Frederic Vasseur has been stirring things up at Ferrari since taking over from Mattia Binotto. His latest coup promises to further elevate Ferrari’s prospects, especially after successfully securing Lewis Hamilton for the next season.
Vasseur’s strategy has involved poaching key personnel from rival teams. Loic Serra and Jerome d’Ambrosio have joined Ferrari from Mercedes, indicating a significant shift in the competitive dynamics.
There’s also buzz around Adrian Newey, the esteemed Red Bull designer, possibly joining Ferrari as he plans to leave his current team at the start of 2025. Snagging Newey would be a monumental asset, given his track record in shaping Red Bull’s dominance.
In addition to these high-profile hires, Vasseur is reportedly close to finalizing a deal where Oliver Bearman, a top young talent, would secure a seat at Haas for the 2025 season.
Bearman’s debut at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix was memorable; he subbed in for Carlos Sainz and finished an impressive seventh. His maturity and skill were evident from the get-go, making him one of the standout performers during practice and the race itself.
The deal to place Bearman at Haas is almost done, with just minor details left to be worked out. Lawrence Barretto mentioned that the talks have progressed significantly and are nearing completion.
Bearman already had a taste of driving for Haas, filling in for Kevin Magnussen in FP1 at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. His performance earned praise from Haas Team Principal Ayao Kamatsu, who admired his professionalism and calmness under pressure.
“All the way from the initial preparation, he’s been very professional, very, very easy to deal with in every single process. I have nothing to complain about. Today, with the calmness, procedures he understood, he understood the objectives of every single run. He didn’t put a foot wrong, really,” Kamatsu said.
Bearman will have another chance to showcase his skills with Haas during FP1 at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December. However, the true test will come if he secures a full-time seat for the 2025 season, giving him the experience to develop into a top-tier driver.
Drawing a parallel to Charles Leclerc’s career, this move is expected to give Bearman the needed exposure to excel, similar to Leclerc’s journey from Sauber to Ferrari. Leclerc’s debut season with Sauber in 2018 was outstanding, consistently outperforming his teammate and catching Ferrari’s eye.
Leclerc’s promotion to Ferrari in 2019 proved fruitful, with significant achievements including wins at the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix. His fearless and strategic driving style quickly established him as a formidable competitor.
Frederic Vasseur’s calculated moves, from signing Hamilton to potentially bringing in Newey and nurturing Bearman, lay a strong foundation for Ferrari’s future. The motorsport world is keenly observing these developments, anticipating whether Ferrari can reclaim its former glory in the coming seasons.
With Vasseur at the helm, Ferrari’s strategic acquisitions and development plans are set to position the team strongly for future successes. Watching how these calculated moves play out will be intriguing for F1 enthusiasts.
