Once again, Ferrari confirms previously denied information. This time it was early this Tuesday, when the Italian team announced the addition of Fred Vasseur as its new general manager. In this way, the Frenchman assumes the baton that Mattia Binotto released a couple of weeks ago, when he resigned from his position as a result of the lack of support that he received from the leadership of the Maranello brand. Vasseur will disembark at the scuderia coming from Sauber, renamed Alfa Romeo, where in the last five years he held the position of CEO. Before (2016) he also led Renault. In his last stage as an executive, Vasseur had a decisive role in signing the alliance with Audi, which will enter Formula 1 in 2026. According to the Australian portal, ‘speedcafe‘, Andreas Seidl is the best placed to take the reins of the ring builder, once the German has parted ways with McLaren.
The new head of the structure of The Prancing Horse, 54 years old, he was also a decisive figure in the training of drivers such as Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg or Charles Leclerc, who in the lower categories went through the ART team, of which Vasseur is a co-founder. Since he took the helm at Sauber (2018), the Hinwill (Switzerland) team has undergone a recovery that has taken it from eighth position in the table to sixth in which it finished in 2022.
“I am delighted and feel a great honor to be able to lead Ferrari as director. As a passionate motorsport fan, this symbol has always represented the pinnacle of the racing world,” Vasseur said in the official statement, which came shortly after Alfa Romeo announced its departure later this month. “Throughout his career, [Vasseur] he has combined the technical ability that he developed in his role as an engineer, and that of getting the most out of the drivers and teams. This approach is what Ferrari needs to move forward, with renewed energy ”, praised Benedetto Vigna, CEO of the manufacturer of the red cars. Despite the obvious leap in quality given by the car with which Leclerc was able to finish runner-up last season, the title drought that has been dragging on since 2007 (Raikkonen) motivated this umpteenth shake-up in the offices.
Like any maneuver that Ferrari carries out, this signing is not exempt from a certain suspicion, basically due to the close relationship between Leclerc and who will be his next boss. In fact, the Monegasque made his debut in F1, with Sauber, led by Vasseur (2018). “I have worked with Fred since the lower categories, a stage in which he showed that he was committed to me, and from then on we always maintained a good relationship,” Leclerc declared, just a few days ago.
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