Scuderia Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur’s approach during his post-Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix media interactions is quite familiar to fans who have watched television interviews or FIA press conferences.
He lightens serious questions with humor, handles potentially controversial ones diplomatically, and tries to avoid adding fuel to the regular storms that surround Maranello.
The press conference after the Monza Grand Prix would have had a different tone if the decision, which thr Frenchman claimed was ultimately his, to allow the drivers to race without restrictions had backfired. It would have been a tense moment on the Maranello pit wall if the team’s good result had been put in jeopardy.
As explained by Charles Leclerc, “Carlos was pushing the limits of braking, and I was pushing the limits of attacking, so we both took risks, but it ended well, so it’s all fine.”
The Ferrari team principal shared this perspective. The initial question, of course, was about the call not to impose team orders. His response was that if he had ordered them to hold position, there would have been questions about that approach. He admitted that facing the possibility of something going wrong was “not very comfortable,” but he believed in trusting the drivers.
“I trust them, but I told them no risk at all,” Fres Vasseur pointed out. “The notion of ‘no risk’ is relative, but it ended well, and I’m quite proud of the decision and the job done by the drivers today.”
This approach contrasted with that of ex-Ferrari team member Andrea Stella in his role as McLaren team principal when addressing his drivers’ clash; he was unequivocal in stating, “this is not acceptable.” However, the circumstances were different. What Vasseur needed to emphasize was the qualified success achieved by the drivers.
This also applied to the Maranello team, which secured its best two-car result of the 2023 Formula One championship with third and fourth places and realistically achieved as much as could be expected in front of the Tifosi at Monza. While the Ferrari performed well in low-downforce configuration and secured a notable pole position, the Red Bulls were consistently stronger in the race. Therefore, this result was likely the best outcome in a direct competition.
The question that logically arises is whether what occurred on the track could genuinely be considered as having “no risk.” Journalists fromThe Race raised the point to Fred Vasseur that what transpired seemed to exceed the concept of “no risk” and asked how he viewed the risk level. Wisely, the French manager chose not to enter into a debate.
“I won’t comment, and I don’t want to spark a controversy,” he replied. “If I had frozen the situation, I would have received the same question—why did you freeze? It’s not in the spirit of the race, and so on. You can always argue whether it was too much or not, but in the end, both drivers finished the race, and I’m more than happy with the outcome.”
Frederic Vasseur undoubtedly knows the potential consequences and understands that the risk level was perhaps too high. Only he and the drivers know how they will handle this situation, but a likely approach is to gently remind them that if they wish to have the freedom to race, they must take a “no-risk” instruction seriously. After all, mistakes will eventually occur, and Ferrari needs to trust its drivers not to take liberties when granted that freedom.
This is part of the daily challenge of running an F1 team, especially Ferrari. With spirits high after the race, Frederic Vasseur should find it relatively easy to convey his message in a relaxed manner so that both drivers comprehend what is expected of them. However, this discussion likely wouldn’t have been suitable for Sunday evening.
On this day, Fred Vasseur had earned the opportunity to savor the Maranello team’s success. It’s only a relative success, but for a team that hasn’t consistently translated its performance into results, third and fourth places marked a good day. Fred Vasseur even described it as his best day of the 2023 Formula 1 campaign.
As he leaned back at the desk to reflect on the weekend, it was evident that the weight on his shoulders had lightened. Monza is a critical point, capable of showcasing Ferrari at its best or worst, but on this weekend, it was a race team that delivered the expected results. Achieving that hasn’t always been assured for Ferrari in recent years. The long-term battle to develop a car capable of winning at Monza next year is still far from won, but that wasn’t relevant at that moment.
The Frenchman also offered a fascinating glimpse into the challenge he faced in managing expectations, alleviating pressure, and ensuring that every team member performed at their best during a weekend when everything revolved around Ferrari. After all, this was his first Grand Prix on home soil as Ferrari team principal.
“In general, it’s been a good weekend,” Fred Vasseur remarked. “A good weekend in terms of sporting performance, probably the best since the beginning of the season. Emotionally, it was also a massive one for me. As you can imagine, all week, I tried to downplay the situation, telling the guys, ‘We can’t score more points in Monza than elsewhere, so let’s take it easy.’ But when I arrived on Wednesday evening and saw hundreds of guys wearing red polo shirts three days before the event, it became clear that it wouldn’t be easy to stay calm.
“You can’t say it’s a normal one; I think it’s completely unique. And as Ferrari team principal, it was a bit of a test.”
It was indeed a challenging weekend, but ultimately, a successful one for Fred Vasseur and the Maranello team. As he discussed the weekend in his usual lighthearted yet strategic manner, it was evident that he knew he and his team had passed the test. There are many more challenges ahead, and Ferrari has much work to do under his leadership. However, on that day, in that place, it was as close to a victory as the Scuderia could achieve.
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