Fred Vasseur receives backing after Ferrari axe rumours

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has been backed by former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone to turn the Italian outfit around, following rumours that he could be set for the exit door. Vasseur shut down rumours from Italian media surrounding a potential firing from Ferrari ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, whilst Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton jumped to his defence.  The Frenchman has led Ferrari since replacing Mattia Binotto from the start of the 2023 season, having made the switch from Sauber.  He is the Maranello-based team's fifth different boss in the last decade, with Ecclestone having criticised the strategy of Ferrari's hierachy.  "I hope he gets the job done because it’s wrong to keep switching one guy out and another guy because the guy who comes in, he’s not going to be happy with the guy, what he’s been doing, the one that’s leaving," Ecclestone told Sky F1 . "They want to change things, that’s the problem with changing people a little bit at the top." In Ecclestone's eyes, Ferrari needs one true leader to steer the ship, and has called for it to re-hire Luca di Montezemolo – McLaren's newest director. "I think the problem there is what happened when we changed everything. All the people that are there are in charge, but there was nobody in charge, except everyone," Ecclestone said. "And I think it’s all sort of gone back a little bit that way. It needs one guy, really and truly, there to say, this is how it’s going to be. "It’s finding the one guy; they should get Luca back!"