One step forward, one step back. The 2023 Formula 1 world championship looks like a frenzied tarantella at Ferrari: a mixed start in March, before a slight improvement at the end of April in Baku (Azerbaijan), with the first podium of the season for Charles Leclerc ( 3e); then a week later, new disappointment in Miami (Florida) where the bright red single-seaters were demoted on the grid. After five contested races, the legendary Italian constructor is overtaken by Red Bull, Aston Martin and Mercedes in the team standings. On the driver side, Carlos Sainz (5e) and Charles Leclerc (7e) are also left behind.
On Sunday May 28, on the Monaco Grand Prix circuit, the Scuderia hopes to take “a step forward” this time. Still, the situation is far from alarming Frédéric Vasseur, its director since January 9. The Miami Grand Prix was ” A step back “recognizes the 54-year-old Frenchman, who with thirty years spent in the world of motorsport, has gained enough experience not to let his morale be dictated by these fluctuating results.
And he is pleased to have succeeded in transmitting this serenity to his team. Like on March 19, in Saudi Arabia, where his troops experienced a disastrous GP – Charles Leclerc was penalized for changes to his car and Carlos Sainz never in the rhythm of the best. “What pleased me in this difficult moment is that no one got angry. We did not try to change everything. We tried to understand and correcthe analyzes. You should never overreact. »
Especially since Ferrari is not a team like the others. The prancing horse brand is the most successful in the history of Formula 1, with sixteen constructors’ championships… but whose last victory dates back to 2008, the year which was also the year of the departure of its first tricolor boss, Jean Todt, after fifteen years of prolific reign.
One of the most respected characters in the paddock
At the headquarters of the manufacturer’s factory, in Maranello, in Emilia-Romagna, it is better to have a chef renowned for his quiet strength. A characteristic that Frédéric Vasseur fulfills perfectly. “From what I’ve been told and how I know him, I think he’s the perfect person”had thus predicted Carlos Sainz before the enthronement of the native of Draveil (Essonne). “The manager’s attitude in a team like Ferrari has to be a bit differentrecognizes the person concerned. This Latin side means that we often have very high highs and very low lows. My job is to calm it all down. »
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