SUMMARY
- Fred Vasseur replaced Mattia Binotto at Ferrari following the 2022 F1 season.
- The Frenchman has already eradicated the weak links, consequently putting a stop to pit stop mishaps and bad strategies.
The entire motorsport industry frowned when Ferrari sacked their long-standing team principal, Mattia Binotto, after delivering a series of underwhelming performances on and off the track in 2022. Consequently, it almost seemed like the downfall of the great Scuderia Ferrari was inevitable, and only a miracle could resurrect the team from its awry state. Well, the miracle did happen days after Binotto’s departure.
Binotto’s exit paved the way for an experienced team manager’s arrival – Fred Vasseur. Indeed, the signing came as a shock to many, considering Ferrari’s obsession with its heritage; the last time Ferrari invited a non-Italian manager to lead its Formula 1 team was in 1993 with Jean Todt.
What followed was a lengthy partnership between Todt and Ferrari; the Frenchman retained his spot for over a decade (until the end of 2007) before becoming the FIA president in 2009. Of course, Todt’s successor, Stefano Domenicali, embraced a brief spell of triumph, helping Kimi Raikkonen secure what was his only drivers’ championship title and Ferrari’s last bit of success in Formula 1.
Then arrived Marco Mattiacci, Maurizio Arrivabene, and Mattia Binotto, none of whom managed to emulate Todt’s glory days at Ferrari. But, things have changed now! Vasseur is here with a well-drafted plan and has already shown signs of winning his first world championship title for Ferrari. Take a look at some of the greatest decisions he’s made since his arrival in 2022.
Sacking big guns from Ferrari
Several top-tier stars were holding significant roles within the Maranello outfit, including Laurent Mekies (Racing Director), Inaki Rueda (Head of Race Strategy and Sporting), and of course, Mattia Binotto (Team Principal). And Vasseur immediately eradicated the weak links at Ferrari, subsequently kick-starting the team’s transformation.
The decisions were quite precise, considering Ferrari’s performance significantly improved in 2023. The Reds were the only non-Red Bull team to win a race last year, making its development all the more evident. What’s more, Ferrari hardly ever fumbled its pit stops in 2023, which certainly wasn’t the case in the past. Such has been the transformation behind the scenes of the Ferrari squad.
Convincing Charles Leclerc to stay at Ferrari
A young driver with a hunger for success, being eyed by the reigning world champions Red Bull Racing. This was the scenario in 2023, and the odds of Charles Leclerc pursuing a career at Red Bull were fairly high. However, having worked with the Monegasque before at Alfa Romeo (now Stake F1 Team), Vasseur was never going to let Christian Horner steal his prized possession.
Despite interests from the likes of Red Bull, Aston Martin, and even Mercedes, Vasseur kept his cool and managed to convince Leclerc to stay at Ferrari. According to several Italian reports, Leclerc will stay at Maranello for another five years, most likely until the end of 2029 or 2030.
“This team is my second family ever since I joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016 and we have achieved a lot together, fighting through thick and thin over the past five years. However, I believe the best is yet to come and I can’t wait for this season to start, to make further progress and be competitive at every race,” Leclerc said following his contract extension announcement.
“My dream remains that of winning the world championship with Ferrari and I’m sure that in the years ahead, we will enjoy great times together and make our fans happy.” The excitement was clearly evident in Leclerc’s choice of words, as he acknowledged chasing after his first-ever world championship title with Ferrari.
Improved strategies on the track
Despite losing to Mercedes in the heated battle for P3, Vasseur remained positive about Ferrari’s improvement in strategic calls following his debut season at Ferrari. The Frenchman further admitted that Ferrari’s defeat to Mercedes had everything to do with the underwhelming pace.
“The issue is that it was not a matter of strategy, it was a matter of pace. We did not have the pace today, and in this case, all the strategies are the bad ones,” he said after the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi last year. “I think the issue was the pace and was not the hard or the medium. He was on track with the same tyres as Charles. We had an issue, and need to understand the issue. It was not the strategy at all.”
But, imagine Ferrari manages to build a solid car for 2024! The Reds could well be up there battling with Red Bull for the world championship title. Vasseur has proved to the world that he sure can help carry a struggling team to the top of the podium in no time.
The arrival of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari
Who had this on their bingo cards? One of the most unexpected signings of the century, let alone the decade. Lewis Hamilton looked all set to end his career at Mercedes, a team that helped the Briton secure six driver’s titles in eight years. However, the predictions flew out the window the moment Vasseur and John Elkann walked into the frame.
This linear timeline of Ferrari drivers since 1996 – in the seat Lewis Hamilton is due to take in 2025 – is STACKED! 🤯
Which of them is your favourite in red? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/WWLl0PFC6S
— Autosport (@autosport) February 4, 2024
The duo struck a massive deal with Hamilton for the year 2025 and beyond, consequently building a dream-team-worthy driver pair. “I feel incredibly fortunate, after achieving things with Mercedes that I could only have dreamed of as a kid, that I now have the chance to fulfil another childhood dream. Driving in Ferrari red,” Hamilton said after officially announcing his forthcoming union with Ferrari.
Overall, a grand year of 2025 awaits Ferrari and of course, Hamilton fans. Therefore, will this supposed dream team fulfill Ferrari’s greatest Formula 1 dream? Let’s wait and watch how Vasseur orchestrates his biggest challenge yet.