Fred Vasseur is dominating the headlines in Formula 1 paddock as Ferrari faces a sudden leadership shake-up just hours before the Austrian GP.
Team principal Fred Vasseur has left the Red Bull Ring and returned home for personal reasons, with deputy team principal Jerome d’Ambrosio now leading the Scuderia for the critical Austrian GP race.
Ferrari released a statement confirming the move, telling media: “Fred will not be at the track today, because he has had to return home for personal reasons. Deputy Team Principal, Jerome d’Ambrosio will stand in for him.” No further explanation has been provided for Vasseur’s absence, which comes at a pivotal moment in the 2025 Formula 1 season.
This unexpected news follows a turbulent few weeks for the Italian squad, with pressure mounting from both the media and the championship standings. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton delivered a strong qualifying performance, lining up second and fourth on the grid respectively, giving the team hope for a turnaround after a rocky start to the year.
Jerome d’Ambrosio’s promotion and Ferrari’s response to pressure
Jerome d’Ambrosio brings valuable racing and management experience as he assumes the top pitwall role for Ferrari. While this is a temporary step-up, the circumstances are far from routine.
The shake-up comes as Vasseur has faced intense scrutiny from Italian outlets such as Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere della Sera over staff performance and recent engineering hires like Loic Serra from Mercedes.
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During the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, Vasseur hit back at speculation about changes inside Ferrari, insisting: “You have to understand that when a journalist is saying that Ferrari will recruit this name for this position, there is someone within this position and on the Sunday evening the guy says ‘OK, tomorrow morning I won’t have a job anymore if what’s in the newspaper is true, I will have someone in my position’.”
Vasseur continued, “We are in this situation on a daily basis now in Italy and it is too much. If they want to be successful, we have to be able to work in a clean environment and we are not in this situation.”
The tension is compounded by Vasseur’s contract reportedly expiring at the end of the season, adding extra uncertainty at a time when stability is badly needed.
Ferrari aims to stay competitive in Vasseur’s absence
With the Austrian Grand Prix well underway, the absence of Fred Vasseur puts added responsibility on d’Ambrosio as he works to convert a promising qualifying into valuable championship points. The team’s morale and performance are in the spotlight, especially as they look to close the gap to rivals McLaren.
Ferrari fans will be watching closely to see how the team adapts to this late leadership change, hoping that the Scuderia’s strong start to the weekend can be sustained all the way to the chequered flag.
