Frederic Vasseur has changed the culture at Ferrari for the better since taking over as its Formula 1 team principal, according to Charles Leclerc.
Vasseur took the reins of the Scuderia in January 2023 and implemented his trademark no-bullshit approach, after years of Ferrari being criticised not just for lacking performance but also for repeating errors and not always maximising its results under predecessor Mattia Binotto.
The Frenchman’s mindset was exemplified by his interview with Autosport’s Italian edition last May, as he advocated for an approach eradicating complacency: «If you start to be convinced that what you are doing is good, it’s the beginning of the end.»
Leclerc says the dynamic at Maranello has changed in many ways since Vasseur took over, including mistakes and flaws now being acknowledged quicker, which leads to swifter solutions and better outcomes overall.
«I think people have more responsibilities, are put in a better place to be at their 100% and really have the trust from Fred, which is a really good thing,» Leclerc explained exclusively to Autosport.
«Fred has always been super good at putting the people in the best possible condition in order for them to perform at their best. So this is really where it changed, and it’s a change of approach.»
A good example is the relative failure of the floor upgrade implemented on the car since the Spanish Grand Prix, which Ferrari hasn’t been able to maximise due to bouncing appearing as a side effect.
«It took us three or four races, but everyone acknowledged what were the weaknesses of what we had brought on the car,» Leclerc added. «And maybe in the past, it wasn’t as easy as now. So I think we are in a better place in the team.
«We’ve done big, big progress in the last seven to eight months before Barcelona – Barcelona has been a one-off. We have been honest with ourselves and understood where we did wrong. And I’m confident that we’ll come back on the good slope.»
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24
Photo by: Erik Junius
Being arguably the most prestigious squad in F1, under the Italian media’s relentless scrutiny, doesn’t make things easy for the Scuderia.
«The fact that we are Ferrari in general, whenever something happens at Ferrari, it always creates more of a mess than in any other teams,» Leclerc admitted. «This is where we need to be good, that whenever we are in those moments, we just focus on ourselves, try to take the noise away, learn from it and use it positively. But I hope that we don’t have too many of them.»
One recent negative headline was technical director Enrico Cardile leaving Ferrari to join Aston Martin, but Leclerc still reiterates his faith in Vasseur’s vision for the future.
«On that particular subject, I always had 200% confidence and trust in what Fred does,» he commented.
«Obviously Enrico left the team now. I know also that Fred won’t stay [interim] technical director for a very, very long time, and in the meantime, I fully trust Fred to manage the situation in the best possible way.
«I am fully confident as well that it won’t affect the team at the end. It’s more about the group than one particular person. Of course, it’s a situation that we need to fix as soon as possible. But Fred is on it.»
Additional reporting by Roberto Chinchero