Fred Vasseur facing first test of new responsibility plan amid F1 organizational structure. John Elkann awaits results and Fred Vasseur has to deliver in the 2025 F1 season.

Ferrari has changed the team’s organization. In Formula 1, being highly prepared is essential. Having a competitive car, two fast drivers who are cohesive and ready to fight, and an experienced team capable of executing a race weekend flawlessly all matter. But none of this will ever be truly effective if the team’s planning is not at the highest level. It may seem like a trivial statement, and perhaps it is. However, emphasizing this aspect was important to introduce the discussion.

There are only a few days left until the Formula 1 season debut. On Friday morning, we will see the ten teams in action at the 5.278-kilometre Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit in Melbourne, a return to the past after several seasons in which the Formula 1 championship’s dawn took place in Bahrain. Ferrari has worked hard to be ready, or at least to maximize its current potential. But what is the goal for this first round of the 2025 Formula 1 season? To deliver the best version of itself in Australia. While waiting to fully understand the potential of the SF-25 single-seater, the ability to optimize is key to achieving a solid result in Melbourne this weekend..

Frederic Vasseur has been the Scuderia Ferrari team principal for over two seasons now, ever since the top management decided to part ways with Mattia Binotto. The Swiss engineer was an expert engine specialist who could make his mark on the technical side. Unfortunately, however, his dual role, which included the position of technical director, ended up overwhelming his responsibilities. Yet, it was Mattia Binotto himself who wanted this situation, which inevitably led to his downfall and departure from the Italian side.

We are not here to say who is better between the two. Frederic Vasseur undoubtedly has many qualities, just as his predecessor did. But the most evident difference compared to Mattia Binotto’s tenure is not purely in terms of quality. Who are we to judge that? We would not have the means to do so. What is clear, however, and visible to everyone, are a couple of strengths that deserve recognition and were previously absent. The first concerns the empathy within the Ferrari team, which has reached a significantly higher level.

The Maranello team is much more united, and its ability to react to potentially disruptive events is much greater. We refer, for example, to the technical issue suffered with the floor specification introduced at the Circuit de Catalunya in the Spanish Grand Prix last year and the subsequent departure of Italian aerodynamicist Enrico Cardile from the position of technical director, which left a key role unfilled. In this context, the team handled things as well as possible. It took time, yes, but the issues were resolved without ever losing control of the situation.

Knowing how to delegate is a crucial aspect in order to achieve better results and another very interesting aspect concerns Frederic Vasseur’s working methodology. The Frenchman is an engineer, of course, but he is not a top-tier designer or a phenomenon in this field. However, the former Alfa Romeo team boss uses his head. This is evident in his decision to appoint a right-hand man, namely someone who can extend his reach and mindset when needed. We are talking about Jerome D’Ambrosio, the deputy team principal of the Maranello team.

The Belgian has extensive experience in the top category of motorsport and knows how to navigate it properly. Frederic Vasseur needed to focus fully on certain matters, and for this reason, to ensure that not even the smallest detail is overlooked, he introduced a new role at Ferrari—someone to support him. This move reflects great humility, in contrast to Mattia Binotto, who believed he could manage everything alone within the vast scope of his responsibilities.

Thus, the former Alfa Romeo boss, while also considering the dual program related to preparations for the 2025 Formula 1 racing season, will have more freedom and be able to focus on key priorities. In Formula 1, prioritization is essential. Frederic Vasseur needed to do just that, placing maximum trust in his technical and operational team. This strategic move will also help with on-track operations. In fact, according to various reports in the Italian media, there are additional unsung and less visible collaborators working to support him.

It is almost unnecessary to stress the importance of the upcoming Formula 1 season. But we will do so anyway, reminding that the evaluation of Frederic Vasseur’s work, now in his third championship leading Ferrari, will undoubtedly be harsher if the expected results do not materialize this season. And it is not just the opinion of the supporters that matters, but also that of the Ferrari presidency, which, from day one, gave the French manager full authority against all odds. The decision made by chairman John Elkann regarding Fred Vasseur seemed unpopular to many at that time.

He was supposed to be a temporary team principal, a placeholder while searching for a truly capable one. Instead, Gianni Agnelli’s grandson has heavily invested in the Frenchman. This, combined with the massive financial outlay to bring seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton to Maranello, means that he expects results finally worthy of Ferrari’s historic legacy. That is why the Melbourne race will be the first real test of the new organizational structure set for 2025.

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