Earlier than turning into the group principal at Ferrari, Fred Vasseur had the chance to work carefully with each Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, forging necessary relationships that may show pivotal of their careers. His journey started within the junior classes and prolonged to the midfield of Formulation 1, the place he made a reputation for himself.
Frederic Vasseur’s involvement with Hamilton began in 2006 when he was main the ART GP2 group, which employed the younger British driver for the season. Hamilton went on to win the GP2 championship, forming a robust bond with Vasseur that may show important nearly 20 years later. Hamilton, who had been a part of the McLaren-Mercedes younger driver programme since 1998, shortly superior to an F1 race seat with McLaren. Inside two years, he turned a world champion.
In the meantime, Leclerc and Hamilton loved two of essentially the most spectacular seasons in Formulation 2, with Hamilton simply edging forward. In 2017, Leclerc received the F2 championship, a victory that led Ferrari to position him at Sauber.
It was right here that Leclerc first crossed paths with Frederic Vasseur, who had lately joined Sauber from Renault. They spent a single season working collectively earlier than Leclerc was swiftly promoted to Ferrari’s works group.
Nonetheless, when Mattia Binotto misplaced his job as Ferrari’s group principal on the finish of 2022, the group turned to Vasseur, bringing him again into the fold. Now, Vasseur will reunite with each Hamilton and Leclerc, creating a robust lineup at Maranello.
In 2022, whereas nonetheless at Sauber, Vasseur spoke about the important thing similarity he noticed between Leclerc and Hamilton, a trait that might serve Ferrari effectively. He famous that each drivers possess a robust willingness to be self-critical after any race, even when they’ve received. Regardless of having celebrated victories, they’re at all times searching for areas for enchancment, pushed by an unyielding want to raised themselves. This relentless pursuit of progress may very well be the important thing to breaking Ferrari’s 17-year championship drought, particularly with Vasseur on the helm, overseeing a group of such distinctive drivers.
Fred Vasseur talked about that in his profession, he had solely encountered one different driver who was as cruel in his personal judgment when he felt his efficiency was unsatisfactory, and that was Lewis Hamilton. He added that Hamilton and Leclerc have been the one two drivers he had seen who have been self-critical even after successful a race, in contrast to different drivers who would usually congratulate themselves. Based on the French supervisor, each Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc understood once they may have pushed higher and addressed this with relentless willpower.
Earlier than formally becoming a member of Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton despatched a personal message to Fred Vasseur, signaling the start of what would quickly change into a big collaboration. Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have already begun to develop a rapport forward of their first race collectively in Melbourne, though their skilled relationship is simply starting to take form. Throughout his time at Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton was at all times cautious about discussing Ferrari in an excessive amount of element, but the 2 drivers did discover frequent floor of their mutual pursuits exterior the racetrack, sharing insights and constructing a basis for what lies forward.
There’s widespread perception amongst F1 followers that Ferrari now boasts one of many strongest driver lineups on the grid. Nonetheless, the highway forward received’t be with out its challenges for Fred Vasseur. One pundit even speculated that Hamilton would possibly insist on a no-team-orders clause in his contract, realizing the aggressive nature he brings to the group and his want for full autonomy on the observe.
Moreover, Fred Vasseur faces the duty of reigniting the type of a legendary driver who’s coming off a considerably disappointing season. This might doubtlessly be as simple as offering Hamilton with a extra aggressive automotive, however the actual query stays how lengthy it should take for Hamilton to regain his full confidence. Privately, Hamilton has confided in Fred Vasseur, providing insights into the difficulties he confronted in qualifying, and understanding the foundation causes of his struggles. If the French supervisor is ready to tackle these points, he’ll seemingly stay optimistic about Hamilton’s potential to bounce again and return to the highest of his sport.
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