Ferrari fans believe they have now pinpointed exactly what Fred Vasseur’s ‘real issue’ is this season

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Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is contractually secure but will be feeling the pressure from the tifosi right now.

Fred Vasseur signed a new contract earlier this year, extending his three-year stay at Maranello into the next era of Formula 1.

However, Ferrari are about to complete yet another F1 rules cycle without winning a title.

The 2008 constructors’ championship was the last time Ferrari enjoyed that glory, even if their celebrations were tainted by Felipe Massa missing out on a personal title on the last lap of the final race in Brazil.

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were tasked with emulating Massa and Kimi Raikkonen’s achievement from 17 years ago, but this season hasn’t gone to plan.

Fred Vasseur has witnessed Hamilton struggle to adapt after more than a decade at Mercedes, and Leclerc become increasingly frustrated with Ferrari’s difficulties.

Ferrari’s fans have come up with a theory as to why Vasseur is finding it hard to emulate the success of the likes of Jean Todt before him.

They’ve even started to compare him to Mattia Binotto, who was sacked by Ferrari but is doing a good job at Sauber ahead of Audi’s takeover next year.

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

Ferrari fans tell Fred Vasseur that he needs to improve his ‘communication’ within the team

A rumour has recently emerged linking Christian Horner to Ferrari as a potential replacement for Vasseur.

Reflecting on this on social media, one fan remarked: ‘My opinion on Horner: I don’t want someone like that in my team, that’s for sure. As for Fred, he’s not the real problem. Fred is only 5% of the problem. The real and only problem is Elkann and Vigna! I’d rather keep Fred than have Horner in my team.’

In response, another comment read: “How are Elkann and Vigna the real problem? They are part of the bigger problem, but you can’t blame them for everything. Fred was hired to change course but failed. The way Fred is communicating right now, he sounds like Binotto.”

“Prior to 2026, yes, but now Fred 100% is part of the problem; he’s Mattia 2.0,” suggested another response. “Three years of LICO [lift and coast], not fixing but getting worse. Then he gives [a green tick] on a new car with a new suspension with no technical directors and engineers who have sucked up to him for decades.”

One fan wrote: “Fred’s real issue right now is communication. The car was a gamble from the start to try to beat McLaren. 2026 is the real test for Fred; a good baseline car will spook away the current crisis of Ferrari’s management.”

“If you really want the best for Charles, it’s appointing Horner,” explained one Ferrari fan. “Should the 2026 car turn out to be bad, he might as well go the McLaren, Mercedes or Aston Martin, depending on their form in 2026.”

Another comment suggested: “Fred shouldn’t have been appointed in the first place. Ferrari wanted Horner, but the deal fell through in 2022. Let’s be honest, here, if in 2026 the car isn’t competitive, then Fred has to go. I would rather bring in Horner with a long-term vision than keep Fred.”

Finally, Vasseur was told by one fan which team principal he needs to be more like: “My problem with Fred is he has shown time and time again this year a pretty worrying lack of accountability, just look at someone like JV [James Vowles], you can’t go in every weekend saying the car is good when it has been horrendous since the DQs at China.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

How can Fred Vasseur improve his communication with Ferrari fans after tricky 2025 season?

Vasseur is in a difficult position, as arguably no team principal is ever under more pressure than whoever is in charge at Ferrari.

While it’s understandable that fans want Vasseur to take more accountability, the Italian media are rarely forgiving when a Ferrari team principal comes out and explains why things are going wrong.

On top of this, Vasseur has been responsible for some key decisions this year, and some staff within the team might not be happy if their initial lack of confidence in the direction Ferrari were travelling in proved to be correct.

Hamilton and Leclerc are the two people who have to face up to the media the most at Ferrari, and it’s understandable if they’re not always able to give the most appropriate answers possible as soon as they get out of the car.

That’s where Vasseur has to step in and take responsibility when things are going wrong, but also temper expectations to avoid any glimmers of hope being blown out of proportion.