In his 11-year experience in Formula 1, Valtteri Bottas has worked under the leadership of several team bosses. Among those are stalwarts like Frank Williams and Toto Wolff, who have bagged several championships with their respective sides.
Since Bottas has had such experience of working with some of the most successful team bosses, he has revealed why his former Alfa Romeo (now Sauber) boss Fred Vasseur is the right fit for Ferrari. Speaking with Marc Priestley on Pitlane Life Lessons, Bottas said,
“With Fred, it’s a different kind of leadership. He’s definitely a more calming factor, which, at the moment I feel is really good for Ferrari. I think somehow things feel less hectic, less politic. He gives lots of responsibility to the people themselves, which might, let’s say, make some people flourish more.”
Vasseur’s influence has already started to show positive results on Ferrari. The team may still have some rough edges to deal with but the frequent strategic blunders have become rare.
That is reportedly a result of him giving his team members more responsibility and freedom. The prevalence of a ‘no blame’ culture further pushes the personnel to make ambitious decisions.
“It’s a mindset for me. You have to take risk everywhere. This is a racing mentality”
An in-depth interview with Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur as he bids to take the Tifosi back to the top #F1 @ScuderiaFerrari https://t.co/wOh5Pop3Jd
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 14, 2024
Vasseur is currently in his second season as Ferrari’s team principal. The team he inherited from Mattia Binotto looked nowhere as confident as the one he manages currently. Resultantly, Ferrari has already bagged two race wins in 2024 with both drivers having been on the top step of the podium.
Things, however, haven’t stayed the same since Charles Leclerc’s victory in Monaco. The subsequent upgrades have failed to serve their purpose while rivals like Mercedes and McLaren continue on their steady path to progress. This has seen Ferrari slip to third in the championship, and are now nowhere near race wins.
The two issues plaguing Ferrari
Ferrari’s underwhelming performances since the Monaco GP win can be largely blamed on two factors – the failure to find the right balance in the high and low-speed corners, and the inability to optimize tire performance. While the attempts at finding more speed in low-speed corners have led to pronounced porpoising, a high downforce setting has led to high tire degradation.
Nevertheless, the Maranello outfit has shown its commitment to the next era of F1 which will start with the 2026 regulations. The added reliance on power units tip the balance in the favor of the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes.
Moreover, the Italian side has successfully poached Lewis Hamilton to lead them into the new era. That will remain Vasseur’s biggest achievement until they end their championship drought.
