Fred Vasseur might have eased some of the pressure at Ferrari despite the recent reports tying Christian Horner to his position, but one senior figure at the team is still facing an uncertain future.
After the Singapore Grand Prix earlier in October, rumours quickly spread that Ferrari chairman John Elkann was considering bringing in Horner to replace Vasseur following his exit from Red Bull. The Briton is eligible to join another team starting in April 2026.
Ferrari’s interest in Horner reportedly remains strong, especially since they’ve yet to win a race this season. They currently trail McLaren by 352 points and Mercedes by 27 points in the constructors’ championship with six rounds remaining.
However, after Vasseur voiced his frustration over the Horner speculation on Wednesday, Elkann decided to back him through to the start of 2026. Even so, changes could still be coming, as there are signs Ferrari has identified someone else within the organisation as responsible for their disappointing campaign.
Matteo Togninalli could be made the fall guy for Ferrari’s disappointing 2025 F1 season
According to FunoAnalisiTecnica, Ferrari head of track engineering Matteo Togninalli could be set to take the blame for the team’s issues in 2025. The Italian is reportedly involved in an internal dispute with Vasseur, who has also pointed out problems with Ferrari’s execution.
Both Vasseur and Lewis Hamilton have raised concerns about how Ferrari handles race strategy. The team boss believes these issues have kept Charles Leclerc and Hamilton from fully demonstrating what the SF-25 is capable of, even though he remains confident in its potential.
Ferrari are now looking into where they might move Togninalli ahead of the 2026 season, as well as possible replacements. Vasseur understands that improving race execution will require better use and analysis of all their available data.
Matteo Togninalli has held Ferrari’s head of track engineering role for over 10 years
Beyond his issues with Vasseur, there are reports that Togninalli’s temper has led to further clashes within the team. After two decades with Ferrari and ten years in his current position, the 48-year-old could be nearing the end of his time with the team.
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If Vasseur has any doubts about whether Togninalli is the right fit moving forward, he can’t risk leaving him in place for another season. The 2026 regulation changes offer a major opportunity for Ferrari, and next year will again be critical for Vasseur’s own future.
Vasseur signed a new deal through 2027 back in July, but since then, Ferrari’s performance has slipped further. They haven’t reached a Grand Prix podium in five rounds since extending his contract.
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