F1 News: Fred Vasseur appointed as new Ferrari team principal

Fred Vasseur officially joins Ferrari.

Fred Vasseur has been appointed as Ferrari's new team principal ahead of the 2023 season, replacing Mattia Binotto at the helm of the Italian squad. 

In recent weeks, there has been intense speculation that Vasseur was the favourite to join Ferrari, and these reports have now been confirmed in an official statement. 

Vasseur has spent a handful of seasons working as CEO and Team Principal for Sauber/Alfa Romeo, having spent one year as Team Principal for Renault in 2016. 

The 54-year-old will be tasked with rectifying Ferrari's mistakes in previous seasons and leading the team to compete for Championships next season. 

Ferrari has all of the resources and infrastructure necessary to win in Formula 1, so it will be up to Vasseur to ensure the potential within the team is met. 

Here are Vasseur's thoughts following his appointment:

"I am truly delighted and honoured to take over the leadership of Scuderia Ferrari as Team Principal.

"As someone who has always held a lifelong passion for motorsport, Ferrari has always represented the very pinnacle of the racing world to me. 

"I look forward to working with the talented and truly passionate team in Maranello to honour the history and heritage of the Scuderia and deliver for our Tifosi around the world."

The decision to appoint Vasseur has also been perceived as an attempt to maintain good relations with Charles Leclerc, with the Scuderia looking to convince the Monegasque to stay. 

Whilst Leclerc still has a few years left on his contract. It will be crucial for Ferrari to demonstrate they are capable of going toe-to-toe with the likes of Mercedes and Red Bull. 

Last year's F1-75 was a highly competitive machine with race-winning pace, but operational errors often cost the team dearly. 

Moving forward, Vasseur will be trusted to address Ferrari's weaknesses and lead the team to success.