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Vasseur: I will fight like hell with Wolff

Jad Mallak

sainz russell ferrari mercedes f1Frederic Vasseur, the new Ferrari boss insists his known friendship with Toto Wolff will not clash with the interests of his team, claiming he will fight the Austrian like hell on and off track.

It is a well known that Fred Vasseur and Toto Wolff are longtime friends, but this friendship has come under scrutiny as the former became the Team Principal of Ferrari, a strong opponent of the latter’s Mercedes team.

Before Red Bull took on Mercedes in 2021 and beat them for that season’s Formula 1 Drivers’ crown with Max Verstappen, but before that and especially in 2017 and 2018, Mercedes’ dominant days, it was Ferrari that took the fight to Mercedes with Sebastian Vettel, but fell short on both occasions.

Now installed as Ferrari team boss, Vasseur will be managing a team that will theoretically be fighting Mercedes on a regular basis, the interests of both rivals most probably also clashing on several occasions.

Quizzed about how he will separate his friendship with Wolff from the interests of the Scuderia, Vasseur insisted he sees that as an advantage to the sport.

Friendship could be an advantage

Esteban Ocon (FRA) Manor Racing celebrates his 20th birthday with (L to R): Toto Wolff (GER) Mercedes AMG F1 Shareholder and Executive Director; Cyril Abiteboul (FRA) Renault Sport F1 Managing Director; Dave Ryan (NZL) Manor Racing Racing Director; and Frederic Vasseur (FRA) Renault Sport F1 Team Racing Director. 16.09.2016. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 15, Singapore Grand Prix, Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore, Practice Day.

“I think globally, it’s an advantage, but we have to be clever,” Vasseur told Motorsport.com. “I know that we will fight on track, we will fight with the stewards, we will fight in the FIA, and we will fight for the Concorde Agreement. This is life.

“But, at the end of the day, I think for the global picture, it’s an advantage also to have a very good collaboration between teams.

“And on this side, when the common interest of the teams or F1 will be to have discussions and to find an agreement, I think it will be a huge advantage to have a good relationship,” he maintained.

The Frenchman then added: “I also have a good relationship with a couple of other of my colleagues. I think this is always good.”

He went on to point out that the smart thing would be to split business from friendship to avoid any conflict of interest.

“Then we have to be clever enough to split completely [this friendship], and you can be sure I will fight like hell with Toto on the track and out of the track!” Vasseur concluded.