Hamilton backs Vasseur as 'the guy' to lead Ferrari amid Horner replacement rumours

Lewis Hamilton has publicly backed Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, declaring the Frenchman the right leader to drive the Scuderia forward as fresh speculation over his future threatens to destabilise the team.

“Fred has the full backing,” Hamilton said in Kuala Lumpur. “Fred is a fantastic leader. He really is the guy to take this team in the right direction.”

The seven-time world champion also pointed to the broader structure around Vasseur, noting that progress at Ferrari is a collective effort. “There are also people above Fred and it’s not about one person. Fred has led the team. He’s helped make changes in this past year. He’s helped us get to second in the constructors’ championship — that’s a huge step from last year.”

The latest round of rumours was ignited by a recent interview in which former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, speaking to promote his upcoming memoir, was asked what it would take for him to return to Formula 1. Horner said he would not need an ownership stake in only one scenario.

“Would I consider Ferrari? I mean, Ferrari is the biggest brand in Formula 1. It’s the dream. And arguably it’s the sleeping giant of Formula 1,” Horner said.

While Horner stopped short of explicitly positioning himself as a candidate to replace Vasseur, his comments generated significant media attention in Italy and prompted a frustrated response from the Ferrari boss himself. “We are not working in perfect serenity, if that is the question,” Vasseur said. “For me, first, but for everybody on the team, for the media, for 50% of the questions about this, I think it’s a bit of a frustrating situation. Mr Horner is looking for a job — that everybody knows — everywhere.”

This is not the first time Vasseur’s position has come under scrutiny. Just over a year ago, a similar wave of speculation was put to rest when he signed a new contract with the team. Earlier this week, Ferrari issued a statement reaffirming that president John Elkann and CEO Benedetto Vigna remain fully behind their team principal.

Hamilton, who joined Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season, acknowledged the distractions were unwelcome but appeared determined to keep the focus on performance. The Bahrain Grand Prix weekend in Malaysia represents another opportunity for the team to demonstrate the progress Vasseur has overseen since taking charge.