Fred Vasseur: “You only understand the true meaning of Ferrari when you arrive in Maranello”. Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur reflects on the passion of the Scuderia’s fans.

The Ferrari team principal spoke about the motivation he receives from the passion of the Scuderia’s fans.

Three years of passion
When Frederic Vasseur first walked through the gates of Maranello on January 9, 2023, as Ferrari team principal, he had no idea what it truly meant to lead the most beloved team in the world. “When I started in Formula 1, I didn’t dream about Ferrari,” he admitted on Bloomberg’s Power Players podcast, adding: “You really feel the power of the brand only when you join Ferrari. When you’re outside, it’s a bit different. When you’re inside the company, it’s an incredibly positive feeling. The first time you arrive at the gate and see fans waiting there since early morning, it’s something super strange.”

It was certainly a completely different world compared to Renault and Sauber, the teams he had managed until then. “In the ten previous years in Formula 1, I saw fewer fans in front of the factory than I did on my first day at Ferrari. Wherever you go around the world, at every single circuit on the calendar, at least half of the fans are ours. Last year, when we won at Monza and the mechanics returned at one in the morning, they found fans waiting for them. It’s something unusual in our sport, maybe something that only happens in football,” Fred Vasseur proudly highlighted.

Pressure as motivation
Frederic Vasseur did not hide the challenges of holding such a high-profile position. “This love from the fans is an incredible boost for us, an enormous source of energy. We take it as extra motivation, which also creates a lot of pressure. I always put myself under pressure. Ferrari is the perfect example of how you can be very proud of your past while still looking toward the future. It’s part of the Ferrari magic.” – the French manager concluded.