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Fred Vasseur’s off-record comment fuels speculation on Carlos Sainz Ferrari comeback

Originally posted on HITC | By Ben Evans | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 8:02 AM ET

Fred Vasseur knows he needs to turn things around quickly at Ferrari following a frustrating 2025 season.

There was a point during the season when Fred Vasseur’s future looked uncertain, with Ferrari appearing to have lost ground compared to where they were last year.

The Constructors’ standings paint a worrying picture for Ferrari, who slipped behind Mercedes after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix while McLaren sit over 300 points clear.

What’s perhaps more troubling is that neither of Ferrari’s drivers, Charles Leclerc nor Lewis Hamilton, has managed to win a race yet this year.

Hamilton still hasn’t reached the podium outside of Sprint Races, which has sparked debate about whether replacing Carlos Sainz with him was the right call for Ferrari.

Guenther Steiner has suggested that some within the team might be having second thoughts about bringing in Hamilton, even if it’s something nobody would say publicly.

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Sainz recently picked up his first podium of the year with Williams in Baku – a huge moment for a team that hadn’t seen a top-three finish in over four years.

It adds another layer of interest to what Vasseur reportedly said ‘off the record’ about Sainz, especially with next year’s driver market expected to be one of the busiest we’ve seen in years.

Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari return ‘not out of the question,’ Vasseur said off record

Reports from MARCA have shed more light on how Vasseur views the four-time race winner. According to them, Hamilton’s decision not to give eighth place back to Leclerc in Baku would have been seen as a serious offence in the past at Ferrari.

Team orders haven’t always been a part of Ferrari’s recent approach, but back in the early 2000s, Rubens Barrichello understood his place alongside Michael Schumacher.

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During an informal meeting with Spanish media before the British Grand Prix, Vasseur mentioned that Sainz returning wasn’t completely off the table, though nothing is being considered at this point.

At an ‘off-the-record’ breakfast for the Spanish media ahead of the British Grand Prix, Vasseur made this claim for the first time.

Hamilton has a clause in his deal that could extend his stay through 2027, but whether he chooses to use it if results don’t improve remains unclear. If he doesn’t, and if Ferrari are not ready to promote Oliver Bearman, Sainz could find himself back in contention for a seat.

Mercedes’ highly anticipated 2026 power unit could make it harder for Sainz to leave Williams if he ever did decide to rejoin Ferrari. But whatever happens, Vasseur doesn’t want to rule out any options just yet.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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