19 July 2023 , 19:56
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Frederic Vasseur admitted driver contract talks are on hold at Ferrari – but rubbished rumours linking the team to a potential replacement for one of them.
Ferrari have plenty of talent and experience on the books with Charles Leclerc partnered by Carlos Sainz. But there is some uncertainty surrounding their respective futures with both of their deals expire at the end of next year.
Leclerc has regularly been linked with a future Mercedes move amid his frustrations over the Scuderia's lack of performance. And paddock rumours suggest Sainz is among the top targets for Audi when they enter Formula 1 in 2026.
If one or both of them were to leave, Alex Albon is one of the most recent names to be linked with Ferrari. The British-Thai racer has caught the eye with his performances for Williams since returning to the F1 grid.
Several Italian publications claims Ferrari chiefs had identified the 27-year-old as a top target if they were to need a new driver. And team principal Vasseur knows him well from his days driving in GP3 and Formula 2 for his old ART Grand Prix team.
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But the Frenchman dismissed the suggestion that Albon might be in the frame to join Ferrari any time soon. "I don't know where this story came from. I've run Albon in the past, and we're friends," Vasseur told Motorsport.com.
"If a reporter asks me if Alex is currently doing a good job, I would say yes. But that doesn't mean I'm interested in taking him. I think Alex also has a contract with Williams for 2024. The team is investing a lot, so there is no problem."
Alex Albon's impressive Williams performances have seen him linked with Ferrari (Getty Images)Vasseur is now seven months into his role at Ferrari, since he took over from Mattia Binotto who resigned at the end of last season. And the enormity of the task facing him, restoring this ambitious but underachieving team to its former glory, has only become more evident in that time.
He said early in his tenure that driver contract talks would take a back seat while he adjusted to his new surroundings – and repeated that stance again. He added: "I was clear with the team at the beginning of the season and I was also clear with the drivers, that I need to get to know the team first. And it takes months.
"They still have a one-year contract, so I don't think it's an issue that needs to be discussed now. We'll certainly talk about it in the future, but it's not the first concern. The priority, for everyone, is to focus on the team, especially this season. I don't want there to be any distracting elements."