Fred Vasseur Once Tried Signing Carlos Sainz at Sauber Before Joining Ferrari

Fred Vasseur replaced Mattia Binotto as team principal of Scuderia Ferrari ahead of the 2023 campaign and one of the first things he was tasked with doing was establish a pecking order between Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.

Sainz joined Ferrari in 2021 and under Binotto, he was never labeled as the second driver. Even though Leclerc had been at Ferrari longer and is considered to be a bigger championship hope, Binotto refused to play favorites when it came to choosing a number one.

Plenty of people felt that Binotto not choosing a favorite driver led to Ferrari losing out on several points in their bid to win the 2022 world championships. That is why Vasseur joining the Maranello-based outfit gave many people hope. However, it seems that the Frenchman too, won’t be playing favorites, at least at the beginning of the season.

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Fred Vasseur talks about Carlos Sainz’s talent

Sainz made his F1 debut with Toro Rosso back in 2015, but couldn’t break into the Red Bull team. To get opportunities, he moved to Renault, where Vasseur was boss before 2017. That year, he moved to Sauber and one of his biggest wishes was to bring Sainz over to the Hinwil-based outfit.

Unfortunately, Sainz was not convinced by the Sauber group’s ambitions so he chose to stay at Renault instead. That was the moment Vasseur realized that to have Sainz working under him, he had to join the team where he was driving.

“I started the discussion with Carlos when I was at Renault to attract him in 2017,” said Vasseur as quoted by The Race. “I tried to sign him at Sauber again without success. And I said ‘Ok, if I want to attract Carlos. The best way is to join the team where he is.’”

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Vasseur insists he has a good relationship with Carlos Sainz

When Vasseur became team principal of Ferrari, fans of Leclerc were delighted because the two of them go way back. Leclerc made his F1 debut back in 2018 with Sauber and Vasseur was his boss, so they share an old and close relationship.

However, instead of favoring the Monegasque, Vasseur publicly insists that his motive is to give both his new drivers a fair & equal chance at showing their worth. However, he did add that if need be, he might issue team orders in the future.

“We had always a very good relationship,” Vasseur added about Sainz. “I trust him. And I think he showed in the last couple of years that he is a potential winner. That he’s very important for the team.”