Fred Vasseur will leave Alfa Romeo to replace Mattia Binotto as team principal at Ferrari.
The Frenchman has been heavily linked to the Scuderia over the past month and in two quickfire announcements on Tuesday, it was revealed Vasseur will now take the helm at Maranello from January 6.
“I am truly delighted and honoured to take over the leadership of Scuderia Ferrari as Team Principal,” he said.
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“As someone who has always held a lifelong passion for motorsport, Ferrari has always represented the very pinnacle of the racing world to me.
“I look forward to working with the talented and truly passionate team in Maranello to honour the history and heritage of the Scuderia and deliver for our Tifosi around the world.”
The confirmation comes after Binotto officially resigned last month following a tricky 2022 season that saw Ferrari have the fastest car early on but fail to deliver a realistic championship bid as poor reliability and decision-making blighted their chances against Max Verstappen and Red Bull.
There is also speculation of a rift between the Swiss chief, who first joined the team in 1995, and upper management at Ferrari led by chairman John Elkann.
In Vasseur, the Italian team now has a highly respected team boss who made his name through the ART Grand Prix outfit that competes in junior series, before moving up to F1 with Renault in 2016 and then Sauber/Alfa Romeo, which he joined in 2017.
Vasseur’s appointment is also likely to delight Charles Leclerc, who made his F1 debut at Sauber in 2018 before moving to Ferrari a year later.
“We are delighted to welcome Fred Vasseur to Ferrari as our Team Principal,” CEO Benedetto Vigna commented.
“Throughout his career, he has successfully combined his technical strengths as a trained engineer with a consistent ability to bring out the best in his drivers and teams.
“This approach and his leadership are what we need to push Ferrari forward with renewed energy.”
As for Alfa Romeo, the team will now need a new boss to guide the team as it prepares to become Audi in 2026.
But Vasseur paid tribute to his time at the Hinwil-based outfit.
“As I prepare to bring my adventure at Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN to an end, I can look back fondly at these six years together,” he said.
“I owe a debt of gratitude to every single employee of the team, as they are the ones who got this team back on their feet and climbing the ladder of our sport.
“I am proud of the job we collectively have done as a team and a company, and even more so of the strong foundations we have laid for what’s to come next: but what I am the proudest of is the people that made this all possible, which in time have become friends.
“This team will always feel like home and I’ll be rooting for it wherever I go. I have learnt so much during my stint as a CEO and Team Principal and I feel each day has equipped me for what is to come.
“I know Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN will keep going from strength to strength and I’m looking forward to seeing them compete at the business end of the grid in the next few years.”