Ferrari has finally confirmed Frederic Vasseur as the team principal at Maranello for the 2023 F1 season. The news comes after much speculation surrounding former team principal Mattia Binotto's future in the last few races this season, with Vasseur's name thrown around quite a bit.
With Binotto announcing his departure recently, it was only a matter of time before the Italian team made this news official. In a statement released to the press, Vasseur claimed to be delighted and honored to take over the leadership of the team, saying:
“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.”
Scuderia CEO Benedetto Vigna also welcomed Vasseur as team principal and said:
“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-bound Vasseur bids farewell to Alfa Romeo
In an announcement preceding the one by the Maranello-based squad, Alfa Romeo confirmed the departure of Fred Vasseur from the team at the end of the season. In a statement released to the media, Vasseur thanked the team for their six years together and said:
“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.”
He added:
“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.”
It will be interesting to see how Vasseur meshes with the political jungle at Maranello. Many team principals have come and gone, with the elusive title having made the team a revolving door for senior officials.