Arrivabene jokes about Ferrari axe rumours

Maurizio Arrivabene on Friday dismissed speculation he might soon be ousted as Ferrari team boss.

Italy’s Autosprint had suggested moves are afoot to replace the Italian with James Allison, with Aldo Costa then returning from Mercedes to fill Allison’s spot as technical chief.

"They were talking of Allison, they were talking of Costa, but they forgot one name: Tyrion Lannister," Arrivabene grinned to British television Sky.

Lannister is reportedly a Game of Thrones character.

Less amused by the rumours, however, was lead Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel.

"I heard there was some b------- said (reported) lately but I am very happy he is with us and not some other team," the German said in Barcelona.

Teammate Kimi Raikkonen agreed: "I think he is exactly the right guy for the job. He’s the best team boss I have ever had."