Nico Rosberg had high praise for Frédéric Vasseur, the mastermind behind Ferrari’s resurgence in Formula 1. The French engineer, who arrived in Maranello two seasons ago, has managed to win everyone over. Employees speak highly of him (in fact, extremely highly), the drivers are fully satisfied, and the fans appreciate him more and more, riding the wave of victories like those in the Italian Grand Prix at the Monza circuit.
The impact of Frédéric Vasseur on Ferrari is undeniable. You can see it in the details, the small things, and the mentality that had been missing in Maranello for some time. Frederic Vasseur had hinted at this before: his Ferrari would be bold, daring, and willing to take risks. Both in the factory and on the track, this transformation is slowly coming to fruition.
The all-in at Monza, the attempt to go for a one-stop strategy, might be the clearest example of this. In the most important race of the year, Ferrari decided to bet everything on a single gamble, trusting in Charles Leclerc’s tire management skills. A winning bet, a massive reward that redeemed months of disappointment following the disastrous aerodynamic update introduced by the Maranello technicians in Catalunya.
“You could definitely feel Fred’s influence [on the Monza strategy],” explains Nico Rosberg on Sky F1’s podcast. “He’s a real racing enthusiast. He doesn’t need to follow what the computer tells him but relies on his instincts and what he sees. It’s a nice contrast to some of the nerdy engineers, glued to their screens, who sometimes forget to look outside at what’s really happening.” – the 2016 Formula One world champion added.
“It was an important decision, with less than a 50% chance of success,” continued the 2016 World Champion. “It was about rolling the dice, looking at the odds, and saying ‘we’re at Monza, there’s a 35-40% chance that if we do this…’ If the upcoming updates work, they could fight for the Constructors’ Championship.” – the former Mercedes driver concluded.
Source: f1ingenerale
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