“Real baptism of fire”: Frederic Vasseur’s Demeanor Appreciated With a Hilarious Analogy for Ferrari’s Persistent Struggles

“To bring about a massive change, radical steps are required to disrupt the status quo.” Seeing how things have been running at Ferrari for quite some time, this quote applies perfectly. And to shuffle things up in the line, the team decided to bring in Frederic Vasseur, the first non-Italian team principal, in over two decades. Burdened with plenty of responsibilities, he has been hailed as the perfect man to lead the stable.

Under Frederic Vasseur’s leadership, Ferrari has suffered early setbacks in the season. And with that has come severe heat from the Tifosi, who have been somewhat skeptical of the new boss. Despite that, many, including former world champion Damon Hill, have hailed the Frenchman. Hill recognizes the daunting task presented to the Ferrari boss while lauding his strict demeanor, which is essential for the team’s success.

Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Hill draws a great analogy for Vasseur, who joined Ferrari when things were hot. He says, “It’s a bit like someone threw a grenade at him. Isn’t it? When they arrived, trying to put the pin back in. But everything has been real. It’s been a real baptism of fire for him, I think. But I think he’s got the what’s the expression? It’s his demeanor and his character is such that I think he can see the funny side, actually.”

“He seems to be quite philosophical about it, and he knows that it’s impossible, it’s an impossible job, and it’s ridiculous to expect someone to arrive in a team and then instantly produce results. It’s going to take time,” he added, hitting back at those wanting instant great results in a sport as complicated as Formula 1.

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Further adding to his view of the current situation at Ferrari, Hill urged the senior bosses of the Prancing Horse to give more time to Vasseur. He also appreciated the improved pit stops under the new leader, recognizing that the changes were already coming to light.

Major confidence boost reinstated by Ferrari

For any team principal to perform well, confidence from senior management is required. In the case of Ferrari, sudden backing has come for the newly appointed team principal, who looks to build the team after taking over the ruins.

Most recently, the vice president of Ferrari, Piero Ferrari, backed Vasseur, saying, as quoted by the GP Blog, “We have to give him time to put his hands in the trouble. He is someone who knows racing well, he has been in the business for years, he deserves confidence.”

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Certainly, the Frenchman must’ve laid out great plans for the team that has convinced everyone. With a major portion of the season left, the trajectory for the coming years under him will be decided soon.