Fred Vasseur explains Inaki Rueda role change and relationship with other F1 team bosses

At the end of the 2023 Formula 1 pre-season testing session, which was held at the Bahrain International Circuit, Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur was interviewed by the Italian version of the Motorsport network. Here are some of the most important comments from the French manager:

Are you satisfied with the overall reliability of the project?
“We covered just over two thousand kilometers without any problems. I know there was a small unexpected event with Alfa Romeo, we are still investigating”.

Ahead of testing, one of the objectives of the 2023 season was to improve the efficiency of the single-seater without losing aerodynamic load. In the light of the test that have just concluded, did you succeed this?
“It’s always a compromise, it’s up to us to decide whether we want to run the car with more or less downforce. Red Bull made some aggressive choices last year on this front, but it’s too early to draw any conclusions.”

From the outside, one got the impression that Charles Leclerc was less comfortable with the balance of the car than Carlos Sainz. Is that so?
“In these three days we have tried many things, and as I said, there have been solutions that have worked, while others have not. I think Charles’ last run was very good, maybe he’s not at the top yet but he drove in very hot track conditions and his performance was good. I’m quite happy with the work done by Charles and the team over the past two days.”

Unlike Mercedes and Red Bull, you didn’t do qualifying simulations at the end of the third day…
“We continued with our programme, it would have been a mistake to change it because Red Bull was at the top of the timesheets”.

What would you expect if qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix was today?
“That’s not the kind of question we ask ourselves. We know we still have three free practice sessions available. Then the conditions will change a lot, we will race mainly in the evening, with low temperatures, but in the tests we couldn’t concentrate only on the last hour of activity when the track is faster”.

Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!

Are you interested in how Alfa Romeo is doing?
“Until last year it was an important part of my life, but beyond this aspect, I took a look at them and I will continue to do so, they have our power unit and it is useful to have indications on reliability. I have a friendly relationship with the team, every morning and every evening I have a coffee with them”.

We have seen a front wing with solutions that are on the limit of the regulation. Is seeing your technicians operating aggressively something you like?
“Before presenting the single-seater, we spoke with the FIA and they confirmed that everything was up to standard. What other teams say doesn’t interest me.”

Inaki Rueda has moved on to a new role in Maranello. How did this decision come about?
“From the outside, when we talk about strategy, we always tend to look at the person sitting on the pit wall. In reality it is a more complex mechanism, there is software, there is a flow of information, a communication channel, aspects that are often more important than those physically sitting at the pit wall. We’ve decided to change the organization a bit, Inaki will be in the company focused on the sporting side, Ravin will be on the pit wall. But that’s not the only change. We’ve also revised the flow of communication to make sure we have an efficient exchange because when everything goes well there is time to allow interaction between three or four people, but when you have to react in a second it’s a different story. A scenario can arise that was not in the plans. We did something a little more direct, and I think it will work well.”

Have your relationships with the team principals of the other teams changed since you arrived in Maranello?
“Gunther started saying ‘ok, I’m your customer now!’, and I pointed out to him that it will be a pleasure to send him the invoices! I have a friendly relationship with some of the team principals, and we joked a bit, but overall there is great mutual respect and if the competition on the track makes us even tough opponents, sometimes we have to work together to the advantage of Formula 1 in its complex. I believe in the last few months, apart from the ‘game’ between Toto and Horner, the collaboration between the teams has been positive.”

Do you think you’ll have to enter the confrontation between Wolff and Horner?
“No, I never will. I have full respect for Horner as well as Toto, but I will never play this kind of game.”

The perception of Ferrari from the outside is that it is sometimes a minefield on the political front. Did you get an idea about it?
“I don’t think it’s any more difficult than other teams. What distinguishes Ferrari from other teams is the passion and enthusiasm that surrounds it, when we presented the new car two weeks ago there were thousands of fans at Fiorano, and I don’t think there is anything like it anywhere else.”

“It’s an enthusiasm that you feel everywhere, you go to the restaurant and there are fans, the same thing when you arrive at the hotel, and this aspect perhaps adds a bit of pressure. The question is whether this closeness and attention that there is towards of the team is something that slows down work in some way or if, on the contrary, contributes to motivation. Honestly, I think it’s a positive aspect, if you do this job you hope to be surrounded by enthusiasts, and probably everything in Italy is a bit ‘ bigger, but so far so good.”

Have you started talking to Leclerc about renewing your contract?
“Now it is much more important to focus on what needs to be done rather than on other aspects. Then there will be time for everything”.