MONTREAL -- Lewis Hamilton declared Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur "the person to take us to the top" amid fresh reports the team is considering sacking him.
Italian publication Corriere della Sera reported on Wednesday that Vasseur is on increasingly thin ice after an "unsatisfactory" start to 2025.
The report suggested that Antonello Coletta, who has guided Ferrari's endurance team to back-to-back Le Mans 24 Hours victories, has been tipped as a potential replacement.
When asked by ESPN about the report, a Ferrari spokesperson said: "Not even worth commenting [on]."
Hamilton joined Ferrari from Mercedes and has previously spoken about the role Vasseur played in convincing him to join.
Asked about the reports ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix on Thursday, Hamilton threw his full backing behind Ferrari's under-pressure boss.
"It's definitely not nice to hear that there's stories like that that are out there," Hamilton said. "Firstly, I love working with Fred. Fred is the main reason I'm in this team, and got the opportunity to be here, for which I'm forever grateful for.
"And we're in this together. We're working hard in the background. Things aren't perfect. I'm here to work with the team, but also with Fred. I want Fred here. I do believe Fred is the person to take us to the top.
"And so that's that. So it's all, it's ultimately, it's nonsense what people have written. Most people don't know what's going on in the background. And, and it isn't all easy."
On a potential exit, he added: "I don't think that's on the cards, as far as I'm aware. That's certainly not something that I would be supportive of. I'm here to win with Fred. He has my full support."
Bar a sprint race victory in China, Hamilton has not yet finished on the podium since joining Ferrari.
Hamilton called the Spanish Grand Prix the "worst race" of his storied career, but he used the opportunity to hit out at stories questioning his motivation to continue.
"And then also to all the other, everyone that's writing stories of me considering not racing, I mean, I've literally only just started with Ferrari, and I'm here for several years. I'm here for the long haul. So there is no question in where my head's at and what I'm working towards achieving at this team. So, there's zero doubts, so please stop ... making up ... stuff."
Ferrari arrived in 2025 on a wave of hype following Hamilton's arrival and its strong finish to last season, which saw it narrowly pipped to the constructors' championship by McLaren.
Vasseur arrived in 2023 after replacing Mattia Binotto and had been credited as being a calming influence behind the scenes at a team that has so often been bogged down by outside noise and the huge expectations from its home press.
However, those knives are very much out once again in the Italian media, alternate between being the greatest advocate for and the loudest critic of the nation's most famous racing export.
As has been a common theme in the team's history during tough moments, the tone around Italian media reporting around Ferrari has shifted dramatically in recent weeks, which is often a telling sign of how things are going internally.
Reports about Vasseur's future have been gaining traction. Two weeks ago, Red Bull boss Christian Horner denied a Bild report that Ferrari chairman John Elkann had approached him about replacing Vasseur.
The Corriere report mentioned Horner remains an "old obsession" of Elkann's.
Speaking two weeks ago, Horner said: "Look, of course, it's always flattering to be associated with other teams, but my commitment is 100% with Red Bull. It always has been and certainly will be for the long term.