Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur says his role with the Italian squad feels “extra special” compared to previous positions he’s had in the sport.
Vasseur has taken on the rank of team boss for the 2023 campaign, replacing Mattia Binotto at the helm of the Maranello-based squad.
In previous years, Vasseur has led the Alfa Romeo F1 team, while he is also the co-founder of the successful ART Grand Prix outfit that races in categories such as Formula 2 and Formula 3.
The Frenchman’s impact has already been hailed by Charles Leclerc, who is impressed by how fast Vasseur has got up to speed at the team.
Ahead of his first grand prix in Ferrari colours, Vasseur claims that he hasn’t enjoyed such unique anticipation before.
“I’ve had this feeling quite often in my career, but I have to admit, this time it’s extra special,” he said.
“I can feel the passion not only from every single employee in Maranello, but also from the tifosi – and it only took me a couple of months to get infected by this passion and excitement. We can’t wait to get the season started.”
Ferrari endured a trouble-free pre-season test as it looks to improve on the 2022 form that saw it finish second in the Constructors’ Championship.
It enters the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend as the reigning race winner, but Vasseur says that the result of the upcoming race won’t reflect how the championship could play out.
“Testing was good and the three days last week showed that the car is matching our expectations and now we need to continue fine-tuning in order to get the most out of it,” he said.
“One thing is clear: this will be the Championship with the most races ever, so no matter what the result, the title won’t be won or lost in Bahrain”.
“We know the track pretty well, but the changing air and track temperatures, as well as changing wind conditions, plus the new Pirelli tyres will make it very tricky to get the set-up of the car right.
“But both Carlos and Charles collected a lot of data during the three test days, so we should be well prepared for a good weekend.”
