Perché Wolff è ora felice di lavorare con Vasseur

(Motorsport-Total.com) – “Sono felice per Ferrari.” Con questa affermazione, il capo del team Mercedes Toto Wolff sorprende dopo il Gran Premio d’Australia 2024 a Melbourne. Di solito una squadra di corse non festeggia i successi della concorrenza e ancora meno quando sono coinvolti produttori diversi. Ma perché in questo caso è diverso?

Il motivo è il capo team della Ferrari Frederic Vasseur, che da anni è amico del capo team della Mercedes Wolff. I due si conoscono bene, sono vicini, e talvolta viaggiano insieme alle gare di Formula 1 all’estero.

Lo scorso anno, prima del Gran Premio d’Australia, Vasseur, con un disco in uscita e incapace di sedersi o dormire, ha viaggiato con Wolff da Dubai a Melbourne, stando in piedi per 13 ore sull’aereo.

Non solo Vasseur soffriva fisicamente in quel momento, ma era anche da poco al comando del team Ferrari. “Then one of his cars crashed [in Melbourne] and the other [after a penalty] finished outside the points. It looked catastrophic,” Wolff says.

Vasseur felt the “pressure of all of Italy” on his shoulders. “And then [a year later] this double win,” says Wolff. “As much as I hate our situation: he deserves this result. And Ferrari deserves it. And Italy deserves it.”

Wolff also does not spare praise for Melbourne winner Carlos Sainz, because he also “deserved” the win, according to Wolff. “Not only did they remove his appendix, essentially they also said, ‘You’re out of here!’ And there you have it, that’s what human strength can achieve when needed.”

Wolff: Hamilton move does not strain friendship
The comment about Sainz is particularly interesting: the Spanish race driver is considered a possible candidate to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, if Hamilton switches to Ferrari for the 2025 Formula 1 season and takes over Sainz’s seat there.

The relationship between Wolff and Vasseur is not strained by Hamilton’s move: “There is no ill will because of Lewis,” Wolff said some days ago. Formula 1 is a tough business and everyone wants the best for themselves and their team. “This doesn’t tarnish our friendship,” Wolff says, “but is normal in this business.”

“When it became clear that Fred would take on the role of team principal, it was clear to me that he would do everything to strengthen Ferrari. This includes not only smart employees, but also the best drivers.”