Fred Vasseur Explains ‘Good Relationship’ Became Key Reason for Change in Charles Leclerc’s Race Engineer

From the upcoming Emilia Romagna GP onward, Charles Leclerc will have a new race engineer. His iconic partnership with Xavi Marcos finally comes to an end as Bryan Bozzi takes over the pit wall role. Team principal Frederic Vasseur reflected on the recent personnel movement in an interview with La Repubblica.

He said, “We are in a continuous process of improvement. We wanted to take this step. It was an internal promotion with Bryan who comes from the team. He knows Charles very well and they have a good relationship. He is part of the team’s development as are the others.”

Ferrari has so far not disclosed the position Marcos will take over going forward. However, he will remain with the Maranello outfit and will be given a role there.

Bozzi, on the other hand, served as Leclerc’s performance engineer until the recently concluded Miami GP. The mechanical engineering graduate has risen through the ranks since 2012 when he handled the wind tunnel operations for Ferrari.

Xavi Marcos’ departure from the race engineering role came as a pleasant surprise for Charles Leclerc fans. Many celebrated the move, citing a number of strategic blunders they saw during his tenure.

Among those blunders, one came at the infamous 2022 Monaco GP when a double-stacking effort failed. After being initially called in for a tire change, Charles Leclerc was told to stay out when he had already entered the pit lane.

The personnel overhaul at Ferrari

Ferrari is going through a slew of personnel changes, the magnitude of which is nothing short of an overhaul. The Maranello outfit is waiting to welcome Lewis Hamilton to replace Carlos Sainz in 2025.

Before Hamilton’s move, key Mercedes engineers Loic Serra and Jerome d’Ambrosio have already made their way to Italy. Another blockbuster signing Ferrari is working towards is Adrian Newey, who will move out from Red Bull after the first quarter of 2025.

Many believe the sensational moves are an effort towards taking Ferrari to the top in the upcoming regulations change. The new era of regulations will come into force from the 2026 season onward. Ferrari, being a major challenger to Red Bull currently, might be aiming to exploit the opportunity to become the champions of the new era.

The efforts, however, might well be aimed towards fulfilling that goal as early as 2025. Experts are of the opinion that Red Bull might soon hit a plateau in developing the car under the current regime of regulations. Ferrari, on the other hand, has a clear scope for improvement and can catch the reigning champions in the next season.