Frédéric Vasseur is currently busy recruiting new staff, and the team principal of Ferrari has announced that they have hired a new key figure. However, it will take some time before this person can start working at the Scuderia. Due to Formula 1 regulations, personnel must go through a period of so called gardening leave before completing their transition to another team. Despite these rules, Ferrari continues to work tirelessly on the car.
So the Ferrari team boss acknowledges a sort of dichotomy in Formula 1. “On one hand we look very agile. We change things, and overnight sometimes you have an issue, and you can fix it from one race to another one." Vasseur points out at Motorsport.com. “But the reality of our business is that when you want to steer the boat a little bit, then we are not agile anymore. We know that if we want to recruit, we are speaking not in days, we are speaking in years."
Ferrari has been trying to fill several gaps for quite some time. The Italian team was also in talks with Red Bull Racing to propose a swap deal, as Laurent Mekies seems to be heading to AlphaTauri. “I signed a top guy a couple of weeks ago to join in 2025. He will only work on the car in 2025 and 2026. “It seems a long wait. But. on the other hand, if you don't do it, it will be even worse in six months. You have to accept it as a basic of F1.”
Although Vasseur has some long-term frustrations with having to wait so long for personnel, he still sees potential to improve the current car. Ferrari is therefore not giving up on the current concept. “I will never give up this one because for us to fix it is the best way to understand and to avoid a mistake." Vasseur states. "For sure when you are developing, you are trying to develop different areas, and you are trying to do a better job on the car. But I think the issue we have is not a matter of details.”