Frederic Vasseur has reflected on the first half of the 2024 season, discussing challenges and increasingly fierce competition
A little over twenty months into his tenure at Ferrari, Fred Vasseur’s work is becoming more methodical as he aims to reshape the Maranello team and restore it to its former glory—a role once held by Jean Todt. Despite the difficulties and results that haven’t always met expectations, the French team principal is convinced that the key to bringing Ferrari back to the top lies in taking calculated risks wherever possible, as he explained in an interview with F1.
Fred Vasseur’s Words on Ferrari
The Draveil-born manager finds himself balancing external pressure from fans and the Italian media while also maintaining a calm and productive work environment within the Scuderia—a responsibility that, as one can imagine, is far from light. Vasseur shared his thoughts: “The internal atmosphere is good. We certainly wanted to achieve more, but when you adopt an aggressive approach, sometimes you risk achieving less. This is where we need to stay calm”,, he began.
The situation at Ferrari is ambiguous, with highs and lows: the victories of Sainz and Leclerc are undeniable, but on the other hand, failures in upgrades have sparked numerous criticisms: “You need to have a certain level of frustration when things don’t go well because it’s the best push to get back to improving. But everything must remain under control”.
Vasseur: “Now at Ferrari, Everyone Is Willing to Take Risks”
The key point: Vasseur aims for the top, and to get there, the solution is to take risks. “If there’s one thing I’m proud of, it’s not the results, but the fact that everyone is more willing to take risks, a bit less afraid… This is a change in mentality. You can’t afford to maintain margins—you have to take risks everywhere if you want to win”.
“I don’t spend energy or time every morning asking myself if we’re happy with what we’ve done. My job is to stay calm, both in positive and negative moments. For example, we had four difficult weekends—Canada, Spain, Austria, and Great Britain—and the mood in the team wasn’t great”, Vasseur recalled. “But there was positivity in trying to recover, understand why, and solve the problems. The attitude, as mentioned, is good”.
He continued: “Every day, we have to try to do better than the previous day. In F1, with such tight margins between teams, every little detail can make a big difference”.
Vasseur: “Leclerc, Tough Period After Monaco. Sainz Is Mentally Strong”
Speaking about the drivers, Vasseur praised the work of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, offering kind words for both: “Charles went through a tough period after Monaco, but he always remained calm and achieved two of his best results of the season. Carlos is very mentally strong and very consistent. He’s always there, very dedicated and focused”.
Vasseur concluded: Staying focused on daily details is a huge challenge, probably the most demanding job in our sector. But the mood in Maranello is good, and we need to maintain this positive attitude to achieve the final result”.
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari HP