Ferrari held an unscheduled media briefing on 29 September to publicly reaffirm its support for team principal Frédéric Vasseur and his staff. According to F1’s official website, chief communications officer Maria Conti said the team’s position had not changed, management had made its choice, and the current focus remained on car performance.
The latest speculation followed former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner’s comments about Ferrari in an interview with The Times. Horner described Ferrari as an ideal destination. Conti said Ferrari would not continue to comment on hypothetical scenarios and speculation originating outside the company.
Discussing the rumours in Baku on 26 September, Vasseur said roughly half the media questions concerned the subject, making it difficult for the team to focus calmly on racing. He considered the work to secure second place in the constructors’ standings more important than repeatedly discussing personnel rumours. Ferrari currently sits second in the constructors’ standings but has gone five races without a podium.
Conti said the statement was consistent with the positions of Ferrari’s chairman and chief executive. She explained that discussion on social media was continuing to grow, so the team wanted to restate its position before the Sepang race and return the weekend’s attention to racing and car performance.
