James Vowles defends Ferrari boss Vasseur, warning harsh F1 media scrutiny can harm leaders. F1 news, Ferrari, James Vowles.
While the atmosphere at Williams F1 is very relaxed and calm, it stands in stark contrast to the increasingly tense environment at Ferrari, where the Italian press has decided to put immense pressure on Frédéric Vasseur — too much, according to Vowles.
During a press conference, James Vowles clearly came to the defense of his counterpart at Maranello.
“I’ve probably known Fred for about 20 years. Fred is an incredibly good leader. What you’re seeing him do here in front of you today is take full responsibility, because that’s what we do, and it’s our job to do so. And his point is entirely valid.”
How much can this kind of external noise affect a Formula 1 team?
“Personally, it has never caused me distress or frustration. But I’ve seen it destroy individuals over a single line written by someone who may or may not know the facts behind it. So, to answer your question, it shows you the power of words, in both a positive and negative sense. But what I would say is that I have the utmost respect for Fred and for what he’s doing at Ferrari, because they are competitive and moving forward. It’s as simple as that.”
Komatsu also supports Vasseur against the Italian press
The atmosphere is also quite relaxed at Haas F1 with Ayao Komatsu.
Does Komatsu think these rumors are just part of the usual game in F1, especially at Maranello? Will his words be as strong as those of James Vowles?
“Yes, I suppose it’s part of F1. These rumors, people like to talk about these things when they have nothing else to write about.”
“So yes, it does affect the team to some extent. But when the team principal is present — I’ve been in two different teams before that had very strong leaders — and internal communication is clear, then we trust them.”
“So, people on the outside can say whatever they want. The real teams will be just fine.”
