In the third part of an exclusive interview with Pit Debrief, Xavier Marcos Padros, current technical director of Cadillac’s LMDh sportscar program, discussed the different leadership styles of Ferrari F1 team principals Mattia Binotto and Fred Vasseur.
Working at Ferrari F1 from 2018 to 2024, and as Charles Leclerc’s race engineer, Marcos Padros noted that Ferrari is posed for a new era under Vasseur’s leadership.
“In terms of difference, yeah, there’s a big difference between both of them.”
This new era for Ferrari, under Vasseur, comes alongside major changes to the team, such as Lewis Hamilton’s arrival.
The time of Mattia Binotto at Ferrari as team principal
Having spent years at Maranello working in the engine department during Michael Schumacher’s years, and then eventually becoming the team’s Chief Technical Officer, Binotto’s leadership was defined by his intimate knowledge of Ferrari’s inner workings.
Following the exit of Maurizio Arrivabene, he took the top job in 2019.
“Mattia knew the whole team,” Marcos Padros recalled.
“When I arrived there, he was there since, I don’t know, how many years. Special person.
“I enjoyed working with him. You can have good conversations. He was in all the meetings. No issues at all.”
Binotto’s hands-on approach made him a respected figure within the team.
Under his leadership, Ferrari achieved a second-place finish in the Constructors’ Championship in 2019 and 2022; the second was a significant improvement after a challenging 2020 and 2021.
However, his leadership was not without its challenges. Bundled strategies throughout 2022 and unreliability led to plenty of questions.
The pressure to deliver Ferrari’s first Drivers’ Championship since 2007 weighed heavily.
Despite his efforts, the team fell short of its ultimate goal, a Drivers’ or Constructors’ Championship title.
Fred Vasseur bringing a new approach
When Fred Vasseur took over as Ferrari’s team principal in 2023, he brought a fresh perspective to Maranello.
Unlike Binotto, Vasseur was an outsider, having previously led Sauber and Renault, and his arrival marked a shift in Ferrari’s leadership style.
“When Vasseur came, different approach,” Marcos Padros explained.
“At the beginning, he didn’t know anyone at the team, so I’ve seen the learning curve from Vasseur.”
Vasseur’s leadership is characterised by his adaptability, quickly assimilating into Ferrari’s culture and building key relationships with the team, and drivers.
“Difficult to compare on my side because they were not at the same level in terms of knowing the team,” Marcos Padros added, noting Vasseur’s relative newness to Ferrari F1.
Can Vasseur lead Ferrari to a championship?
With Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton forming one of the most iconic driver lineups in F1 history, the question on everyone’s mind is whether Vasseur can lead Ferrari to championship glory.
Last year, the team came within 14 points of the Constructors’ Championship as a late season surge by the team, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz came up just short.
Marcos Padros believes Vasseur has the potential to do so.
“Yeah, I believe Vasseur can be the right one,” he said.
“But with Mattia, we did second in the championship against Red Bull [in 2022], [against a team] winning all the races. So yeah, both of them are really good ones.
“I enjoyed working with them and being part of a team with both of them together, so no issues.”
With Leclerc and Hamilton, Ferrari’s future is nothing but promising, and Leclerc has emphasised his belief in Vasseur’s vision for the team on numerous occasions.
“I’m completely on board with the long-term and mid-term vision that he has for the team. That also gave me the confidence in believing in the project for the future.”
Talking about Vasseur’s leadership, Leclerc noted there are many changes within the team in which you can feel his influence.
Despite not wishing to compare the two leaders, Binotto and Vasseur, he highlighted Vasseur’s focus on the inner workings of the team, rather than the media frenzy often associated with Ferrari.
“Without going into a comparison of the past and now, I think one really good thing about Fred is that he doesn’t really care about the outside talk around the team.
“He’s very much focused on what needs to be done within the team. He’s very straight to the point and I think that is a strength of Fred’s. I really like this way of working.”
Co-author: Karishma Persad
