In one of his interviews after the qualifying session for the 2023 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Fred Vasseur took a subtle dig at Carlos Sainz. For the Spaniard, the last Grand Prix of the Formula One season didn’t start in the best way. With FP1 where Robert Schwartzman was just behind him by a few thousandths and with the early conclusion of the second free practice session after a crash that forced the engineers to exceed the curfew time, expectations were not at their best.
Certainly, however, no one expected Carlos Sainz to immediately exit in Q1, securing a 16th place. Especially considering that his teammate, Charles Leclerc (who did not take part in the first free practice session), brought the Red car to the front row for tomorrow’s race.
The relationship between Fred Vasseur and Charles Leclerc has been positive, dating back to their time in the lower categories. But never before has the French Team Principal spoken so explicitly about a specific driver. Interviewed by Canal+ in the post-qualifying session, the Frenchman stated, “We need a leader like Charles to guide us at this moment; it’s a nice feeling.”
In recent years, there have been many controversies, with many Ferrari fans criticizing the team for not considering Leclerc as the number one driver. Fred Vasseur’s words have given a real push in this direction, depicting Leclerc as the leader of the Maranello team in anticipation of 2024. It’s not often that a team principal makes such strong statements about an individual, almost openly declaring him the first driver, the man to focus on in the coming years.
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