2022 was a breakthrough year for Ferrari, taking four wins and coming second in the constructors’ championship – but the season was ultimately viewed as a disappointment, as reliability issues, strategic blunders and driver error eventually left it well adrift of Red Bull. Former team principal Mattia Binotto was the one to take the fall, leaving Ferrari after the season-closer at Abu Dhabi.
The Scuderia then turned to Vasseur as a replacement, who had been immensely successful with his own ART junior team, before then being brought into to steady the Sauber ship as it became Alfa Romeo.
Though the Frenchman said he weighed up the positives and negatives of taking on arguably the biggest role in motor sport, in the end the former Alfa boss couldn’t turn it down.
“You can’t say no to this kind of offer,” he says. “It’s the biggest challenge available around the table of F1, but also a fantastic one. And very, very quickly, we agreed. It was difficult to leave Sauber. But this is life, and I will see them in Bahrain. I have a new challenge now.”
Though stressing that all current F1 bosses bring something different to the table, he articulates where he feels his strengths lie.
“I spent the last 32 years of my life in racing activities, and I will bring perhaps a bit more of the racing aspect than some other team principals,” he says.
Vasseur helped move Sauber/Alfa Romeo in right direction
Alfa Romeo / Sauber
“The characteristic is perhaps that I spent more time than the others on the pitwall.”
Vasseur also appreciates that even though a new face is brought in to help push the team forward, there can be obvious drawbacks too.
“You are joining the position with completely fresh eyes and fresh vision on the system and so on,” he emphasises.