It has been 18 months since Frédéric Vasseur took over as team principal of Ferrari. In a year and a half, after inheriting a team that had fallen to the fourth position in the standings, Fred Vasseur initiated a restructuring of the Racing Department, both organizationally and technically, targeting the key figures of the team. Today, despite the early year’s illusions, the situation appears similar to that of twelve months ago, though the reality is different. The promises made by the Frenchman have been kept, and the remaining ones will be fulfilled in the coming months, resulting in a team shaped in the image of its leader.
After hiring Lewis Hamilton starting in 2025 and renewing Charles Leclerc’s contract, the former Sauber team principal continued with the technical reinforcement campaign initiated last summer, which aimed to make a significant impact. Following the recruitment of about fifty technicians from various teams, the technical office now directly led by Fred Vasseur, who assumed the interim role after Enrico Cardile’s resignation to join Aston Martin, has been further strengthened by two “top guys”: Loic Serra and Jerome D’Ambrosio.
This technical turnover is reshaping the Maranello team and, based on the data, seems far from over. Following some departures, the team seeks new stability by bringing in new professionals to strengthen the staff, securing key figures for the project, and letting go of important but no longer functional personnel or those attracted by new professional challenges. Managing this turnover is not easy for Fred Vasseur, who is currently tasked with completing the restructuring and getting the car back on track to salvage a 2024 Formula 1 championship that started well but saw the SF-24 regress with the latest aerodynamic development package, falling behind Mercedes and McLaren.
In an interview with the “New York Times,” Frederic Vasseur discussed this continuous improvement situation, despite some setbacks and the comings and goings of technicians. In the conversation, the Frenchman reflected on his 18 months at Maranello, highlighting his efforts to impose a change of mindset on a “too conservative” team. He began by addressing his initial impact, acknowledging that it was the most coveted yet undoubtedly the most complex job in motorsport, a role he approached with calmness and rationality.
“I have never been too emotional, though it took me some time to understand certain mechanisms.”
This calmness allowed him to get to know the team and identify areas for intervention, initiating a slow but steady change in ideas and personnel, always encouraging better work but never considering individuals superior to the group.
“I want every employee to be convinced that tomorrow’s work can be better. The departure of some technicians? It’s not a tragedy. I always say the group is worth more than the individuals.” – the French manager pointed out.
Individuals are not deemed indispensable due to the significant turnover a team undergoes yearly. However, as mentioned, around fifty new technicians have joined Maranello in the past twelve months.
“Many people have joined the team, and others will do so soon. It’s a great feeling.”
Among these arrivals will be Lewis Hamilton starting in 2025, who will bring a winning mentality to Italy without undermining the team’s confidence in Charles Leclerc: “Lewis’s arrival will create a snowball effect. It’s not just about speed but a new mindset. He will provide a huge boost to the team. […] With Charles, just a glance is enough to understand each other. I believe he is still too self-critical, as he has always been, but he is doing an excellent job and is highly motivated.”
This mindset already appears much better than in the past months: “Every time we focus on something, we improve it. Take pit stops, for example. When I joined the team, they were a drama. We did over 2000 practice runs during the winter, and now Ferrari is the second-fastest team. […] It’s about taking the right risks.”
This mentality is fully shared with the Maranello management, with whom Fred Vasseur “consults frequently,” and it has one ultimate goal: “I want to win. I have always been a loner and prefer to keep a lot of pressure on my shoulders. I have been doing it for 30 years, and there’s only one way to survive: achieving results.” – the Ferrari team boss concluded.
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