Lewis Hamilton is swapping Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025, creating an interesting wrinkle in the friendship between Toto Wolff and Fred Vasseur.
Fred Vasseur has brushed off concerns that stealing Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes has affected his relationship with Toto Wolff. The Ferrari chief has a longstanding friendship with the Silver Arrows’ team principal and that remains in tact despite their newfound rivalry.
While Wolff and Vasseur have shared the F1 paddock for over a decade, the past 12 months represent the first time they have gone head-to-head as direct rivals. Previously, the current Ferrari team principal led the Alfa Romeo team where he battled in the lower reaches of the midfield with the likes of Haas and Williams.
Despite an intense battle between the two teams over P2 in the Constructors’ Championship last season, tensions never boiled over. However, a new wrinkle has formed in the relationship after Vasseur managed to poach seven-time world champion Hamilton from under Wolff’s nose at the start of February.
Discussing the state of his relationship with Wolff in a conversation with La Repubblica, Vasseur said: “No, it’s still okay. When I came to F1 ten years ago, we knew that at some point we could be competitors on some issues and it would be a problem for the personal relationship.
But it is also true that so far we have never been direct rivals. Last year was our first battle on the track, but we have always tried to separate the business from the private. It is not always easy, in this sport, it is complicated to divide things completely.”
Fortunately for Vasseur, he is unlikely to have to worry about fighting Mercedes on track in 2024. The Silver Arrows have endured a dismal start to the season, picking up a mere 64 points from the opening six rounds of the calendar. This tally leaves them languishing in P4 in the Constructors’ Championship, just 22 points clear of Aston Martin.
Ferrari, meanwhile, have started strong, notching up 187 points from their first six outings this year. Bulletproof consistency from Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz means that the Italian constructor is closer to championship leaders Red Bull than they are to McLaren in third.
The pendulum did swing the way of McLaren in Miami as Lando Norris claimed his maiden Grand Prix victory with help from 10 fresh upgrades from the Woking-based outfit, but Vasseur’s organisation have their own bumper package arriving in time for the race in I
mola on Sunday.
