Scuderia Ferrari is arguably the most iconic name in F1 history. They are the oldest and most successful outfit in the history of the sport, competing in every championship season since 1950. However, things have taken a turn for the worse, with the team’s recent struggles increasing each season. Ahead of the Italian GP, Fred Vasseur sat down to have a conversation with F1: Beyond the Grid‘s Tom Clarkson. Here, Vasseur revealed the one near-painful question he would love to ask Enzo Ferrari today.
Enzo Ferrari- The man who started it all for arguably the most famous automotive brand in the world fell in love with cars when he was ten years old. After failing to land a job at Fiat, Ferrari became a test driver for various Italian carmakers. After winning several races, Ferrari realized his true love for cars lay not in driving for them but in managing a race team. Thus, he founded Scuderia Ferrari in 1929, a team that is loved by many people across the planet.
Fred Vasseur has only one question to ask to Enzo Ferrari
During the podcast, Clarkson asked Vasseur, if Enzo Ferrari was alive today, what would be the question he would ask him? The team principal’s answer was as painful as can be for a Ferrari fan.
“Are you proud of what is Ferrari today?”
Clarkson further asked what Vasseur thought the response would be, to which the 55-year-old had two replies. One would address the racer in Enzo Ferrari, while the other would appeal to the businessman in him.
Per Vasseur, as a racer, the former Maranello-based outfit boss would want to get better results and improve performances. He would also want to talk to the team and say to them, “Guys, you have to win!”
As a “company guy,’ however, Vasseur believes Enzo Ferrari would be extremely proud of the “image of Ferrari over the world.”
Enzo’s words motivate Vasseur to continue chasing excellence
Clarkson continued the conversation with Vasseur by asking him if he had a favorite Ferrari road car from history or a favorite racecar from his company. “Not at all,” said Vasseur, but he added a quote by the founder of the team, which sends a good message to keep pushing for innovation and quality and helps him tell his team they have to keep doing a better job with each passing day.
“The best Ferrari is the next one.” – Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari, Monza, 1968. Photo: Bernard Cahier. #f1 pic.twitter.com/AByIvRyk4o
— Demetriou Neto 🏁 (@NetoDemetriou) August 30, 2023
The 55-year-old further added he doesn’t think about long-term plans for the team but wants them to get better each day and believes his philosophy is similar to Enzo Ferrari’s words. Currently, in the middle of the group in F1, Vasseur knows his team has to deal with the problems within the team, focuses on improving everything within the team, and develop a mentality of a championship-winning outfit.
