The Monza weekend will officially be the first Italian race weekend for Frederic Vasseur in Ferrari colors. There’s something different in the air, despite a work schedule that imposes the same rhythms as the other events on the calendar.
“I don’t know if he’ll be excited or if it’s correct to talk about emotion,” commented the French engineer. “At the moment, I can say it will certainly be a demanding weekend, but a bit of emotion might come when we leave the pits. That the Monza weekend is a bit different is something that emerged at the beginning of the week when we saw more fans than usual outside the Maranello factory. But I believe it’s a positive pressure; I’m convinced we need it in our sport. I think everyone on the team feels the typical pressure that comes with this job. My job is to try to control it, but I would be lying if I said that the pressure at Monza is not higher than in other weekends we spend on the track.”
Fred Vasseur didn’t make predictions (“we’ve been wrong with predictions on several occasions, so it’s better to avoid it”), but he responded to one of the recurring themes of the Scuderia’s season, which is the team’s technical leadership.
“I believe the organizational chart has always been very clear,” he reiterated. “All the technicians working on the chassis report to Enrico Cardile, who is the technical director of the chassis part. Enrico Gualtieri, on the other hand, is the technical director of the power unit project. In other teams, there are similar setups, with a Technical Director in Brackley and one in Brixworth (referring to Mercedes), one in Enstone and one in Viry Chatillon (in the case of Alpine). You can’t have the same figure in the role of Technical Director in such different areas.” – the French manager pointed out.
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In both departments, the hiring campaign is still ongoing, but Fred Vasseur doesn’t want to convey the message of a need to cover deficiencies but rather a normal process of strengthening the team with new ideas.
“We don’t have a weak organization, but I believe the continuous search for improvement is part of the DNA of motorsport; otherwise, you’re dead. We are still hiring thanks to the margin we have left within the budget cap. But the financial regulations impose choices on us, meaning we have to understand which department the investment is most targeted, whether it’s aerodynamics or something else.”
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