This is how Italy view Vassuer and Ferrari's chances for F1 2023

One of the news items that attracted the most attention this winter break was Mattia Binotto's farewell to Ferrari and his replacement by Frederic Vasseur. Everyone is curious to see how things will go for Ferrari with the new team principal and what he can do in the 2023 season. GPBlog asked three Italian journalists what they think, plus an opinion from Italian editor Simone Tommasi. 

Matteo Novembrini - Autosprint

Autosprint journalist Matteo Novembrini doesn't give his opinion on the new team principal: "I prefer to evaluate the impact and performance of Vasseur in his first months at Maranello as the races go by," but he believes it is important to ask why the need for change. For Novembrini, it is primarily a managerial issue and he believes that it is on the pit wall where the biggest job needs to be done: 'In 2022, the red car too many strategic mistakes that weighed in the decision to remove Binotto."

There are several things that Ferrari can improve in this area, he continues, such as 'streamlining the decision-making process when it comes to strategy', but also improving the work on the track to reverse the trend of turning very few pole positions into victories. What's more, for Novembrini, Vasseur will have to get to grips with a fast-paced car development, because the car that was initially churned out last year was a winning car on paper.

With Vasseur, he adds, there will be a return to a clearer division between managerial and technical aspects, perhaps including the arrival of a technical director. In any case, for 2023 Vasseur will not be responsible for the performance of the car, which will depend on the work done in the year just ended, but "it will be up to him to get to know the people behind the 2023 car and put them in a position to develop it to the best of their ability, especially after the first third of the season. The competitiveness of the 2023 project will not depend on Vasseur, but his management on the track and at the race wall will."

Daniele Sparisci - Corriere della Sera

For Daniele Sparisci, the expectations for the coming season are clear: "The objective is just to win. And that must always be the case for Ferrari." For the Corriere della Sera journalist, enough time has been spent talking about restarting, rebuilding and so on. What matters now are results and it is results that will show whether Vasseur's move to Ferrari was positive. "He is an experienced man but he still has to prove everything. He who has never been in a top team will have this opportunity to prove himself and he will have to do it with facts."

In any case, for Sparisci it had come to a situation where a change of team principal "was inevitable". It was a separation that had been in the air for some time, and for which both Binotto and Ferrari were in agreement. However, it is not known whether winning this year or next year is possible or impossible. For the Corriere journalist, so much will depend on the car Ferrari gets. They continue: "Let's see what the 2023 car will be like. There is a lot of talk about it, but then the only comparison is when you put the wheels on the asphalt".

Giusto Ferronato - La Gazzetta dello Sport

For Ferronato, Gazzetta dello Sport, "Binotto pays for the fact that during his management, especially in the last year, a constant line of improvement has not been seen". In particular, he refers to the growth within the season, because "this year [2022] the car proved to be very fast, but then there was a lack of development and maintenance of competitiveness at a high level". For Ferronato, the decision to part ways with Binotto is certainly not a hasty one, given that a team principal has not stayed at Ferrari for this long since the days of Todt. "In today's Formula 1 four years, five years, are hardly given to anyone."

There are two things that will be asked of Vasseur instead: the aforementioned continuity in competitiveness at a high level throughout the season and tangible changes in race management, and the quality of calls and strategies. Whether Vasseur is the right man, however, is yet to be seen and will have to wait sometime. "This year's car [2023] will be the child of Binotto's organisation, it will not be Vasseur's car. The judgement on Vasseur will be on something else," Ferronato continued.

From this point of view, according to the Gazzetta dello Sport journalist, looking at the 2022 car the prospects are good. "Last year's Ferrari started very well, it was a fast car. But over the course of the season the developments didn't work or worse they had to go back on engine power. The prospects are to have a Ferrari that really is there [to fight at the front]. Then of course there are other unknowns, like the opponents. Red Bull and Verstappen are almost animalistic and Mercedes are unlikely to slip up again."

Simone Tommasi - GPblog.com

In my opinion, the change at the top was inevitable. Binotto has been able to lift the team from very difficult seasons, but it was clear that last season there was no tangible improvement in sight. He certainly paid for mistakes that were not his alone, but Ferrari really did get things wrong on strategy and as far as development was concerned they always struggled more than the other top teams. Separating the managerial position from the technical one could also have some benefits for the Scuderia di Maranello, but big improvements are to be made on the management side because initially, the car in 2022 was there.

Vasseur was perhaps a bit of a forced choice, but to judge him it is necessary to wait for the first races. Obviously, he won't be judged on the 2023 car, but on all the factors on which Ferrari struggled last year and which can be resolved immediately. If there are the desired improvements I believe Ferrari will be able to fight with more conviction for the championship than last year. This is also taking into account the news that has leaked out over the last few days about the Ferrari engine, although they are obviously to be taken with a grain of salt. Then, of course, we will also have to see where the rivals are at.