Ferrari chief Fred Vasseur imposes unusual rule on F1 team

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Ferrari chief Vasseur imposes unusual rule on F1 team

The Frenchman has implemented measures to ensure the team can catch Red Bull

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 3 December 2023 08:27 Updated: 10:55

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has revealed that he has banned factory workers from using words like 'would' and 'if', in an attempt to ensure the team make as big a leap in performance as possible.

The Maranello-based outfit through Carlos Sainz won just one race in 2023, with Charles Leclerc not claiming a single victory, despite supreme one-lap pace which gave him five pole positions.

Their struggles were compounded by a dominant Red Bull team that managed to claim 21 of the 22 race wins throughout 2023.

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To make matters worse, Ferrari lost out to Mercedes at the final race of the season in the battle for second place in the constructors' championship.

Ferrari lost out to Mercedes in the battle for second place in the constructors' championship

Carlos Sainz was the only non-Red Bull driver to win a main race in 2023

Charles Leclerc struggled with inconsistencies in 2023, but did manage to finish ahead of his team-mate in the drivers' championship

Vasseur looking to be Ferrari hero

Now Vasseur, who has held his position since the start of 2023 but has, as of yet, not been able to better his predecessors results, has revealed how his team are going to bridge the huge gap that exists between themselves and Red Bull.

“In the factory, words like ‘would’, ‘would be’, ‘if’ are taboo,” he told media.

“We have over 1,000 employees. Everyone has to do their part. If each individual finds a few thousandths, we will make a big leap.

“Red Bull doesn’t have a silver bullet. They are simply well-positioned in every respect.

“We have to stick to Red Bull’s heels and put them under pressure. We saw in the second part of the season that they can be wrong sometimes and don’t always hit the set-up.”

“It’s a relative game. If you find one second, but your opponents find one and a half seconds, you look stupid. If they only find half a second, you’re suddenly the hero.”

Ferrari Fred Vasseur