A weekend in Zandvoort with Frédéric Vasseur, boss of Scuderia Ferrari

He stayed the course. Despite headwinds and damage, Frédéric Vasseur, captain of the Team, did not change tack. From the squalls of Friday to the podium on Sunday, so many briefings and debriefings, so many opposing feelings, so many shades of red. There were at least fifty of them at Zandvoort before the scarlet one ended up winning.

Just a few minutes ago, he was at the foot of the promontory to greet the most unexpected 3rd place of the season and the most improbable comeback of the year. Charles Leclerc on the podium and Carlos Sainz in the top 5 at the end of the 72 laps of the Dutch Grand Prix, no one would have believed it a few hours earlier. Starting with him. “ I would have signed with both hands if someone had told me that this morning », he whispers to us as he takes a few minutes of respite before continuing with his obligations. His office is his refuge, his decompression chamber.

Outside, the Ferrari Cruise is having fun. He, in his haven of peace, savors the 25 points snatched from the predictions. “ We weren't very optimistic when we arrived at Zandvoort, but today everything went very well on both sides of the garage: we had good starts, good strategy, good pit stops, both drivers managing their tires very well. Charles was able to keep Oscar piastri behind him and deserved this podium. We must be positive and appreciate this result, although we must keep in mind that Lando Norris was far ahead. It's been a long weekend in the making, but overall it's been a good weekend and we need to build on that. » A weekend spent next to the Captain, in the command post. A weekend that started three days earlier. Flashback.

This Thursday, Frédéric Vasseur reached Guglielmo Marconi airport in Bologna at first light, jumped into the sedan waiting for him at Amsterdam-Schiphol, then joined the Zandvoort circuit located around thirty minutes away. Now he is swapping his travel outfit for his track outfit. From the few days of rest spent in the Mediterranean, all that remains is this tanned complexion which attests to the hours spent on a boat. Sailing, after racing, is what he loves the most. And holding the bar is what he does best. Today begins the second crossing