Fred Vasseur took over as Ferrari’s Team Principal in 2023 and to improve the outfit’s on-track performance, he needed to get rid of the ills that persisted and grew under previous boss Mattia Binotto. Ferrari had a toxic blame culture within the stable which hampered its sense of direction while developing the car.
Vasseur is a leader who has taken issue by the scruff of its neck and will only let go when it is resolved.
Speaking to Financial Times, the Frenchman outlined his “aggressive approach” with Ferrari and detailed how he will take the blame for anything that goes wrong. It will allow the staff in Maranello to work more freely.
We couldn’t do it without them pic.twitter.com/AoEdtzR0u0
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) July 11, 2024
“It’s my job to manage this; to push them to be a bit more aggressive. Then, to take on the mistakes when we are making mistakes,” Vasseur said.
“If you are scared about the capacity of taking risks, you take margins everywhere. “And in our business, you can have five cars in one-tenth of a second… The more we take risks, the better we will be in the management of risks.”
Vasseur has a long way to go to make Ferrari Championship contenders again. But the work he has put in so far is commendable. Results are showing on paper, and Ferrari as an outfit seems to be making fewer mistakes. However, if they do, Vasseur will face the consequences himself, even if the top management confronts him.
Vasseur to meet John Elkann and Co.
Ferrari won two out of the first seven F1 races in 2024 and was regularly in contention for a top-three finish. Over the last few weeks, however, Mercedes and McLaren have outjumped the Maranello-based outfit in terms of performance and this concerns Ferrari President John Elkann.
Per reports, Vasseur will soon be meeting Elkann and senior members of the management. The agenda for the same will be the drastic dip in form Ferrari suffered, and short-term measures to fix it.
Ferrari : avant le départ du Grand Prix de Monaco, le président John Elkann a voulu saluer un par un les membres de l’équipe et les remercier pour leur travail.
Un geste sympathique et qui montre la proximité du président envers l’équipe de Fred Vasseur. pic.twitter.com/fGnBCONYXu
— Scuderia Ferrari FRA (@FerrariF1FRA) May 27, 2024
Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari will also be a topic of discussion in the reported meeting.
Vasseur’s job, meanwhile, is not at risk. Still, he remains answerable for the team’s shortcomings which is where a principal should stand.
