New Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur has been hard at work at Maranello for a couple of weeks now, getting acquainted with the Scuderia’s crews and thoroughly preparing for his first season at the helm of the Italian outfit.

This week, Ferrari held its traditional three-day “wake-up” test at Fiorano, with Robert Shwartzman running on Tuesday onboard a 2021-spec car and Carlos Sainz taking over yesterday.

On Thursday, it was Charles Leclerc’s chance to stretch his legs and Vasseur took the opportunity to drop in on his former protégé and spend some time with Ferrari’s crews.

Mattia Binotto’s successor has his work cut out for him to instil a strong level of consistency and reliability into the team while maintaining its performance level.

Rumors are that Ferrari will hit the ground running in Bahrain next month, but until we get there, it’s only speculation.

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

Recent Posts

Ferrari and Mercedes admit to plank changes based on FIA’s TD

Ferrari and Mercedes have both modified their car’s floor element in Las Vegas to comply…

57 mins ago

Las Vegas GP: Hamilton continues on top in second practice

Lewis Hamilton put Mercedes on top of the timesheets for the second time in Las…

2 hours ago

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix Free Practice 2 - Results

Full results from Free Practice 2 for the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas,…

2 hours ago

Leclerc confident Ferrari ‘has a shot’ at F1 Constructors’ title

Charles Leclerc believes that Ferrari has a genuine “shot” at beating rival McLaren to Formula…

3 hours ago

Komatsu: F1 teams united against Audi 2026 cost-cap offset

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has revealed that nine Formula 1 teams stand in opposition…

4 hours ago

Las Vegas GP: Hamilton leads Mercedes 1-2 in trouble-free FP1

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell led the field in a chilly but trouble-free first practice…

5 hours ago