Fred Vasseur has ‘strictly forbidden’ Ferrari staff from using one word this season

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Charles Leclerc’s victory at the British Grand Prix has led Fred Vasseur to ban his engineers from using one specific word this season, according to a report from Italy.

After months of racing in the shadow of his high-flying teammate, Charles Leclerc finally had something to smile about following his taking of the chequered flag at Silverstone on Sunday.

Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli looked to threaten the Monegasque during his final stint, but luck seemed to be on Leclerc’s side as the young Italian ended up outside of the top 10 after picking up some damage and forcing the stewards to apply a five-second time penalty.

The victory marked Ferrari’s second trip to the top step of the podium this year, and their ability to capitalise on Mercedes’ reliability woes now has the Tifosi’s tongues wagging as they hope to see their beloved Scuderia secure a first F1 title since 2008.

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Fred Vasseur has ‘strictly forbidden’ Ferrari staff from talking about the championship

Despite Mercedes hogging the top spot of both championships at this moment in time, the drivers’ title remains wide open following Antonelli’s issues at Silverstone.

Ferrari currently sit 78 points adrift of the Silver Arrows in the constructors’ standings, while Lewis Hamilton finds himself just 32 points away from Antonelli’s benchmark in the drivers’ standings after nine rounds of racing.

However, team principal Fred Vasseur wants full focus from his team. According to a report by La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Frenchman reiterated ‘several times’ after Leclerc’s win that he does not want to answer any questions referring to the championship landscape.

During one particular media scrum, Vasseur bluntly replied to one journalist’s line of questioning about the championship with: “Are you deaf? I said we don’t use that word.”

Feet are firmly on the ground at Maranello, with Vasseur adding, “We know what we need to do to keep improving, and the deficit to Mercedes won’t magically disappear overnight.

“When we return to the factory, we’ll have exactly the same approach; we’ll tell the guys that we just need to focus on next weekend.”

Ahead of the start of the current campaign, it was widely reported that Vasseur’s position at Ferrari hinges on the team’s success this year. Anything less than a title and he is vulnerable to the chopping block.

2027 will mark the 20th anniversary of the Scuderia’s last feat in the drivers’ championship – a drought that has gone on far too long in the eyes of their beloved Tifosi.