Vasseur highlights the need for balance and continual improvement at Ferrari to achieve success.
Ferrari Continues Its Transformation Under Frédéric Vasseur, Yet the Much-Anticipated Results Elude Tifosi: Regular Victories and a Genuine Title Challenge.
Admittedly, Scuderia has significantly closed the gap to the front of the grid (currently shared among McLaren F1, Red Bull, and Mercedes F1 depending on the circuit), but there remains one more step to conquer.
Speaking to the official F1 website, the Frenchman dismisses external criticism, particularly from Italy. The figures speak for themselves: 345 points scored at the break, 117 better than last year and just 63 shy of the lead, with two additional victories added to the tally.
“Internally, the mood is positive. We certainly wanted more, and perhaps we overreacted to certain events in our quest for more. When you adopt an aggressive attitude, sometimes you achieve less. That’s when it’s crucial to stay calm.”
“It’s necessary to feel frustrated when not performing at the top, as it’s the best way to bounce back. We need to remain in control. We’ve had four challenging weekends [Canada, Spain, Austria, and Great Britain] – the team’s morale was low, as these were not the outcomes we desired, but there was a positivity in trying to catch up, to understand why and to solve the problem. The attitude is good.”
“If I am to be proud of something, it’s not the result. The result is a consequence. It’s rather the fact that everyone is more willing to take risks, slightly less fearful – the consequence being the result. We are trying to shift the mindset slightly.”
“It’s a mindset for me. You cannot afford to hold back. Risks must be taken everywhere [if one wants to win]. It’s a racing mentality. As I said, it’s probably also in Red Bull’s DNA. This is where we need to make progress.”
Vasseur is a man of moderated emotions. He does not overreact when the team has a poor weekend (much to the annoyance of the Italian press!) nor does he excessively celebrate a victory. On good days, he will congratulate everyone, but swiftly refocus everyone’s attention on sustained success.
“Some people can see the positives and others see areas for improvement—I tend to be in the latter category. I don’t spend energy or time in my life asking myself every morning, ‘Are we satisfied with what we’ve done?’ It’s competition. I’ve done nine races in ten weeks or something like that (including participating at Le Mans where Ferrari won for the second consecutive year). The key is to focus on one’s weaknesses and maintain a continuous improvement approach.”
“But that’s okay. It’s also normal because I think one of the characteristics of an Italian team is being Latin. My job is more about not blaming everything on them, pushing them, or trying to motivate them. Sometimes, my job is more about remaining calm about both the positives and the negatives.”
“The reaction to everything is always to amplify, internally first but also externally—with journalists—and part of my job is to convince everyone that we’re not world champions after Canada or Monaco. And we’re not much worse a week after Canada.”
What then must Ferrari do to take the long-awaited step?
“I think it would be a mistake to think there is a checklist of things to do, as it’s much more about a continuous improvement approach. We don’t just have to do one thing and that’s it done. My to-do list is to convince everyone at the factory that this is the way.”
“Every day, we must try to do a better job than yesterday. That’s even more true today in F1, with such small margins between teams and cars. Every detail makes a huge difference in terms of results. The average gap between us and the guys in front is about three or four hundredths of a second.”
“At Imola, three cars were within a thousandth of a second of each other. We need to keep this in mind and make sure we are trying in every area of the company, from production to design, through track operations and aerodynamics, to target the tenth.”
“It’s a huge challenge, probably the most demanding aspect of my job. But the atmosphere is there, and it is important for the final result. We need to maintain the positive attitude we have and try to do the best we can.”
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Ferrari’s Vasseur: Balance and Growth Key to Success Ferrari’s Vasseur: Balance and Growth Key to Success
