Fred Vasseur makes honest admission about the pressure he’s facing at Ferrari amid exit rumours

Fred Vasseur’s future at Ferrari has been called into question in recent weeks, with rumours swirling around the paddock that he could soon be out of a job.

Ferrari have not had the start to 2025 that many were expecting over the winter. Despite having an incredibly strong line-up with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, the team have found more problems than success with the SF-25.

The Maranello outfit lost second place in the constructors’ championship to Mercedes at the Canadian Grand Prix. Leclerc and Hamilton struggled for performance compared to the Silver Arrows, the McLarens and Max Verstappen as they finished P5 and P6 respectively.

Hamilton has been constantly calling for upgrades as he continues to find difficulty adapting to the SF-25. But Vasseur does not think that is the ‘main problem’ as he tries to find solutions to the team’s woes.

Ferrari fans and the Italian media are beginning to lose patience with the team principal. They have not been happy with the boss’ explanations for their problems, with the Tifosi labelling Vasseur ‘delusional’ for his assessment on their shock Q2 exit at Imola.

Ahead of the Canadian GP, speculations began to mount about the Frenchman’s future, with John Elkann allegedly unsatisfied with his performance. One report claimed that Vasseur has just three races to save his job, having grabbed only three podiums thus far in 2025.

Fred Vasseur admits he ‘always puts a lot of pressure’ on himself at Ferrari

Representing Ferrari brings the most pressure out of any F1 team on the grid, given their iconic history in the sport, but also their lack of success in recent years. The famous red team have not had a drivers’ champion since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.

Vasseur knew full well that he would be under immediate pressure when he joined from Sauber in 2023. Now in his third season, he has admitted that he puts ‘a lot of pressure’ on himself as he ‘always’ strives for success.

He told Fox Sports Argentina reporter Florencia Andersen: “Honestly, this is strange, but I think pressure, for me, is the same…

“I can’t say this because, for sure, you have more external pressure at Ferrari than somewhere else. But the pressure is always the pressure that you are putting on yourself, by yourself.

“And this, honestly, I always put a lot of pressure on myself. It doesn’t matter the job, it doesn’t matter the position, the team.

“I always want to win and I think it’s the same for all the team members. We have probably more pressure from outside but the most important is the pressure that you are putting on yourself.”

READ MORE: Who is Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur? Everything you need to know

What people in the paddock have been saying about Fred Vasseur’s future with Ferrari

Understandably, Vasseur’s future was a topic of debate in the paddock in Montreal, with rumours suggesting that he could soon be sacked. Reports even claimed that Ferrari casually approached Christian Horner to replace the Frenchman as team principal.

Ferrari refused to ‘dignify’ the speculation around Vasseur with a comment. But it is clear that the 57-year-old is under pressure to find some results and Leclerc and Hamilton slip further away from the title picture.

Leclerc thinks Vasseur is doing a ‘fantastic job’, with the Frenchman being a key reason why his teammate joined Ferrari from Mercedes. However, Hamilton does not have the same power as Schumacher to save Vasseur from losing his job; Schumacher threatened to quit if Jean Todt got sacked back in 1996.

‘Everyone’ in the paddock thinks Vasseur’s job is safe despite the rumours surrounding a possible exit. Martin Brundle thinks Ferrari would be ‘nuts’ to sack Vasseur, especially when the team are preparing for the 2026 F1 regulations.