Fred Vasseur 'driver protection' crucial after 'taking a beating' at Ferrari

1997 F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve believes Fred Vasseur has an added layer of protection when it comes to his job scrutiny due to his support from the drivers.

Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have asserted on multiple occasions that they believe Vasseur is the right figure to lead the team.

In recent weeks, Vasseur's position has been called into question in some media reports, with former Red Bull boss Christian Horner outlining his dream job of stepping into the role at the helm of Ferrari.

Ferrari has not been able to launch a serious title threat in many years, and Villeneuve insisted the team principal has to take responsibility for that.

"The team principal is never the scapegoat, he's the top of the organisation," Villeneuve told Sky F1.

"When things go well, he looks great. When things don't go well, he's the one who takes the beating."

Ferraru scrutiny 'the price you pay' for joining team

Ferrari is known to have increased pressure on its shoulders due to its status as the sport's most historic and successful team.

Villeneuve insisted that every individual who joins the organisation knows the weight that comes with it.

"Anyone who goes to Ferrari, not only a team principal, knows that's the price to pay," he said.

"It comes with a heavy baggage of you're fantastic when you perform, but two or three bad races, and the world is against you.

"It's been like that forever. It's been like that for other team principals, drivers, engineers, everyone.

"That's just the price to pay for being in the greatest team of all time."

When asked if Vasseur deserves more time, Villeneuve replied: "Did the other ones deserve more time?

"He's had more time than a lot of other ones already. The big difference now is he's protected by the drivers as well, which is a good thing."