A Friend Named Toto
True friends step in during tough times. That’s certainly the case for Fred Vasseur—who missed the Austrian Grand Prix for personal reasons and is currently going through a particularly delicate phase as Ferrari team principal, amid persistent rumors suggesting he could be removed from his role. In this context, the public show of support from his rival, colleague, and longtime friend Toto Wolff likely came as a welcome gesture.
The Mercedes team boss, speaking to journalists in Austria, publicly defended Fred Vasseur when asked about the importance of stability in the role of F1 team principal and about the media scrutiny surrounding Ferrari’s current top manager. “It feels like teams in general have become revolving doors,” said Toto Wolff. “I think Christian [Horner] and I are now the only ‘dinosaurs’ left.”
Full Support for Fred Vasseur: Let Him Work
When asked specifically about Fred Vasseur, Toto Wolff cited the well-known example of Jean Todt, who waited years before building Ferrari’s legendary winning era with Michael Schumacher: “If I’m not mistaken, Todt joined the team in 1993 and won his first championship in 2000. That’s eight years. That’s how it works—there are cycles. Look at us: I don’t enjoy being in a phase where we’ve gone three straight years without fighting for a title, but that doesn’t make us useless. We still have strong weekends and win races. And when things aren’t going well, no one questions whether the leader is doing a good job or not. Give him room, let him do his job.”
Toto Wolff then described Fred Vasseur as one of the best managers in Formula 1, adding that he would gladly hire him as his own replacement: “Let him build an organization that doesn’t fall apart on day one. Loic [Serra] has only been there six or seven months. Let them work. Fred is one of the best racing managers I know. If I weren’t here, I’d take Fred. I respect him deeply. He has a great personality, he’s straightforward. He doesn’t play politics, he doesn’t lie, and he knows what he’s talking about. He just needs to be trusted.” – he pointed out.
Toto Wolff also acknowledged the pressure that comes with managing Ferrari, especially in Italy: “He knows very well that in Italy, Ferrari is like managing the national football team—the media will constantly scrutinize you. Maybe he needs to grow a bit of a thicker skin in that regard. Because when you win, you’re Jesus Christ, and when you lose, you’re a loser. That’s how Italy is, and it’s wonderful. That’s the passion they have. You need to embrace it. Maybe that’s something he still needs to learn. But aside from that, he should be trusted to run the team. They won’t find anyone better.” – the Mercedes team boss concluded.
Leave a Reply