Vasseur to Miss Monaco Qualifying as Ferrari Lead Grand Prix Today
Frederic Vasseur will miss grand prix today’s Monaco qualifying day on Saturday for medical reasons, leaving Ferrari without its team principal at a crucial point of the weekend. Ferrari said he will remain under observation at a local medical facility after some medical checks.
Ferrari Monaco Practice Pace
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finished first and second in both practice sessions on Friday, a clean sweep that put Ferrari in its strongest position of the season so far. The team has not won a grand prix since October 2024, so the pace shown at Monaco gave the weekend real weight before qualifying.
That backdrop makes Vasseur’s absence sharper. Monaco leaves little room to recover once the clock starts, and Ferrari’s Friday form suggested the team had a chance to capitalize on track position if it could deliver again on Saturday.
Vasseur On Monaco Traffic
Vasseur had already pointed to the difficulty of the circuit after running on Friday. “It was difficult to put a lap together for everybody and with 10% more cars (on the grid this year) it is more than 10% more difficult,” he said in a pooled media interview.
He also tied the problem to the way the field now runs. “Now that we have a convergence of understanding of the cars, tyres are becoming predominant again in performance, and with so many cars on track it is difficult to do a proper out-lap and I think it will be key for tomorrow, to be able to do a proper out-lap and do a clean lap.”
Ferrari Without Vasseur
Ferrari said, “Fred Vasseur will not be at the circuit today.” It added, “Following some medical checks, Fred will remain under observation at a local medical facility.” The team also said, “No further medical information will be provided,” and it said it looked forward to seeing him back at the track soon.
Vasseur has led Ferrari since January 2023, when he replaced Mattia Binotto, and his absence arrives while the team is trying to turn Friday speed into a result. For Ferrari, Saturday now rests on whether Hamilton and Leclerc can carry that form into qualifying without their team principal on site.
