Frederic Vasseur has been tipped to achieve "big things" in charge of Ferrari despite some reservations over his appointment.
The Frenchman is the new team principal at Maranello, replacing Mattia Binotto who resigned at the end of the 2022 season. Ferrari built a good car but had engine reliability problems, while a swathe of terrible strategy decisions also derailed their title bid and led to Binotto feeling like he needed to step away.
Vasseur brings a lot of experience of leading single-seater teams to the job. He has had success in the feeder series with the ART team he formed with Nicolas Todt and has worked in F1 for several years now, first with Renault and then at Sauber.
Still, his appointment has split opinion. Some feel his appointment is a shrewd one and that he is exactly the sort of leader that this Ferrari team needs, while others have voiced concerns over the fact he has not led a top F1 team before and that he was an outside hire who may need a long time to get fully up to speed.
Former Formula 1 driver Giedo van der Garde is firmly among those who approve of the move. Giving his thoughts on the overall situation, he expressed the belief that Binotto jumped ship before he was pushed and backed Vasseur to deliver for the Scuderia.
"I think they gave him a choice: either we say we've thrown you out, or we do it in a nice way and you say you've resigned yourself," he said. "And so it ended up being the second one. But it was clear that he had to leave. He is a very nice guy and has built a very good car, but Ferrari did throw away some wins this year. And whichever way you look at it, he was responsible for that as team boss.
"Vasseur put the right people in the right place [at Alfa Romeo-Sauber]. He is a true leader and will be able to take Ferrari to new heights. He's someone who can bang his fist on the table and doesn't like bullsh*t. He can be tough. That is why I really think he is the right man for Ferrari.
"He always tells it like it is. He does not play political games, but is straightforward. If someone is not functioning well, he can be very rigorous and say: either you will do better, or you will be replaced by someone else. He always goes for the best possible performance. And as a Ferrari team boss you have to project that.
"Binotto is very professional and has done some really good things at Ferrari in recent years, but it's also about winning mentality, and that is much more present with Vasseur. He will have to look at the complete picture, address the points that did not go well last season and, just like with Alfa, put the right people in the right place. That will take some time, but give him that time."
