The large red room overlooking the Fiorano circuit is the same one where, ten months ago, the launch of the Ferrari SF-23 took place amid huge expectations that were ultimately disappointed. That was also the beginning of Frederic Vasseur’s tenure as the team principal of the Prancing Horse, and today, in the same spot, he looks ahead to the future of the upcoming season. “The car for 2024 will be presented on February 13. You will know the rest on that day. Why didn’t we choose Valentine’s Day? To have an extra day before the tests,” he smiles. And he acknowledges that the chosen date is propitious. “It’s not a matter of luck or misfortune. In Formula 1, everything depends on aerodynamic load! The best Christmas gift for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz would be to build a car capable of being competitive in March when the first race of the championship takes place.”
REVOLUTION
There’s no need to ask what the next single-seater will look like; it’s top secret. However, it is known that it will be fundamentally different in content from the last two developed in Maranello. The technical staff led by Enrico Cardile has changed the development direction to unlock the potential in some areas of the car, with the goal of making it easier to drive for Charles and Carlos. “The stability in the regulations does not allow for revolutions. However, we will change 95% of the car. We have tried to improve every detail in search of better performance, and the drivers have been involved from the beginning in the project,” explains Vasseur. “We expect to be faster (the simulator feedback is confirming it; editor’s note), but only the stopwatch comparison with Red Bull and the others will tell us how much.” Then, delving into details, he adds, “Tire degradation is not the only factor that has hindered us. In some races, we had to push to keep up with our opponents, and this had an impact. So, we can’t do much more to improve tire management. We just need a faster car.”
CHARACTER
No proclamations are made. It has become imperative after the excessive expectations of last winter. Indeed, Vasseur does not make bold statements when it comes to Ferrari’s goals. “We want to improve compared to 2023. We had six difficult months, until the Monza race, but we reacted well. It’s true that Vigna’s and Ferrari’s expectations were higher, but he also appreciated how the team dealt with problems, including the lack of reliability. We made some poles, won with Sainz in Singapore, beating Max, and grew in the second part of the championship. The lesson I learned? I was told, ‘You’ll see, at Ferrari, you start the season well and then you end up declining.’ But it didn’t happen. On my part, I tried to push people to take more risks, without fear of making mistakes, because only with a more aggressive approach can you achieve results, considering that today there is tremendous leveling, and one or two tenths make a huge difference. That will be our philosophy next year too. We have to keep pushing.”
One wonders if the Maranello team team will also change its structure like the car. “We have already replaced several people, but I don’t like making official statements,” explains the team principal.
CONTRACTS
But it is clear that strengthening the team remains a priority. “We continue to hire engineers from other teams, although the problem of rather long contracts and gardening remains, so some figures in certain roles are available only after 18 months. In any case, victories do not depend on individuals. It’s the group that counts,” Fred Vasseur repeats. The renewal of the contracts of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, expiring at the end of 2024, is another topical issue. Ferrari would be ready to secure the Monegasque for another five seasons, investing him with the role of the team’s leader. While it remains to be seen if the Spaniard will be offered a two-year renewal or just one season:
“We have shown that we have always treated Charles and Carlos the same way, without any favoritism on the track. There is no number one. Both are solid points for us,” says Vasseur, avoiding going into specifics. “Their performances have been similar, with Carlos having a good sequence from Monza to Singapore, and Charles performing better in the final races, so they scored almost the same points. The goal is to sign the renewal for both before the start of the championship (March 2 in Bahrain; editor’s note).”
STRATEGIES
Working to overturn the balance in 2026 Among the aspects to improve would also be the strategies and the connection between the “remote garage” in Maranello and the engineers at the pit wall. But the team principal disagrees: “This year we did a good job. Decisions at the pit wall were made calmly, and there was effective support from the factory. I don’t think I need to intervene. Some choices that from the outside might have seemed wrong were due to the fact that we were slow. When you have a good race pace, everything is easier.”
As for the future, Fred Vasseur looks far ahead: “Now there is the big issue of the regulations for 2026 (when the new hybrid power units will be introduced; editor’s note) at the center of discussions with the FIA. It can be an opportunity to overturn the current balance. But we want to avoid someone starting to develop chassis and aerodynamics already, so the definition of the rules has been postponed to mid-2024, allowing us to work on them from 2025.” – the French manager added.
THE RIVAL
Will Scuderia Ferrari be able to fight against Max Verstappen and Red Bull next season? “We think there will be greater performance convergence among the teams, and therefore, it will be difficult for them to repeat this year’s dominance. In the last races, we were already getting closer. However, they remain in an advantageous position. We have to see how they will restart. With the financial regime of the “budget cap,” it is difficult to recover for those chasing. Here in Maranello, we have infrastructure and machinery that are the best of the best. But we also have to invest in our ability to quickly produce new parts on the car that work,” reflects Fred Vasseur.
Finally, he smiles when asked if Verstappen is the real secret of Red Bull’s triumphs. “It’s evident, looking at the standings, that the championship would have been different without Max. However, you can’t make this argument because Max is part of the game and must be evaluated together with his car. Of course, every team principal would want him in their team. Will he drive for Ferrari one day? He has a long-term contract, and it’s not the drivers we lack. In any case, never say never…” – the Ferrari team boss concluded.
Leave a Reply