Charles Leclerc praises Fred Vasseur
Part of Scuderia Ferrari’s difficulties in the 2022 Formula One season were related to internal relationships. The then-team principal, Mattia Binotto, never excelled in communication, both within the team and externally, sometimes exacerbating the size of the problems in a championship that started well but gradually slipped away. The power of images allows us to recall the famous finger pointed at Charles Leclerc by the engineer from Reggio Emilia after the Silverstone race that rewarded Carlos Sainz but eluded the Monegasque, who could have gained some points on Max Verstappen. Not to mention those excessive “We need to understand” comments that exhausted the fans and some questionable decisions during race weekends.
The latest, during the qualifying session at Interlagos, led to the rupture of the relationship between Charles Leclerc and Mattia Binotto and the end of the marriage between Ferrari and its former team principal.
The post-Mattia Binotto era in Ferrari is Frederic Vasseur, a person who certainly connects more with Charles Leclerc. In a lengthy interview with The-Race, the Monegasque driver never mentions his former boss, but in some passages, he indirectly expresses resentment towards Mattia Binotto, praising qualities in Fred Vasseur that are “not easy to find” in a team like Ferrari.
Charles Leclerc’s comments:
“Fred has known me for a long time. I knew exactly what to expect when Fred arrived, and I was aware of how good he was. Every person is different, and there has always been a special connection with him: he is good at motivating you and calming you down when you need it. Moreover, he has always been very direct with me,” said the Monegasque. “He is exactly what I need: someone who reproaches me when I’m not doing well and someone who tells me I’m doing well. It seems like a very simple thing, but when you arrive in Formula 1 and you’re a Ferrari driver, there aren’t many people that honest, and it’s hard to find them.”
“It’s difficult to comment on Vasseur’s first months because in such a big team, it takes a bit of time to get used to all the people and understand how the environment works. But as soon as he got comfortable, it went very well. Of course, at the beginning of the year, he had a difficult car to handle. So it takes time to get back to the top, but I have no doubt that we will succeed with him,” he concluded. “He is always rational, doesn’t let his emotions get the best of him, and that’s a good thing because it puts everything in the right perspective.” – he concluded.
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