Fred Vasseur issues response following Ferrari statement on Christian Horner links

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has issued a response following a statement from group CEO John Elkann following links to Christian Horner.

Prior to the United States GP weekend, Horner's name was heavily linked with a  move to Ferrari, which has underperformed its pre-season expectations of challenging for the world championship.

Prior to the Austin weekend in which Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished the grand prx in third and fourth, chairman Elkann said that: “I want to express our full confidence in our Team Principal, Fred Vasseur, and in the work he is carrying out together with all our colleagues at Scuderia Ferrari — the mechanics, engineers, and drivers competing this weekend in Austin.

“I also want to reaffirm the importance of teamwork by everyone to maintain focus on the only goal that matters: always giving our very best on the track.

"Ferrari is currently enduring a period of title drought, having last tasted championship success in 2008 when it last placed its hands on the constructors' trophy."

After the race, Vasseur offered his reaction. 

"I think for everybody, it is good to have this kind of message, but as we are in permanent contact, we already had the message," he told media, including RacingNews365.

"It was more for third parties and external targets, so you stop the discussion and focus on the next [topic] and not have to reply to all the questions."