Benedetto Vigna has dismissed speculation about a row with Frederic Vasseur, but on the sporting front, the Ferrari CEO is holding his team to account
Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna has categorically dismissed speculation about a strained relationship with Formula 1 team principal Frederic Vasseur. He illustrates just how absurd some of the rumours circulating are with an anecdote: he says he first heard about the alleged tensions between himself and Vasseur whilst the two were sitting together over dinner, of all places.
“The reality is that Fred and the Scuderia are determined and focused on what needs to be done,” Vigna clarifies. At the same time, the Ferrari CEO admits that the sporting results do not meet the team’s own standards: “Do we need to improve the car? Of course! Our rivals have done better.”
Vasseur’s future had been the subject of repeated speculation in recent weeks. Ferrari’s disappointing results to date had fuelled reports that the Scuderia might be looking for possible alternatives at the helm of the Formula 1 team. Ferrari subsequently publicly backed Vasseur.
Vigna reads about the alleged Vasseur row whilst dining
Vigna now makes it clear why the company felt compelled to respond to the speculation in the first place. In doing so, the Ferrari CEO recounts a situation which, for him, exemplifies just how far public perception can diverge from reality.
According to the account, Vigna was having dinner with Vasseur some time ago when he came across an article claiming that the relationship between the two had completely broken down. It claimed that Vigna and Vasseur could not stand each other. The irony: Vigna was reading the story whilst sitting at dinner with the very man with whom his relationship was supposedly so poor. His reaction to this, he says, was a smile.
For Vigna, this episode is representative of a fundamental problem. The Ferrari CEO, whose professional background lies in the natural sciences, emphasises how important it is to distinguish between verifiable facts and speculation. Analysis, criticism and differing opinions are legitimate, he says. However, it becomes problematic when an opinion or interpretation is presented as fact without the underlying information having been verified.
” “But do check it out – see for yourselves!” urges Vigna. Vigna sees this as an increasing danger, particularly in the age of social media. If a claim is repeated often enough, he says, it may eventually be perceived as fact – regardless of how reliable the original source actually was.
The Ferrari CEO knows this problem from personal experience. During his 30-year career, he has on several occasions read interviews in which statements were attributed to him that he had never made.
Although the media outlets in question later corrected these statements, this did not solve the actual problem: by that point, the original version had long since been published and read by numerous people. It is unlikely that the same readers would return later to read the corrected version. Social media and blogs further amplify this mechanism, making it even more difficult to control.
At Ferrari, this phenomenon takes on a special dimension. Hardly any other team in international motorsport is under such intense public scrutiny. Consequently, rumours from the paddock spread rapidly far beyond the world of Formula 1.
Why Ferrari responded publicly regarding Vasseur
According to Vigna, the repercussions are not limited to those directly involved. Speculation also reaches the team’s staff and their families, and can thus create additional pressure and distraction. This is precisely why Ferrari decided to issue a public clarification in the Vasseur case. The aim was to put an end to the speculation before it could gain further momentum.
In Vigna’s view, this strategy has worked. Now that Ferrari has taken a clear stance on the team principal’s future, the relevant questions have largely died down.
However, this does not mean that the Ferrari CEO is satisfied with the current sporting situation. Vigna openly admits that the competition has performed better so far this season. However, he makes a clear distinction between the team’s sporting shortcomings and the question of its leadership: “The reality is that Fred and the Scuderia are determined and focused on what needs to be done,” says Vigna.
“Do we need to improve the car? Of course! Our rivals have done better. But the laws of physics are immutable, and that means we can do better.”
Vasseur remains the right man for Ferrari
The message from Maranello is therefore clear: Ferrari recognises the need to improve on the track, but does not see this as justification for another shake-up at the top of the Formula 1 team. Vasseur remains at the heart of the project, and the Ferrari CEO dismisses the alleged tensions between him and Vigna.
His fundamental approach remains the same as that which, thanks to his scientific background, he applies to other problems: observe, analyse and only then draw conclusions. For even though numerous interpretations and speculations may circulate around Ferrari, Vigna adheres to a simple principle: “There is only one reality.”
