Team boss Frederic Vasseur is thinking about how he can reduce the workload for Ferrari’s mechanics, but thinks the calendar size is right
Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur does not think that Formula 1, with 24 races a year, has too many Grands Prix, but still believes measures are necessary to avoid overloading the staff. The Frenchman admits that the end of the 2023 season has taken its toll
“It’s not unusual that there were more pit stop errors in Abu Dhabi than anywhere else,” he says. “Everyone was exhausted.” That’s why Vasseur is looking for the best approach for his mechanics, “because that’s part of performance and part of reliability”.
At Ferrari, they are thinking about the best way to get the mechanics through the season, which will include two more races in 2024 and will therefore be the longest ever.
Vasseur sees a rotation principle as one possibility, in which the individual mechanics no longer do all the races. Another option is to separate groups: One group does all the races on site, but another group of mechanics takes care of the cars once they are back home at the factory.
“But I think we have scope to do something,” emphasizes Vasseur. “We have room to manage it a little better.”
The Ferrari team boss remains positive about the topic of the extensive calendar, even if he emphasizes “not wanting to become the new Franz Tost”, for whom there can never be enough races.
“We have to remember that a few years ago we still had problems finding tracks and events. Today we have a lot of offers, so we can do 24 events and can also be a bit picky about the events,” he says.
The situation has also improved in some areas, such as the grouping of some races. Vasseur highlights the start of the season, with three consecutive races in the Far East – Australia, Japan and China. “This allows mechanics and drivers to stay on one side of the world, which is helpful,” he says.
Nevertheless, the team must of course continue to work on adjusting the calendar, and the team must do its part internally. “We have to manage the team so that it gets a bit of a break,” says Vasseur. “But I don’t think we need to reduce the number of races. “