Ferrari have handed their Team Principal Fred Vasseur a multi-year contract, which the team say “reflects Ferrari’s determination to build on the foundation laid so far”.
Vasseur joined the Italian team ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 season and under his watch, the team challenged McLaren for the 2024 Teams’ Championship until the last race before finishing just 14 points behind the champions.
While they trail the McLaren by a mammoth 299 points as we are in the summer break, Ferrari have managed to hold on to P2 in the Teams’ Championship, fending off rivals Mercedes and Red Bull.
One of Vasseur’s key strengths is his ability to shield and protect his team from external factors. Despite the uncertainty and speculation, he’s managed to do just that with the team keeping their heads down.
The new deal will kelp restore a greater sense of calm among the team and allow them to focus on trying to take advantage of sweeping new chassis and power unit regulations for 2026. But now that Vasseur’s immediate future has been secured, Ferrari senior management will expect him to lead the team to respond well to those rule changes and challenge for both championships next year.
Fred Vasseur will be leaving his role as Alfa Romeo Team Principal and Sauber Motorsport CEO in January 2023, after six years with the Swiss operation.
Vasseur first joined Sauber in 2017 with the team 10th and last in the constructors’ championship, and set about rebuilding and growing the famous marque.
They’ve taken on Alfa Romeo as a title sponsor and secured the team’s best constructors’ championship finish in a decade with sixth this season.
The Frenchman, also played a key role in the deal that will see Audi enter Formula 1 in 2026 by making Sauber their factory team.
As I prepare to bring my adventure at Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN to an end, I can look back fondly at these six years together. I owe a debt of gratitude to every single employee of the team, as they are the ones who got this team back on their feet and climbing the ladder of our sport. I am proud of the job we collectively have done as a team and a company, and even more so of the strong foundations we have laid for what’s to come next: but what I am the proudest of is the people that made this all possible, which in time have become friends. This team will always feel like home and I’ll be rooting for it wherever I go. I have learnt so much during my stint as a CEO and Team Principal and I feel each day has equipped me for what is to come. I know Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN will keep going from strength to strength and I’m looking forward to seeing them compete at the business end of the grid in the next few years.
Fred Vasseur on leaving the team.
Ferrari have appointed Fred Vasseur as Team Principle with the Alfa Romeo boss and Sauber Motorsport CEO replacing Mattia Binotto from January 2023.
Following weeks of discussions, Vasseur decided to end his six year tenure at Sauber and join Ferrari in what is one of the biggest – if not the biggest job in motorsport.
Vasseur brings with him more than two decades’ worth of motorsport experience, including a stint as team boss at Renault during the 2016 campaign.
We are delighted to welcome Fred Vasseur to Ferrari as our Team Principal. Throughout his career he has successfully combined his technical strengths as a trained engineer with a consistent ability to bring out the best in his drivers and teams. This approach and his leadership are what we need to push Ferrari forward with renewed energy.
Ferrari CEO, Benedetto Vigna.
I am truly delighted and honoured to take over the leadership of Scuderia Ferrari as Team Principal. As someone who has always held a lifelong passion for motorsport, Ferrari has always represented the very pinnacle of the racing world to me. I look forward to working with the talented and truly passionate team in Maranello to honour the history and heritage of the Scuderia and deliver for our Tifosi around the world.
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