Ferrari faces challenges, with Vasseur supporting his team and Leclerc through a noticeable dip in performance.
Scuderia Ferrari boss Frédéric Vasseur continues to back his engineering team and driver Charles Leclerc despite their lacklustre performances since Monaco.
Leclerc has appeared less comfortable in his car and has been slightly outshone by teammate Carlos Sainz in recent races. Yet, it is Sainz who will make way at the end of the year for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Will Hamilton’s arrival prove to be a blessing or a curse for Leclerc, who has struggled to consistently match the impressive Sainz this year?
“I don’t want to think about that because we have a lot of work to do this season,” responds Vasseur.
“We know the positives of Lewis’s arrival. Everyone says that (George) Russell is faster than him, but at the moment, Lewis has scored more points for Mercedes.”
Regarding Leclerc’s recent difficulties with the 2024 Ferrari, Vasseur admitted: “He has had some issues these past few weekends. But I still believe he’s on form. Sometimes, we have reacted too collectively.”
“When I say this, I’m not pointing at Charles or anyone in particular, as the primary issue is with the package and then, as a team, we are unconsciously trying to compensate.”
One theory is that while Sainz has simply focused on making himself attractive to a new team for 2025 and beyond, both Ferrari and Leclerc have suffered instability while seeking solutions to the troubles with the SF-24.
“Charles has always had the same characteristic—to blame himself first. In that, he has not changed. But overall, I think he is on the trajectory I’ve seen in the past. He is doing a superb job in the car, and in terms of motivation and collaboration with everyone. We cannot complain.”
While McLaren has now become a very stable team suddenly dominating F1, Ferrari has lost its technical director Enrico Cardile amid rumours that the Maranello-based team is desperately trying to sign Adrian Newey. Is the Scuderia struggling to attract top talent?
“I don’t think so,” Vasseur replies. “We are talking about individuals, someone who might come, and we are a group of over 1,000 people. You can replace A with B or B with C, but it won’t change the organisation.”
“I was disappointed to read in the press that we might hire 20 people (with Newey) as it sends a negative message to those already working here. That is not the aim of a team that is very satisfied with the work carried out over the last 12 months.”
There are rumours that Ferrari has now dismissed the idea of signing Newey due to his excessive demands, which would put too much pressure on the budget cap.
“It’s both true and false. The three highest salaries are excluded from the budget cap, so even if Aston Martin were to hire Newey, he wouldn’t be included under the cap.”
The Frenchman recently hinted that Ferrari was about to announce a new hire with a “five-letter name” – fuelling further speculation about Newey.
“It’s no secret that Loïc Serra will join the team next month. He will be a strong reinforcement and bring added value as he has vast experience in F1.”
“I always avoid mentioning just one name because we are in a process, and from the start, from my arrival, we made the decision to strengthen the team in all areas and we have probably hired 60 people.”
“But I prefer to keep a low profile and trust the people we already have.”
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Ferrari: Vasseur Stands by His Engineers and Leclerc Ferrari: Vasseur Stands by His Engineers and Leclerc
