Amid rising temperatures within Ferrari’s Formula 1 team, Frederic Vasseur remains undisturbed by the swirling controversies.
Currently, Carlos Sainz is delivering stellar performances, coinciding with his search for opportunities with other teams from next year onwards in light of his impending ousting. Charles Leclerc himself acknowledged in China, “it’s as simple as he’s doing a better job.”
There are those who argue that Vasseur might regret his decision to choose Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc over Sainz. However, Vasseur disagrees, explaining to Ouest France, “Regrets, that’s not the word. I have enormous respect and admiration for Carlos. I spent ten years trying to work with him, and I will have had him for two seasons with some exceptional times. He took me to my first podium in F1!” He praised Sainz’s ability to foster a supportive environment within the team, adding, “He creates a positive dynamic in the team, but we have choices to make in life and I think that a team today cannot not try to have Lewis.”
Tensions nearly boiled over during the Shanghai sprint race when Sainz and Leclerc’s vehicles collided while racing aggressively. Leclerc reported over the team radio, “He fights me more than the others,” and later remarked to journalists, “It was a little too aggressive. I think Carlos went a little over the line today. We need to discuss this, as we always do, but Carlos and I have a great relationship. I don’t have any worries about that.” Subsequently, Sainz issued a public apology, suggesting potential challenges ahead for the team.
Despite the internal conflict, Vasseur is confident in his strategic choices for Ferrari. He detailed the broader team motivations and the importance of building a robust team project. “In our sport, there is also the motivation of 1500 people, and also recruitment, the building of a team, of a project,” he explained. Vasseur also commented on the unique qualities Hamilton brings to the team, “Lewis is unique and we also need this form of stability and reference that you don’t necessarily have when you have two young people,” and added, “With Lewis, we will have that – he’s the absolute reference at this level. He is also someone who knows how to balance his life wonderfully well between racing and outside of it, and that too will help Charles in his progress.”
GMM
