Fred Vasseur shares the ‘very clear’ internal message he got from Ferrari amid Christian Horner links

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Fred Vasseur’s future was put into doubt in recent weeks as Ferrari were heavily linked with signing Christian Horner.

The former Red Bull boss is searching for his next team in F1, with Horner able to return in 2026 after a period of gardening leave. Several teams have already been linked with the 51-year-old, with it even being suggested that Horner could set up his own team.

Ferrari have been linked with Horner, despite no official talks taking place between the two parties. The rumours came amid the Maranello outfit’s disappointing results in 2025 and a supposed lack of confidence in team principal Vasseur.

Vasseur dealt a psychological blow to Ferrari staff by halting development of the SF-25 mid-season. He has focused his attention on the 2026 F1 regulations after this year’s upgrades have failed to bring improvements to the car.

The Maranello outfit are still without a win in 2025, with Vasseur facing pressure to deliver results. Horner’s links will not help matters, but it seems that the Frenchman has confidence from Ferrari’s top figures.

Ferrari president John Elkann sent a ‘very clear’ internal message to Fred Vasseur amid Christian Horner links

Vasseur has been infuriated by Horner’s links to Ferrari, viewing them as a distraction. As things stand, they are merely speculation, and the former Red Bull boss has also seen issues with a potential move.

Horner not speaking Italian is an ‘obvious’ problem that he is aware of. Furthermore, Ferrari are unlikely to sell a share to the 51-year-old, which he intends to have with his next team alongside an ownership role.

Vasseur signed a new contract with Ferrari back in July, with president John Elkann giving the Frenchman full confidence in a recent press conference. Speaking via Sky Italia after the United States Grand Prix, Vasseur says the message from the team about his future is ‘very clear’.

“I think the situation is clear, it was clear internally,” he said. “Sometimes it’s difficult to manage, even to calm the team down, because it’s a kind of distraction, but I think the President’s message has been very clear now and we need to focus on the next five races to finish second.”

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

Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna lauds the team’s atmosphere at the United States Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc finished third for Ferrari at COTA, marking their first podium since Spa. Lewis Hamilton’s P4 capped off a solid weekend for the team as they battle Mercedes and Red Bull for second in the standings.

With Elkann reiterating his confidence in Vasseur, Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna lauded the team’s united atmosphere in Austin.

He told Sky Sport Italy: “A podium that was needed, because when a team works together and cohesively, the podium becomes the crowning achievement.

I’m very happy and satisfied with the atmosphere. The beauty of F1 is that things change and you must never lose heart. The team has shown that if they work together and continue to believe, important results can be achieved.”