Rumours are already circulating that Frédéric Vasseur will be confirmed as the new Ferrari team boss to replace Mattia Binotto before the new year. The latest news adds further strength to these rumours. The Frenchman is said to have already moved to Maranello, where Ferrari headquarters are located.
All sides remain anxiously silent around the power shift within Ferrari. Team boss Binotto will no longer be team boss of the Scuderia from 2023, but a new chief has not yet been appointed. Assistant director and sporting boss of Ferrari, Laurent Mekies, is already taking on the representation of the team and therefore seemed a big contender to succeed Binotto, but earlier this week Vasseur was also put forward as a big contender. The current Alfa Romeo team boss would be confirmed before the end of this year.
The Italian arm of Motorsport.com adds to this news that Vasseur has reportedly already been seen in Maranello and has also reportedly already moved to Maranello. This puts much credence to the rumour that the Frenchman will replace Binotto. The medium expects the teams to proceed as per normal, meaning Alfa Romeo-Sauber will first announce the departure of the team boss and confirmation of Vasseur's appointment by Ferrari will follow later.
This also means Alfa Romeo-Sauber will have to look for new leadership. With Sauber trading Alfa Romeo for Audi from 2026, Sauber will have to make a considered choice. With the spot vacated, the constructor will be pulling the strings to prepare well for the coming years and lay the foundations to start with a strong partnership in 2026. It is conceivable that Sauber will choose a team boss for the next two years and then pick someone who can represent both Sauber and Audi well.
When will Vasseur be allowed to begin his duties at Ferrari? How long will his gardening leave be or will Ferrari pay to get him on January 01? I do not know if these rumors of him moving to Maranello already have any validity, but it gives them something to write about. At least there is nothing about Mercedes or Daniel Ricciardo in this article!
I wondered the same thing the first time he appeared in speculations, but partly dependent on whether his AR contract would end naturally at this year's end anyway. Also, you pointed out Ferrari's willingness, or even Alfa's, given they're a Ferrari-powered team.