Fred Vasseur Recreates Mattia Binotto’s Ferrari, as F1 Pundit Delivers Menacing Carlos Sainz-Charles Leclerc Verdict

Leo Turrini has just accepted that trouble is brewing in Maranello! Ferrari’s most recent outing in Spain saw Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finish behind a Red Bull, a McLaren, and two Mercedes racers. Drawing a conclusion from this, famous sports journalist and F1 expert, Turrini, recently elaborated on the current ‘ridiculous’ situation that Fred Vasseur’s team is in.

Despite being the oldest and most successful F1 team in history, Ferrari’s last Constructors’ Championship win happened 16 years ago. In 2019, Mattia Binotto became the Team Principal of the Scuderia with a huge promise of securing triumphs. However, Ferrari’s performance remained underwhelming until 2022, when early-season success made the Tifosi hopeful. While wrong tactical decisions hurt Charles Leclerc’s chances of winning the Championship over Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, in the end, Mattia resigned from his job due to Ferrari not heading towards a win under him.

Fred Vasseur replaced Binotto to take up the leadership of Ferrari in 2023. However, the Frenchman has failed to deliver on his promise of bringing the Scuderia back to its winning ways. This year, despite a strong start, Ferrari’s performance seems to have fallen short. The Spanish GP showed how the SF-24 is failing to compete with the rival teams. Therefore, even though the Italian outfit is currently second on the World Constructors’ Championship table, Mercedes and McLaren might usurp them soon.

Hence, Leo Turrini wrote on Quotidiano Nazionale about Ferrari’s recent plight, explaining “It’s a vaguely ridiculous story. The developments are not working. I feel sorry for those who refuse to see the truth. For now, Vasseur’s Ferrari is not that different from Binotto’s Ferrari. At least among us, let’s avoid hypocrisies.” Turrini’s opinions stem from the fact that just like Mattia Binotto, Vasseur’s actions have visibly failed to get Ferrari to the top of the grid. Moreover, he also mentioned the Ferrari drivers’ part in the team’s decline in 2024. So, what did the Italian say about Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz?

Turrini explains the ‘comical’ situation of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz’s internal fight is not helping the Scuderia’s precarious situation now. At the Spanish GP, Sainz made a maneuver to overtake his Monegasque teammate which led to Leclerc losing some seconds as he got off the track. Thus, he could not chase after Lewis Hamilton to overtake the Briton. This led to the 26-year-old getting behind Lando Norris in the Drivers’ Championship table. Hence, Leclerc complained against Sainz and publicly dissed the #55 racer for his blunder.

Leo Turrini noted that Leclerc and Sainz are not friends, despite both being Ferrari drivers, emphasizing, “As for the pilots [Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc], ta Bom (Mister No, for those who read comics). They were separated at home by legitimate business decisions. Pretending that they are friends in this reality is comical.” Perhaps, Turrini meant that Charles Leclerc signing a multi-year Ferrari deal has driven a rift between them since Carlos Sainz will be dismissed from the team at the end of this year. Now, as a team with endless resources, Ferrari has to get all hands on deck to start winning races.

Between 2009 and 2013, they failed to attack Red Bull for the top spot in the Championship. And for the next eight years, they again failed to usurp Mercedes. So, the upcoming season will be crucial for Fred Vasseur to display his leadership skills by guiding the Scuderia to victory. If he fails to get this job done, the Frenchman might meet Binotto’s fate, having to resign in disgrace. Do you think Vasseur has it in him to make Ferrari a Championship-winning team again? Share your thoughts in the comments.