BEYOND THE GRID: Vasseur on 5am starts, the pressure of Ferrari and getting the best out of Hamilton and Leclerc
“Pressure is the best motivation for all of us,” Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur tells host Tom Clarkson on this week’s episode of Beyond The Grid.

Fred Vasseur leads Formula 1’s most storied team. At the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the Tifosi – Ferrari’s passionate fans – want to see Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton on the podium.
But what they, the rest of Italy and Ferrari fans all over the world really want Vasseur to deliver is the Formula 1 World Championship.
On this week’s episode of F1’s Beyond The Grid podcast, Vasseur tells host Tom Clarkson how Ferrari are building a team to fight for titles, and the high-priority objectives of his high-pressure job: getting the best out of Leclerc, and supporting Hamilton as he continues to adapt to Ferrari – the challenge of which Vasseur says may have been underestimated.
He talks about his 5am starts in search of success, and why returning Ferrari to the top of the sport will take time – even with two proven stars in the cars.
To listen to this week’s episode, simply hit go on the audio player above or click here to listen via your preferred podcasting platform.
You can also check out a huge selection of previous episodes – spanning every decade of F1 – in our dedicated Beyond The Grid library here.

Next Up
Related Articles
7 moments you might have missed at the 2026 Austrian GP
Russell ‘reminded myself I can do it’ with Austrian GP win
Tsolov wins F2 Feature Race in Austria with complete drive
Leclerc identifies biggest limitation in difficult Austrian GP
Williams reveal special livery for home race at Silverstone
Williams Austria performance 'not good enough' – Sainz