Frédéric Vasseur announced as Ferrari boss

Frédéric Vasseur has been announced as the new Team Principal of Italian Formula One team Scuderia Ferrari. The announcement comes following Alfa Romeo’s statement that Vasseur would be leaving his role as Team Principal of the Swiss Formula One team. 

Vasseur, who joined the Sauber team in 2017, also served as the CEO of Sauber Motorsport and rebuilt and grew the iconic team. He will be leaving the team in January 2023, completing a six-year stint with them. Prior to joining Sauber, Vasseur also had a short-stint as Renault’s Team Principal. 

Joining Ferrari, Vasseur will be replacing Mattia Binotto, who resigned from his role as Ferrari Team Principal in November. 

Speaking about leaving his role at Alfa Romeo, Vasseur said:

“As I prepare to bring my adventure at Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN to an end, I can look back fondly at these six years together. I owe a debt of gratitude to every single employee of the team, as they are the ones who got this team back on their feet and climbing the ladder of our sport. I am proud of the job we collectively have done as a team and a company, and even more so of the strong foundations we have laid for what’s to come next: but what I am the proudest of is the people that made this all possible, which in time have become friends. This team will always feel like home and I’ll be rooting for it wherever I go. I have learnt so much during my stint as a CEO and Team Principal and I feel each day has equipped me for what is to come. I know Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN will keep going from strength to strength and I’m looking forward to seeing them compete at the business end of the grid in the next few years.“

Finn Rausing, Sauber Holding AG Chairman of the Board of Directors, said:

“Frédéric gave our team six years of inspiring leadership and hard work, helping rebuild our company and our team. He was able to encourage every one of us into giving our best and the increasingly good results we have enjoyed are testament to the quality of his performance at the helm of the team. He was the first to believe in our project and he leaves a team in a much stronger, healthier position than when he arrived, with a bright future ahead of us, which is all that could have been asked of him. I am sure I echo everyone in the team when I wish Fred every success in his future endeavours.“

Sauber and Ferrari share a strong bond. and given that Vasseur has already served as Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc’s team boss during the Monégasque’s time with Sauber, it will be a relatively smoother transition for the 54-year-old Frenchman. 

Benedetto Vigna, CEO, Ferrari, commented:

“We are delighted to welcome Fred Vasseur to Ferrari as our Team Principal. Throughout his career he has successfully combined his technical strengths as a trained engineer with a consistent ability to bring out the best in his drivers and teams. This approach and his leadership are what we need to push Ferrari forward with renewed energy.“

Fred Vasseur, Ferrari Team Principal, added:

“I am truly delighted and honoured to take over the leadership of Scuderia Ferrari as Team Principal. As someone who has always held a lifelong passion for motorsport, Ferrari has always represented the very pinnacle of the racing world to me. I look forward to working with the talented and truly passionate team in Maranello to honour the history and heritage of the Scuderia and deliver for our Tifosi around the world.“