Ferrari no longer working on 2023 car – boss

Aug.21 (GMM) Ferrari is no longer working on its 2023 in the wind tunnel, team boss Frederic Vasseur has revealed.

The Maranello team is currently behind Red Bull, Mercedes and even Aston Martin in the constructors’ standings – meaning Vasseur is now looking at 2024 more than the rest of this season.

“For this season we stopped development in the wind tunnel at the end of July,” the Frenchman told La Gazzetta dello Sport, “but we have pieces already approved that we will take to Qatar or Austin.

“For the 2024 machine, we are still at the philosophical concepts. We need to think differently and find margins so the drivers can race without always being at the limit.

“But the deadline for the new car is not the end of the year. We have to be ready for Bahrain in March so we still have many months ahead of us,” Vasseur added.

In the meantime, Vasseur has been busy trying to recruit new staff.

“We have hired about 25 people, but we are looking for more,” he said, pointing out that it is hard for Ferrari to woo British-based top engineers.

“We have signed with a leading name,” Vasseur added, “which should start on 1 January 2025 but I am trying to convince Toto Wolff to release him sooner.

“I’ll try when we’re on a boat together,” he laughed. “The first signings are the most difficult – then the others see them and follow suit.”

Behind the scenes, and despite rumours of disarray at Maranello, Vasseur says things are going well at Ferrari.

“At least once a week I have dinner with (CEO) Vigna and I talk to (chairman) Elkann on the phone like I have breakfast, lunch and dinner,” he said.

“Relationships like that are a huge advantage. When I was at Renault, I had to wait for the executive committee and days and days would go by. Here, I ask in the morning and have the answer in the afternoon.

“I can’t speak for the past, but I was impressed with the internal communication and the responsiveness of the top management,” the Frenchman added.

“I remember when it was rumoured that I was going to Ferrari, everyone said ‘You’ll see what chaos and internal struggles they have’. But it’s not true at all.”