Las Vegas GP: Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur advocates for risk-taking approach

Las Vegas, NV – Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is encouraging a risk-taking culture within his team as they chase an unexpected constructors' championship. Despite being 36 points behind McLaren, with three races remaining starting with the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Vasseur remains optimistic.

Ferrari hasn't clinched an F1 championship since 2008, and McLaren's last triumph was the year before. Historically, Ferrari has struggled with the weight of its illustrious past, often crippled by fear of failure. Vasseur, however, is changing this narrative.

"I just want to have people working as a team, for the team," Vasseur stated in an interview with F1.com. "I want them to be aggressive, taking risks. The motivation is there. You don't need to motivate the people here; sometimes you have to even calm them down a little bit."

He emphasized the importance of learning from mistakes: "The most important thing is to accept we can do some mistakes, work on it, try to improve and have this mindset of trying to do a better job than the day before. We're just trying to do a better job."

Vasseur believes that the ability to manage and mitigate risks is vital. "The capacity to take risks and to assess the risk management is crucial in your business. We have to accept that you won't blame someone if they are doing a mistake. It's a culture, it's not just a decision."

He continued, "We have to accept and take more risks, we have to manage these risks, and we have to accept we will make mistakes. We will learn from this. We are in this process."

Reflecting on the process, Vasseur shared, "I asked the team to be more aggressive and two or three races later [in Austin], we were disqualified last year! But it's the price we have to pay. If we are closer to the limit, it will pay off in the end."

Though McLaren remains the favorite for the constructors' title, Lando Norris' dwindling challenge for the drivers' championship against Max Verstappen has caused distractions. Vasseur sees this as an advantage for Ferrari.

"I don't want to speak about [the title] -- my only focus is performance for the next session," he said. "I try to keep the team on this approach. We are just focused on the next event, on the development in the short-term and mid-term -- but we don't think about the championship at all."

Vasseur noted the benefits of flying under the radar: "By far it's the best situation. All the media are focused on Red Bull and McLaren -- this is mega for us!"

As the season races towards its conclusion, Ferrari’s bold approach and focus on continuous improvement could prove pivotal in their pursuit of the constructors' championship.

Up Next

• Canadian GP to move to May beginning 2026
• Carlos Sainz to join Williams for Abu Dhabi post-season test

Season-Defining Headlines