Fred Vasseur Absent from Austrian GP for Personal Reasons

Fred Vasseur, Ferrari team principal, will not be present at Sunday’s Austrian GP — the team announced his departure due to personal reasons. Jerome d’Ambrosio will take his place on the pit wall as deputy team principal.

This absence follows an incident at the Canadian GP — Vasseur criticized Italian media for coverage he felt put excessive pressure on the team. He emphasized the importance of treating team members as people, not mere subjects of news coverage.

“When media reports that Ferrari will recruit someone for a certain position, the person currently holding that position thinks they won’t have a job tomorrow morning. This situation happens daily in Italy and it’s too much,” Vasseur stated in Montreal.

Ferrari showed positive performance in Austrian qualifying — Charles Leclerc secured second position, while Lewis Hamilton will start from fourth. The team has not provided further explanation regarding Vasseur’s absence, whose contract expires at the end of this season.