Ferrari last tasted glory in the Formula One constructors’ championship back in 2008, the same year Lewis Hamilton clinched his first drivers’ title with McLaren. It was also the first season in F1 history where every team retained the same drivers throughout the year.
Fred Vasseur’s appointment as Ferrari team boss had many scratching their heads. Vasseur, previously leading the back-of-the-grid Sauber F1 team, comes with a strong GP2 background, having worked with champions like Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton at ART Racing. In 2016, he joined F1 as team principal of Renault’s works team. Despite his low-profile demeanor, when Vasseur speaks, it’s worth listening.
After a series of leadership changes post-Stefano Domenicali, Vasseur has now asserted that this year’s championship battles are truly on. Following the recent Monaco Grand Prix, where Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris challenged Red Bull’s dominance, Vasseur commented on Max Verstappen’s uncharacteristic mistakes. “If you look at the last two or three weekends, I think Max made more mistakes in Imola than in the last three seasons,” Vasseur noted.
Red Bull, dominant since the 2022 ground effect regulations, has shown vulnerability this season. Vasseur attributes this to the increased competition from Ferrari and McLaren. Highlighting a strategic error by Red Bull in Monaco, he stated, “We just didn’t see them [previously], it became evident because they hadn’t been forced to go to the limit.”
Reflecting on Ferrari’s performance, Vasseur pointed to victories by Carlos Sainz in Melbourne and strong showings by Leclerc and Norris. He emphasized that unlike last season, this year is proving to be more competitive. “It’s not the case with us but it’s not the case between Red Bull and McLaren because McLaren is closer and from this fight we have to get the best,” he said. Despite acknowledging Red Bull’s potential to bounce back, Vasseur remains optimistic about sustained competition.
Looking ahead to the Canadian Grand Prix, Vasseur is excited about the challenge it presents. Despite the circuit’s stark differences from Monaco, Ferrari’s recent strong performance across varied tracks fuels his confidence. “With different tyre compounds, different types of tarmac and different layouts, we did quite well. I think it will remain exciting until the end [of the season],” he confidently predicted.
Fred Vasseur’s confidence signals a thrilling season ahead, with Ferrari poised to challenge Red Bull’s supremacy in the F1 championship race.
