(Motorsport-Total.com) – As Italy’s “national team” in Formula 1, Ferrari has built a massive and passionate fan base in its 76-year history in the premier class. Monza, for example, would be hard to imagine without the grandstands draped in Rosso Corsa.
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Although Ferrari has not been able to celebrate a world championship title since 2008, support for the team remains unbroken in its Italian heartland. For 2026, new hope is budding in light of the strong performances during pre-season testing. Should the first impressions of the SF-26 be confirmed over the course of the season, the red-clad Tifosi would finally have reason to cheer again.
The downside of expectations
But with hope comes the expectations of millions of fans who thirst for success and want to see Ferrari win. However, this expectation has a downside – especially when it comes to the pressure that the national media exerts on the team.
No other Formula 1 team attracts such partisan interest as Ferrari; there are publications dedicated exclusively to matters in Maranello. Along with this interest come rumors that soon weigh on the employees within the team on a personal level.
Since taking over as Ferrari team principal in 2023, Fred Vasseur has accepted that this pressure is a natural byproduct of his role. He was able to shake off rumors about his own future: speculations from the first half of 2025 that Christian Horner was to replace him were swept off the table with Vasseur’s contract extension. What worries Vasseur instead is the impact of rumors about engineers joining the team on his existing workforce.
Vasseur: “It’s not about me personally”
“It doesn’t affect me personally,” Vasseur explains to the Italian sister site of Motorsport.com. “When I signed my contract with Ferrari, I was aware of the public attention my role would be exposed to. By now, I have the age and experience not to be influenced by rumors outside the team.”
“But you have to remember that we have many people in the team – engineers who are often very young and fully focused on their work. More than once, they have read names in the media of engineers who are supposedly coming to Maranello.”
“I knew exactly that these rumors were groundless, but the people in those positions were worried. And that’s understandable. When the media reports that someone is coming to do exactly your job, then you think your place is in danger.”
Vasseur cites specific examples of the dynamics: “Someone came into my office because his wife had read that he was going to be fired. That’s the kind of dynamic I’m talking about. I repeat: I personally have no problems, but it is unfortunate to see how unnecessary problems arise within the team.”
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“One could argue that anyone working in Formula 1 – especially at Ferrari – must expect this. But it’s human to worry, no matter what job you do or what uniform you wear.”
An old problem: From Ross Brawn to today
This is not a modern development. When Ross Brawn joined Ferrari in 1996, he forbade employees from reading newspapers in the office so they wouldn’t read anything that could shake their self-confidence.
The Ferrari design for 2026
Brawn wanted to create an atmosphere in which Ferrari engineers could experiment freely with new ideas, instead of being inhibited by media attention and playing it safe.
Vasseur also spoke about his own relationship with the Ferrari board around Chairman John Elkann and CEO Benedetto Vigna. He praised the speed with which he can obtain their opinion on the future direction of the team.
Despite some difficult moments in the 2025 season, when Ferrari’s performance did not quite meet expectations (after surprisingly fighting for the constructors’ title in 2024), Vasseur sees the relationship as solid.
“The relationship is good,” the Frenchman continued. “The big advantage at Ferrari is the direct access: if a crucial decision is pending or it’s important to get an opinion on something, I can quickly coordinate with the leadership.”
“This proximity is essential. I know this well because it wasn’t always the case in my previous professional roles. This is not a given, and in Formula 1, speed in decision-making is crucial.”
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