“There’s a Fire at Ferrari”: Fred Vasseur Named the Ultimate Hero During F1 ‘Earthquake’ at Maranello

Apart from their tough on-track situation, there is a vast movement within Ferrari. In a situation that’s described as an earthquake by Damon Hill, he believes the ultimate hero Frederic Vasseur can only take care of the situation amid a “horrid” start to their campaign.

Speaking at F1 Nation Podcast, Hill pointed out the talk of Laurent Mekies, who’s the race director for Ferrari, leaving the team for AlphaTauri. He also added the departure of David Sanchez and then the rumors regarding their star driver, Charles Leclerc.

Referring to all these incidents as “earthquake“, the F1 champion called the situation “A fire at Ferrari”, where people were “running for the door.” In such a position, the boss, Frederic Vasseur, doing his bit to weather the storm and bring the Prancing Horse back to where it belongs- the top.

Admittedly, Ferrari has experienced a painful start to their 2023 F1 season. With huge expectations behind their back to fight for championships, the Prancing Horses find themselves behind three teams as of now.

Leclerc’s Switch saga

As per the recent developments, Leclerc was linked with multiple rumors that he might soon be on his way to Brackley. Even though there hasn’t been any concrete report of the Monegasque switching sides, the rumors have just gotten stronger.

This has come after Hamilton’s contract renewal with Mercedes was delayed, whereas Ferrari is still to renew the contract of the 25-year-old. Both Hamilton and Leclerc’s contract will run out at the end of the 2023 season.

3️⃣ Baku poles in a row 🤩
2️⃣ Poles on the weekend 💪
1️⃣ Well earned podium 🍾🏆

Our number 16 ❤️#AzerbaijanGP 🇦🇿 pic.twitter.com/Mg4aMeDlIA

— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) May 1, 2023

However, the Monegasque driver and his boss have snubbed the claim. Leclerc said that he’s happy with Ferrari, and is focused on the team’s project up ahead. As for Mercedes higher-ups, Toto Wolff confirmed that he’s looking at the British star driver for the moment.

Ferrari to arrive in Miami with a series of upgrades

After an improved show in Baku, the Maranello-based team is ready with more upgrades for the race in the United States. The Ferrari boss revealed this while speaking to Autosport.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix saw a glimpse of the improvement the Italian team made. As a result, they managed to pick up two pole positions through Charles Leclerc. Now with more upgrades on the way, the team will look to breathe down Red Bull’s neck.

Followed by Miami, the Prancing Horse will carry out more upgrades in the coming races. Apart from the larger upgrade packages, the Italian team will also focus on Monaco, where they’ll arrive with minor upgrades.

About the author

Sabyasachi Biswas

Sabyasachi Biswas is an F1 journalist at The SportsRush. With over one and a half decades of love for the sport and five years of experience in the field, he dreams to be a regular at the paddock when the lights go out. A Red Bull fan and F1 fan in general over the years, he enjoyed watching Felipe Massa, Sebastian Vettel, and Max Verstappen dominate the track. Apart from F1, he's also a big-time Madridista and Federer fanatic. He was a sub-junior level footballer, won inter-district quizzes and debate competitions back in school. A travel freak throughout, he tries different cuisines and learns new cultures whenever he's away from the keyboard.

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