Ferrari’s team principal, Frederic Vasseur, has emphasized that there is no intention of reverting to the past approach of running the team with an ‘iron fist,’ a style epitomized by Jean Todt during his tenure from 1994 to 2007.
During that era, Michael Schumacher’s dominance was highlighted, and Jean Todt, alongside a technical dream team comprising Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne, effectively managed the Maranello team’s operations.
Jean Todt‘s leadership contributed to Michael Schumacher becoming the first Ferrari driver to secure the championship since Jody Scheckter in 1979. The German subsequently clinched five of his seven titles with the Italian side before retiring.
Following that period, the Scuderia experienced less successful years, with Kimi Raikkonen being their most recent driver to claim the world championship in 2007, narrowly beating McLaren’s Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton after a thrilling last round of the season.
The ever-watchful Italian media scrutinized the team consistently, examining every misstep. Many experts suggested that a more forceful and stern figure in the leadership role was required, evoking comparisons between the authoritative Maurizio Arrivabene and Mattia Binotto.
However, Fred Vasseur’s approach differs significantly, as he recently emphasized in an interview with the Italian newspaper Auto Sprint.
“Iron fist is not my way, and times have changed,” he said. “People’s psychological approach is different. We need a more inclusive approach that makes everyone participate in a winning project.
“This is true in all contexts, not just in Formula 1,” he continued.
According to the current Ferrari team principal, Jean Todt’s main ability as team leaders was knowing how to get through the first very difficult seasons before the Maranello team started winning titles.
“From 1993 to 2000 Ferrari didn’t win,” he added. “I think it was more difficult for Jean to survive seven years than to win titles over and over again! There are no winning recipes by definition. You just have to improve the system and Jean was great at surviving and developing it right.” – the French manager pointed out.
Ferrari is frequently portrayed as a challenging and chaotic setting for both team leadership and drivers. However, Vasseur asserts that his experience at Maranello, since assuming control from Mattia Binotto at the beginning of the season, has been quite different.
“When the possibility of me coming to Ferrari was being discussed, everyone was telling me, ‘You’ll see what chaos is, what internal struggles are’. That idea is completely false. It’s a notion people have developed and got used to repeating,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport. “If I compare Ferrari to other teams, even those where I’ve been, the atmosphere is really good. Every morning when I arrive at the office, there’s a group of people eager at the entrance. It’s a great driving force, even though sometimes it doesn’t help when you need time and calmness to grow.” – Fred Vasseur concluded.
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