Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur has called on his team to harness the “frustration” from their recent struggles as motivation to reclaim their place at the front of the Formula 1 grid. After a promising start to the 2024 season, where the revamped SF-24 car emerged as the closest competitor to Red Bull’s dominant RB20, Ferrari has faced a downturn in performance, largely due to unintended issues stemming from updates introduced at the Spanish Grand Prix in June.
These setbacks have seen Ferrari slip from being Red Bull’s main challenger to securing only two podiums in the last six races, compared to nine in the first eight rounds. The team now finds itself third in the Constructors’ Championship, trailing McLaren and with Mercedes closing in.
Despite these challenges, Vasseur remains determined to steer Ferrari back to its early-season form. He believes that the team’s recent disappointments should serve as a catalyst for renewed focus and effort. “Somehow you need to have a kind of frustration when you’re not doing well because it’s also the best push to come back,” Vasseur told F1.com.
Vasseur emphasized the importance of maintaining control over these emotions while channeling them into productive outcomes. He noted that while the mood within the team was understandably low after tough weekends in Canada, Spain, Austria, and Britain, there was a strong commitment to understanding the issues and working towards solutions.
Since taking the helm at Ferrari, Vasseur has prioritized fostering a culture where engineers feel empowered to take risks without fear of failure, a shift he views as essential for competing at the highest level. He reiterated that Ferrari must adopt a “racing mentality” that embraces risk-taking, drawing inspiration from Red Bull’s aggressive approach to innovation.
“If I have to be proud of something, it’s not the result. The result is a consequence,” Vasseur explained. “It’s more the fact everybody is more keen to take risk, a bit less scared – the consequence is the result.”
As Ferrari prepares to resume the F1 season at Zandvoort, they face a 21-point deficit to McLaren and a 79-point cushion over Mercedes in the Constructors’ standings. Vasseur remains optimistic, urging his team to use their recent setbacks as fuel for a determined push towards the front of the grid.
Photo from Ferrari Instagram
