Ferrari is expected to announce soon that the Frenchman is heading to Maranello as the replacement for Mattia Binotto, who handed in his resignation last month.
Vasseur’s name was first mentioned in connection with the top Ferrari job even before Binotto’s departure was confirmed.
The 54-year-old joined Sauber in July 2017, shortly after the new shareholders – led by billionaire Finn Rausing – took over the then ailing organisation.
He has thus presided over the team for five and a half seasons, the last four under the name of main sponsor Alfa Romeo. In 2022 the team finished sixth in the world championship, its best result for a decade.
As CEO, Vasseur also played a key role in the sale of the Sauber organisation to Audi, who will enter F1 under the new power unit rules in 2026.
The appeal of running Ferrari rather than leading Sauber through three interim seasons before the full Audi takeover proved irresistible to Vasseur.
In a statement the team paid tribute to its departing boss, making it clear that he will be missed.
Vasseur departs with the good wishes of the Sauber organisation behind Alfa Romeo’s F1 operation
Photo by: Alfa Romeo
The team said: “Frederic Vasseur leaves a team bolstered by new partners, a growing workforce and with a bright future as the works team for a manufacturer in the not-too-far distance.
“He leaves as a friend, a mentor, a boss that could extract the best out of his charges.
“And, as we enter a new chapter of the history of our team, we will miss the smiles and jokes that would accompany him as he did the rounds in our Hinwil HQ.
“Merci, Fred, et bonne chance. We’ll be cheering for you wherever you go next.”
Vasseur stressed that he has enjoyed his stint with the team, suggesting that it was good preparation for his future job.
“As I prepare to bring my adventure at Alfa Romeo 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…
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