Fred Vasseur admits that he was fully aware that taking on the role of boss at Ferrari would be tough.

Taking on the role, much like being one of the team's drivers, carries enormous prestige, but it is also one of the very toughest jobs in motorsport, indeed sport.

Many have tried and many have failed, and other than the never satisfied Italian media there is the tifosi and now social media.

In the wake of Mattia Binotto's sacking in 2022, it was hoped that Vasseur might lead the Maranello squad into a new golden era like countryman Jean Todt, and while he is an improvement on Maurizio Arrivabene and the (deer caught in the headlights) Marco Mattiaci, it is fair to say that the Frenchman is not delivering.

Yes, the atmosphere appears better and the team is more open than under previous managers, however the fact is that despite having one of the strongest line-up on the 2025 grid, including arguably the most successful F1 driver of all time, Ferrari faces the prospect of going the season without a win and slipping to fourth in the standings, behind Red Bull which is effectively a one-man show.

Criticised by the likes of former boss, Luca do Montezemolo, there is increasing speculation that the team might turn to former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.,

A new contract announced in the summer appeared to put thoughts of Vasseur's sacking to bed, but as the speculation continues the Frenchman admits, in a masterpiece of understatement, that he knew the job of leading motorsport's most iconic team was not going to be easy.

"I've been in this business for 30 years," he tells The Athletic. "I knew perfectly that I will be exposed, I will get s**t.

"If you have a big issue at the beginning, you lose a little bit of the path," he continues, "you have to be on the safe side, and you are losing a little bit, the confidence and everything.

"At the end of the day, this is mega-negative for us," he admits. "I know that we have to work with pressure, and we have to deal with pressure. It's the DNA of our sport. But I think you have enough pressure on track to not get pressure at home. We know that we need to deliver. We need to get results."

Referring to McLaren, which has suffered a relative dip in form in recent races, he says: "We are all oscillating up and down, but I would say that even when they are down, they are still there. And when they are up, they are flying."

In terms of the ongoing speculation over his future with the team, Vasseur does indeed take comfort from that new contract.

"I feel pretty good about this," he says. "This is behind us," he adds. "Let's be focused on the future."