Ferrari internal chaos: rift between Fred Vasseur and Benedict Vigna amid operating power

Management issues
We are only in the first half of March, but the situation within the Ferrari team already appears rather precarious. The problems seem to be various and range – unfortunately for the fans of the Maranello team – from the technical aspects, the competitiveness of the new SF-23 car and its reliability, to the more human aspects within the Italian side.

In fact, the arrival of Frederic Vasseur as the new team principal does not seem to have improved the internal dynamics of the Scuderia at all. However, the problem would not be so much related to the French manager, but rather to the relationship that the former Sauber boss seems to have with Ferrari chief executive officer Benedetto Vigna. As had already appeared quite clear at the time of Fred Vasseur’s appointment, in fact, the team principal’s powers are much more limited as compared to those of the other team bosses.

This is because Vigna, appointed by John Elkann, essentially put the 54-year-old French manager under strict observance. A situation that would inevitably increase the discontent within the team.

In a recent article for Corriere dello Sport, F1 journalist Fulvio Solms tried to analyze the situation, describing a not exactly flattering picture of how things are going in Maranello in recent days. The title of the piece is emblematic and eloquently reads: “Vasseur is already fed up”.

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Few powers, reduced ‘protections’
“[…] The rift between Vasseur and the managing director Benedetto Vigna constitutes the true hypocenter of the current earthquake – writes Fulvio Solms – on behalf of the president John Elkann, Benedetto Vigna has in fact commissioned Fred Vasseur, who operates with powers inferior to those of the others nine team bosses in Formula 1. To say: he has no control over team passes, which usually pertain to the team principal. Upon his arrival, he asked for the proxy on the sponsors and was denied: even that was kept by Vigna who had taken it away from Mattia Binotto in March 2021. […]. Mattia Binotto defended that autonomy and also defended his engineers when they made mistakes […], those who no longer feel protected take refuge within the confines of their work in order not to run into a mistake that could cost them their jobs. Or, if he’s appreciated, like David Sanchez, he takes his stuff and says goodbye to the company. Attention: it is not true that David Sanchez was forced to leave”. – Corriere dello Sport pointed out.