Toto Wolff has stated it would have been "really stupid" for Ferrari to have done anything other than extend the contract of team principal Fred Vasseur.
The Maranello-based squad penned the Frenchman to a multi-year extension to his existing deal between the Belgian and Hungarian grands prix, a move fully backed by his Mercedes counterpart.
Vasseur succeeded Mattia Binotto at the helm of the Scuderia for the 2023 F1 season but has thus far been unable to return the Prancing Horse to its former glory.
Last year, Ferrari came painfully close to securing its first title since 2008, but ultimately fell 14 points short of eventual constructors' champions McLaren.
That, coupled with the arrival of Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes, saw expectations reach a new high heading into the current campaign.
However, whilst its Woking-based rival has found new gear, Ferrari's performance has plateaued, and the seven-time F1 drivers' champion has underwhelmed.
That has heaped the pressure on Vasseur, despite the Scuderia still sitting second in the standings, to the point that there was widespread speculation he could be fired.
One rumour suggested he could be replaced by now-departed Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
During that difficult period, Wolff was forthright in his stance on Vasseur, praising him and imploring Ferrari to give him more time.
Now that his future has been secured, the Austrian has expanded on his prior remarks, calling having a figure like Vasseur a "blessing" and reiterating how long and arduous it can be to create a winning team in F1.
"Any other choice would have been really stupid," the 53-year-old said to La Gazzetta dello Sport on the call to hand Vasseur a new deal.
"I’ve known Fred since we were in our early twenties, and I know his value as a motorsport man; I know his entrepreneurial vision and his strength.
"Having someone like him in your team is a blessing, and you shouldn’t forget how much time it takes in Formula 1 to build a successful project."
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they look back on last weekend's F1 Hungarian Grand Prix! McLaren's interesting control over its drivers is discussed, as is the current struggle being endured by Lewis Hamilton.
Rather watch the podcast? Click here!
Get the latest F1 news from RacingNews365 directly in your Google feed! Click on the link below and you’ll see your favourite F1 website appearing even more often. That way, you’ll never miss any news, analyses, interviews, or exclusives.
Follow RacingNews365 on GoogleMost read
In this article
Never miss a thing from the Formula 1 season! Add the 2026 F1 schedule to your calendar at the touch of a button. Subscribe below and put the dates and times of every race directly on your PC or smartphone, so you don't miss a second from the new season.
Download the F1 calendar Download the F1 calendar
A variant with just the race and qualifying is also available.
Click here to download it..
Join the conversation!