Ferrari Monaco leadership change
Ferrari Team Principal Vasseur misses Monaco qualifying; d'Ambrosio assumes trackside duties
Ferrari announced that its team principal Frédéric Vasseur will miss the Monaco Grand Prix on Saturday after medical checks, with the team saying he is under observation at a local medical facility and that no additional medical details will be provided. Vasseur had worked at the circuit on Friday and handled media duties after practice, but medical advice kept him away from qualifying, a session that can largely determine the weekend at Monaco. In his absence, deputy team principal Jérôme d’Ambrosio is expected to take overall responsibility for trackside decisions. The decision comes after Ferrari delivered strong form in Monaco practice, topping both sessions with Charles Leclerc and then Lewis Hamilton, adding pressure on the team’s leadership to maintain that momentum through qualifying. Ferrari emphasized its wish for Vasseur’s speedy recovery and the hope that he will be back soon.
Key Points
Ferrari said Jérôme d’Ambrosio will take overall trackside responsibility in Vasseur’s absence; the articles add that d’Ambrosio is a former F1 driver who joined Ferrari’s structure after a Mercedes stint and stepped into the role in late 2024.
After Friday’s strong run, Lewis Hamilton described it as “a positive day overall,” saying the car “felt quite good right from the first laps” and that Ferrari “were able to work through our programme without any major issues.”
Multiple reports framed Monaco as one of Ferrari’s best opportunities this season, citing the SF-26’s low-speed strength and its ability over bumps/curbs, plus the circuit’s tight nature meaning less emphasis on power-unit performance than at other tracks.
One article noted that Vasseur has led Ferrari since the start of 2023, but the team is still winless since October 2024—making Saturday’s qualifying impact particularly significant given Monaco’s limited room for recovery.
Vasseur set up the qualifying challenge in comments from Friday, saying: “The most difficult [thing] is you have to anticipate the evolution of the track, the grip. You always have to be one session ahead,” adding “We will see on Saturday afternoon the real pace.”
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