Ferrari had one concern about Laurent Mekies that stopped him becoming their team principal in 2023

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Laurent Mekies was the standout in-house candidate to become Ferrari team principal when Mattia Binotto left at the end of 2022. But the team overlooked him in favour of Fred Vasseur.

Binotto resigned to avoid being sacked after Charles Leclerc’s 2022 title bid had unravelled, partly due to unreliability and strategic errors. Mekies, who had joined Ferrari in 2018 as sporting director, had become their deputy team principal in 2021.

But rather than promoting him, Ferrari looked to Alfa Romeo boss Fred Vasseur instead. Vasseur had led the team, now known as Sauber, to an impressive sixth-place finish in 2022.

Vasseur had won GP2 titles with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at ART and also had a brief stint in charge of the Renault F1 team. Charles Leclerc was one of the first drivers he’d worked with when he moved to Alfa.

Ferrari thought Laurent Mekies was ‘unfit for a top role’ in 2023

According to Corriere della Serra, Ferrari deemed Mekies ‘unfit for a top role’ after Binotto’s exit. While they were satisfied with the Frenchman in his post as racing director, they didn’t think he had the credentials to be the face of the operation – a position that carried a lot more pressure.

These concerns now appear to be unfounded. He left midway through 2023 and after a solid stint at Racing Bulls, Mekies was called up to Red Bull following Christian Horner’s sacking in July.

The team have been transformed since, with Max Verstappen charging back into title contention after three victories in seven Grands Prix (plus two Sprint wins). Verstappen had previously ruled himself out of the running.

• READ MORE: Rival F1 team boss says Red Bull have changed for the better since Christian Horner sacking

Red Bull are also just 10 points off second place in the standings, having previously seemed destined for fourth. Mekies can take limited credit for car improvements, but as CdS note, he has ‘restored order and infused motivation’.

Mekies has brought ‘unity and ambition’, and some feel those are lacking at Ferrari. John Elkann reiterated his faith in Vasseur last weekend, but it’s telling that he had to do so only three months after the F1 team boss signed a new deal.

Fred Vasseur admits the ‘psychological’ damage he accidentally caused at Ferrari

Unlike Red Bull, who have continued to develop their car in pursuit of an unlikely 2025 title win, Ferrari shut down SF-25 development early.

Speaking during the Austin weekend, Vasseur admitted that he’d underestimated the ‘psychological’ cost of the decision. While he hopes they’ll see the benefits under the drastically different 2026 regulations, he has accepted considerable short-term pain.

Ferrari are approaching what would only be their fifth winless season of the 21st century. They’d gone six races without so much as a podium before the US GP.