Vasseur reacts to rumors of chaos at Ferrari – baffled by criticism

Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur has reacted to the rumors of chaos setting in at the Italian outfit, and admits he's baffled by the criticism directed at the Scuderia after just one race, insisting the Bahrain Grand Prix "was bad in some ways but good in others".

Ferrari's new-spec SF-23 car was outpaced in qualifying by Red Bull's RB19, with poleman Max Verstappen enjoying a 0.292s edge over Charles Leclerc in third place.

But beyond the Italian outfit's pace deficit, it was Leclerc's engine failure and retirement after 39 laps while he was running third - not to mention Carlos' distant fourth-place finish - that unleashed the critics in the Italian media in the days following the opening round of the 2023 F1 season.

Reports of chaos in Maranello emerged last week, with claims that Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna - a man with no racing pedigree - had taken over several of the management and communication responsibilities held by former team boss Mattia Binotto, leaving Vasseur feeling constrained and less in charge of the team's affairs than he initially thought he would be.

It was also reported that Vigna was personally unhappy with vasseur's decision to travel to Bahrain with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, a good friend of the Frenchman.

Furthermore, Leclerc was rumored to have solicited a one-on-one meeting with Ferrari chairman John Elkann after the team's disappointing season debut in Bahrain.

• Read also: Senior Ferrari F1 designer Sanchez leaves Scuderia

Further fueling the flames of discord at Maranello, according to the Italian media, are the departures of several key members of the Scuderia's technical department, starting with senior Ferrari F1 designer David Sanchez who is expected to join McLaren at some point later this year.

Sanchez's resignation has led to rumors that other high-profile members of the Scuderia could be on the verge of departing the team, with sporting director Laurent Mekies said to be considering offers from Alpine and Formula One Management where the Frenchman could replace FIA-bound Steve Nielsen

But disruption could also occur in Ferrari's engine department with head engineer Enrico Gualtieri reportedly considering a move away from Ferrari.

As the whirlwind of rumors continue to swirl around the Scuderia just days ahead of the team's next race in Saudi Arabia, Vasseur played down and denied many of the allegations reported by the Italian media, in an interview with France's Auto Hebdo.

"I find it difficult to understand why the team becomes a target after only one race," Vasseur told AH's Jean-Michel Desnoues.

"As far as the correlation between the simulation and the track is concerned, we are in line.

"That's why I asked everyone to stay focused on performance and find solutions to reliability issues, because the championship is long.

"Just because you don't win the first one doesn't mean you're offside. Bahrain was bad in some ways, and good in others!"

A surprised Vasseur also dismissed allegations that his responsibilities at the Scuderia are not as far-reaching as he was promised.

"I have the means and the power of decision that I have never had elsewhere," he said. "This is the reality of the situation!"

As for Sanchez's recent resignation and rumors that others could follow the French engineer out the door, Vasseur called staff movement "inevitable" in the wake of a top management change.

"It's inevitable," he said. "There are people who were very close to Mattia and who prefer to leave, which doesn't bother me. And there are others who may have feared for a moment for their future."

Finally, commenting on Leclerc's purported meeting with Ferrari chairman John Elkann, the 54-year-old team boss said that meetings with the House of Maranello's top brass are not uncommon and are scheduled on a regular basis.

"We spoke with the drivers, Elkann and Vigna after winter testing, and we will all speak again together after Imola. These meetings are planned," ensured Vasseur.

Last week in Maranello, in a bid to boost his team's spirits after its downbeat start to its 2023 campaign, the Scuderia boss – flanked by Leclerc, Sainz and Mekies – convened Ferrari personnel to rally the troops and perhaps appease the disrupted atmosphere and confusion of late.

On Monday, the latest news from Italy claimed that Mekies will remain on Ferrari's pitwall for the remainder of the season, while Diego Tondi, Ferrari's head of aerodynamics, has filled the void created by Sanchez's departure.

The Scuderia has yet to confirm the nomination, but Tondi will reportedly be assisted in his department by several engineers that have transferred to Maranello from Red Bull.

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