Frederic Vasseur ‘secretly’ visited Ferrari factory before Christmas – Reports
Follow Us
New Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur
Frederic Vasseur will take over as Ferrari team principal on 9th January. It is perhaps the hottest seat in Formula 1 – the pressure is sky-high. The Prancing Horses have a unique status as the ‘national team’ of Italy. This means that when they are doing well – they’re on Cloud 9, but just one single mistake, and there’s a whole barrage of criticism in store. The Frenchman has a big task at hand.
Vasseur’s new arrival means there will be at least some instability in the team, which he will have to manage. Then, he’ll have to decide if he wants to replace personnel or bring other people along. Perhaps most importantly, he will have to make sure that the team do not commit the strategic missteps they paid dearly for last season. And even in seasons before that.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Vasseur has already gotten a taste of the factory and the racing department in Maranello on a two-day ‘secret’ visit before Christmas. Secondly, he knows technical director Laurent Mekies ‘very well’. The report even states that there were secret meetings between the two of them in the last few Grands Prix of the season when changes looked imminent. Sky Italia’s Carlo Vanzini had earlier said that Simone Resta (technical director at Haas), may return to Ferrari in the technical director role.
There are a considerable number of roles under ‘watch’ – including that of sporting and strategy director Inaki Rueda. The Spaniard has been put under the heat by fans, with many considering him ‘culprit number two’ (or even one) after Binotto. But the other technical managers will also have to show an improvement. However, whatever changes there eventually may be, the Frenchman will be introducing them gradually.
Imperative for Frederic Vasseur & Ferrari to manage Leclerc-Sainz relationship
We will really only get inklings about Ferrari’s 2023 car until the first qualifying session of the year in Bahrain, on March 4. There are the post-season tests, but they won’t necessarily be representative of the pace and potential of the car. The practice sessions won’t be either – until then, fans can only hope and pray. They will at least get some idea of how the car is set up aerodynamically in the post-season tests, scheduled for Feb 23-25.
That isn’t the only thing Frederic Vasseur has to worry about. There’s also the internal dynamics between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to consider. From all we can see, the two have an amicable relationship but this will be tested if both are in a fight for the championship. There were also rumors that the Frenchman wants to enforce a first-and-second driver arrangement at Ferrari, while until now the team have been mostly happy to let the two duke it out.
One thing is certain – they can’t afford to throw away any points due to inter-team squabbles. It’ll be incredibly important to manage that relationship to avoid a Rosberg-Hamilton repeat. That can be done through a first-and-second driver arrangement (in whatever order), or simply through trying to make sure their personal relationship doesn’t fall apart. But a driver has to accept that arrangement first, and if they don’t, that’s another problem for you.
In case you missed it:
- “Faster than a Ferrari pit stop” – Fans react as Carlos Sainz and father Sainz Sr. fix a tyre issue during the Dakar Rally
- David Coulthard backs Ferrari world title in 2023 if they can solve ‘blatantly obvious’ issues
Stay Updated!
Aniket Tripathi
(1002 Articles Published)