New Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur says it’s “obvious” his aim is to win the title this year.
The 54-year-old, who took over on January 9, says he has already begun analyzing the weaknesses that have derailed Ferrari’s 2022 campaign.
“When you’re in a top team, you can’t have any other goal but to win,” said the Frenchman.
“You can’t start the season saying you’re happy with P2 – that would be a lack of ambition.
“We have everything to do a good job and the objective must be to win.”
Vasseur’s comments, in his first press conference since moving to Maranello, contrast with the stance taken by his predecessor Mattia Binotto, who the team said quit after the end of last season.
Binotto repeatedly referred to the fact that Ferrari still needed to improve to be able to win the championship.
He quit his job after a season in which Ferrari achieved its stated goal of returning to competitiveness but saw its title campaign torpedoed by a series of failures.
Lead driver Charles Leclerc won two of the first three races last year, after which he edged eventual champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull by 46 points.
But Leclerc took just one more victory as Ferrari was plagued by engine reliability issues and strategy errors, as well as a loss of competitiveness as the season progressed.
“I try to understand exactly what happened with each mistake last year and try to find out if it’s a question of decision, of organization, of communication,” Vasseur said.
“Very often on the pit wall, the biggest issue is more communication and the number of people involved than the individuals.
“If you put too many people discussing the same things, when you have the result of the discussion, the car will be in the next lap.
“You just need to have a clear flow of discussion and communication between the right people in the right position. It’s a work in progress.”
He admitted the team “will have to make some progress”, adding: “I trust the guys in place and I will try to put them in the best position to do the best job.
“Then it will be time, after a few weeks or months, to take action if it doesn’t work.”
Vasseur, who joins Ferrari after five years as Alfa Romeo-Sauber team principal, has a substantial entry line-up but said he hopes his 32 years of experience on the pit wall in various forms could be useful.
Vasseur was also Renault team boss in F1 in 2016 and previously had a long and successful career in the junior categories.
He said the team was working on its engine reliability issues from last year – Leclerc had two failures at the front of a race, and team-mate Carlos Sainz also lost second in the Austrian Grand Prix following a fire.
The problems forced Ferrari to run the engines with less performance from July to avoid exposing the unit’s fragility.
“Engine performance was not an issue,” he said. “The problem was reliability and the first objective was to solve it.
“So far it looks okay, but the reality of the track is different.
“Some of the issues that the teams suffer from – and it’s not just true for Ferrari – in terms of reliability also come from the way the track works, [aerodynamic] twists and vibrations. Everyone will have a much better idea [at the pre-season test] in Bahrain in a few weeks.”
Vasseur dismissed as “just a joke” reports that Ferrari had taken a big step forward with its 30-hp engine over the winter.
He added: “We have taken a step forward but it’s just a matter of reliability.”
On the fact that Ferrari has gradually fallen behind Red Bull over the past season, Vasseur said: “Development is very often a strategic choice with the cost cap deciding whether you want to focus more on the new car for the next season or the current season. a.
“I wasn’t there and I don’t want to pass judgment on what happened in the past. But we will see during the season.”
And the Ferrari drivers?
Leclerc’s frustrations with Ferrari’s failures grew last season.
His contract with the team runs until the end of 2024, but rumors have already linked him with a move to Mercedes to replace Lewis Hamilton when the seven-time champion retires. Hamilton’s contract expires this season, but he and the team have said they expect him to sign another one.
Vasseur, who enjoys a close relationship with Leclerc after successes together in the youth categories, said it was too early to discuss the 25-year-old’s future.
“I don’t want to put this topic on the table today,” Vasseur said. “That wouldn’t be a good way to start the collaboration.
“We have to focus on the sporting side to get results. It’s like a marriage – if both sides of the table are happy with the situation, we will continue. But that’s not the priority today. We we have a good relationship. We’ll have time to discuss it.”
He said Leclerc and Sainz will enter the season with equal status but he wouldn’t hesitate to prioritize them if the circumstances demanded it.
“We have two very good drivers who are both capable of doing the job. We will have the capacity to provide them with the exact same car, the same structure and the same support,” said Vasseur.
“The goal is to win for Ferrari. There won’t be a number one or two. But if at some point I have to act, I will. It doesn’t matter if it’s one or the other, if at a moment stage of the season, I have to do something, I will do it.”
