Vasser: In our industry it is extremely important to be able to take risks

Just a month ago Ferrari was 75 points behind the McLaren team leading the Constructors’ Championship, but thanks to victories and podium finishes in Austin and Mexico City, this gap has now more than halved.

There is no doubt that the Scuderia’s recent successes are largely due to its leader, Frederic Vasseur, although leading such a team is a very difficult task. Implementing serious reforms in this regard, as the racing press sometimes writes, is like trying to turn around an oil tanker that has picked up speed.

Not everything went smoothly this year; the team was slowed by mistakes made during the car’s modernization process, which were only corrected by the fall.

“We had a difficult period after Monaco, but we were able to recover well. Sometimes in such situations it can be difficult to react correctly, but the team acted effectively and harmoniously,” Vasseur said in an interview with the championship’s official website. – After the summer break we performed well, although we obviously lost some points in Baku.

I just want to make sure that all employees really work as a team, and that they work for the team. I want them to act aggressively and not be afraid to take risks. Our people don’t need extra motivation. Sometimes we even have to ask them to slow down a bit.

The most important thing is this: we must admit that we may make some mistakes, but we must be able to correct them, try to achieve improvements, and the attitude must be this: today we must work better than yesterday. This is exactly what we are trying to do.

In our business it is extremely important to be able to take risks and to correctly assess possible risks. We must ensure that people who make mistakes are not blamed for them. Moreover, this must become part of the work culture, and not just some individual decisions.

You learn from mistakes, and we are busy with that learning process. Last year I asked the team to be more aggressive and two or three races later we were disqualified (in Austin). And that was the price that had to be paid. But if we can get closer to the edge of what’s possible, this approach will pay off in the long run.

I don’t want to talk about the prospects of winning the Constructors’ Championship at all – we are only focused on preparing for the next race and modernizing the equipment, both in the short and medium term, but we are not thinking about championship at all. And that is the best for us, because all the press attention only goes to Red Bull and McLaren!”