Is this the startling reason why Ferrari renewed Vasseur?
John Elkann with Fred Vasseur - Photo: Race Pictures
A filmmaker with a soft spot for Ronnie Peterson, Gilles Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen and above all, Tazio Nuvolari and Ayrton Senna, is also a diehard Formula One fan since the age of 4 (mid-90's). An avid researcher of the past of Grand Prix Racing since before it was even named F1, and with a thirst for knowledge of the ins and outs of the actuality of the sport, as well as for the technical aspects that define it, is a member of GPblog since 2023, where he has put his love of racing to good use.
F1 journalist Joe Saward wonders if Ferrari’s decision to keep team principal Frédéric Vasseur marks a potential shift in the Scuderia’s approach to leadership or if there was an underlying and more telling reason?
Writing in his Green Notebook blog, the veteran F1 journalist pointed to Ferrari’s long history of reshuffling its top management often.
'No one else wanted the Ferrari team principal job'
“Ferrari has long had the very bad habit of throwing out its leadership every three or four years,” Saward wrote.
“But the news that Vasseur will stay is a sign that (perhaps) the top management has finally understood that it is best to keep the same people and let them build what they can before they are thrown into the mincer at Maranello.”
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Saward noted that the decision comes despite what he described as a “complete lack of support” for Vasseur from Ferrari’s top management in recent months.
“It is fair to say that they were not really convinced,” he said, adding that “no-one else wanted the job.”
F1 rivals urged Ferrari to keep Vasseur on: out of faith or ambition?
Team bosses flocked in support of the then under fire Vasseur. Saward then questions if their intent was due to selfless camaraderie or if perhaps a more selfish reason hid behind their backing of the Frenchman.
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“Were they supporting him because they know he won’t fix it?", the British F1 journalist asked.
"Or were they so enamoured by the Frenchman that they were willing to risk being beaten by him in the future. Time will tell, I suppose,” Saward concluded.
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