As rumours and dark clouds gather around Frederic Vasseur, the embattled Ferrari boss hailed the Le Mans success of his former colleague Robert Kubica.
While Christian Horner has been mentioned, the big candidate to potentially replace Vasseur for 2026 and beyond is Antonello Coletta, whose current responsibility is to lead Ferrari’s successful WEC effort.
“It is normal that Vasseur is under discussion,” La Gazzetta dello Sport’s Luigi Perna insists.
“The name of Coletta, the man of the Ferrari miracle at Le Mans, is being circulated as a replacement, and it is not surprising. (John) Elkann’s confidence in him is at its highest, while Vasseur, whose contract is expiring, is paying for the team’s lack of growth and some questionable internal decisions.”
Kubica, whose career was badly affected by arm injuries sustained whilst rallying in 2011, won the fabled 24 hour endurance race at the weekend at the wheel of a Ferrari hypercar.
Vasseur paid tribute to the 40-year-old Pole.
“I have a close relationship with Robert,” he said. “He was at Alfa Romeo with me for two years and before that in Formula Renault. For me, what he is able to do is incredible.
“I remember when (Kimi) Raikkonen had covid, Robert got into the car at Zandvoort on Saturday morning and in that narrow pitlane he could hardly turn the steering wheel or activate the clutch. He had never driven the car that year, but in that race he fought with (Sebastian) Vettel until the last corner.
“It was incredible. He’s had a hectic career, but thinking back to the determination he put into it makes me really happy with the result he achieved,” Vasseur added.
And amid the current speculative turmoil surrounding his own future at Ferrari, Vasseur floated a theory as to how the WEC arm is managing to thrive.
“I think one of the advantages for the Le Mans team is stability,” he said. “This consistency and the experience of those who run the team are key. This stability is a very good thing.”
As for the unrest in the F1 team, Lewis Hamilton departed Canada saying he was deliberately keeping quiet about what he knows.
“There are things I would like to tell you but I can’t,” said the seven-time world champion. “There are a lot of things going on in the background.
“My aim is to influence the changes in a positive way so that there can be long-term success.”
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