through the pipeline. We're on the verge of launching our own engine for 2026 which has been a massive project and undertaking.
'Of course, it's always flattering to be associated with other teams, particularly teams like Ferrari, but I'm not going anywhere, not even to Alpine!'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
Derek Warwick suspended as F1 Steward for media remarks
FORMULA One's governing body suspended former racer Derek Warwick as Canadian Grand Prix steward on Friday for unauthorised media comments about current drivers. The FIA did not specify what the 70-year-old Briton, who raced from 1981 to 1993, had said but media reports said Warwick had been quoted by a betting platform talking about the Spanish Grand Prix. Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen was handed three penalty points in Spain for a collision on June 1 with Mercedes George Russell, a sanction that left the Dutch driver one point away from a ban. 'Following recent unauthorised media comments, the FIA has taken the decision to suspend Derek Warwick from his duties as driver steward for this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix,' the governing body said in a statement. 'He will be replaced by Enrique Bernoldi who will be officiating from the remote operations centre in Geneva for the remainder of the event. 'After discussion Derek acknowledges that his comments were ill-advised in his role as an FIA steward and has apologised. Derek will resume his duties as a steward in the forthcoming Austrian Grand Prix.' Warwick is the second steward to be dropped this year for unauthorised comments, with compatriot Johnny Herbert suffering that fate in January because his work as a media pundit was declared incompatible with the role.
The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
Former F1 racer Warwick suspended as Canadian GP steward
FORMULA One's governing body suspended former racer Derek Warwick as Canadian Grand Prix steward on Friday for unauthorised media comments about current drivers. The FIA did not specify what the 70-year-old Briton, who raced from 1981 to 1993, had said but media reports said Warwick had been quoted by a betting platform talking about the Spanish Grand Prix. Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen was handed three penalty points in Spain for a collision on June 1 with Mercedes George Russell, a sanction that left the Dutch driver one point away from a ban. 'Following recent unauthorised media comments, the FIA has taken the decision to suspend Derek Warwick from his duties as driver steward for this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix,' the governing body said in a statement. 'He will be replaced by Enrique Bernoldi who will be officiating from the remote operations centre in Geneva for the remainder of the event. 'After discussion Derek acknowledges that his comments were ill-advised in his role as an FIA steward and has apologised. Derek will resume his duties as a steward in the forthcoming Austrian Grand Prix.' Warwick is the second steward to be dropped this year for unauthorised comments, with compatriot Johnny Herbert suffering that fate in January because his work as a media pundit was declared incompatible with the role.
Malay Mail
7 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Sir David at last: Knighthood cements Beckham's £500m brand
LONDON, June 14 — David Beckham's knighthood is the culmination of years of tireless efforts to transcend football and turn himself into a global icon at the 'intersection of sport, fashion and business.' He had long dreamed of becoming a sir and King Charles III made it a reality when he announced his birthday's honours list on Friday, marking the end of a decades-long journey travelled with his Spice Girl wife Victoria, creator of the eponymous fashion brand. The honour, one of the highest bestowed by the UK state, 'is a powerful symbolic marker', Marie Agnes Parmentier, professor of marketing at the University of Montreal and author of several papers on 'Posh and Becks', explained to AFP. It 'reinforces his image as a respectable, committed, and, first and foremost, British man,' she added. The knighthood could present new opportunities for the 50-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid player, 'particularly in diplomatic, charitable or political spheres', said Parmentier. The former free-kick ace, from a modest East London background, diversified his career after retiring from football in 2013, but success was the result of planning long before he hung up his boots. 'I knew my career was going to end at some point and I wanted to have a career after football,' he said in the documentary series Beckham, which aired on Netflix in 2023. Pioneer At the height of his football career, Beckham was signing deals with top clothing and beauty brands, building an audience that cut across gender, age and nationality — becoming the first England player to crack the US market. The successful brand was built on his always immaculate appearance and nearly-always exemplary off-field behaviour, coupled with an unwavering drive to become a pioneer. This required a certain amount of courage, given that English football in the 1990s was generally the preserve of no-nonsense lads more interested in the pub than the catwalk. His appearance in a sarong during the 1998 World Cup, revelations that he used make-up, and his eccentric hairstyles were all feverishly gobbled up by the UK's tabloid press. Beckham is still capitalising on the fascination, almost 30 years later. He unveiled his first collection for Hugo Boss in April, is the founder of the Inter Miami football club and the 'Studio 99' production company, and has been a Unicef ambassador for 20 years. He is now best known not for football, 'but for being Beckham, the brand', said sociologist Ellis Cashmore. It is a brand worth £500 million (RM2.9 billion), according to The Times newspaper's 2025 ranking. From outcast to hero The Netflix show exposed the couple to an emerging younger audience, cementing their fame for the foreseeable future. Beckham 'embodies a celebrity at the intersection of sport, fashion, entertainment and business,' explained Parmentier. The couple's enduring visibility 'is based on a sophisticated media strategy and an ability to embody universal values such as work, family and style,' she added. But it has been a long and bumpy road, Cashmore pointed out. In 1998, Beckham was called the most hated man in England after he petulantly kicked out at Argentina's Diego Simeone during their World Cup round of 16 game. Beckham was harshly sent off and England lost to their bitter rivals in a penalty shoot-out. Those who had bitten their tongue about his off-field flamboyance gave full vent to their feelings. National headlines the next day included '10 Heroic Lions, One Stupid Boy' (Daily Mirror) and 'You're Just A Joke Becks' (Daily Mail). Months of 'hell' followed, with death threats, spitting and boos accompanying Beckham wherever he went. 'Wherever I went I got abused, every single day,' he said. 'I find it hard to talk through what I went through because it was so extreme. The whole country hated me.' But the ordeal only sharpened Beckham's focus. A year later, he finished second in the Ballon d'Or as he helped Manchester United claim an unprecedented treble, winning the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup. It was often said that Beckham's career seemed to be scripted by a movie writer, never more so than when the fallen idol took his revenge by scoring the winning goal against perennial rivals Argentina in the 2002 World Cup, redeeming his national hero status. The royal family were quick to embrace him, inviting Beckham to the weddings of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011 and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. Previous rumours of an impending knighthood came to nothing, but his star once again rose in 2022 after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. While other celebrities came under fire for skipping the queue to view her coffin, Beckham lined up with members of the public for almost 12 hours to pay his respects. Since then, it has seemed that 'Sir David' was only a matter of time in coming. — AFP
