Ferrari name Frederic Vasseur as new team principal of its Formula 1 outfit

Frenchman Frederic Vasseur was named team principal and general manager of Ferrari on Tuesday, tasked with ending Red Bull's dominance in Formula One.

It will be the 54-year-old's first job with one of F1's heavyweights.

"Ferrari N.V. today announced that Fred Vasseur will join Scuderia Ferrari on January 9 as team principal and general manager," said Ferrari in a statement.

Vasseur fills the void left by the resignation of Mattia Binotto last month after Ferrari failed to mount a serious and sustained challenge to Red Bull, despite a promising start to the campaign.

Vasseur until recently held the position of CEO and team principal of Sauber Motorsport (currently Alfa Romeo F1 Team), having been there since 2017.

Prior to this he was the team principal of Renault in 2016.

"We are delighted to welcome Fred Vasseur to Ferrari as our team principal," said Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna.

"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."

Vasseur gained a reputation for nurturing new talent, helping win the F2 series in 2005 and 2006 with future world champions Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton respectively.

He has strong links from the junior categories with Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc.

Leclerc was leading the most recent F1 championship in the early stages before his challenge for the driver's title imploded. Red Bull's Max Verstappen retained the crown.

"As someone who has always held a lifelong passion for motorsport, Ferrari has always represented the very pinnacle of the racing world to me," said Vasseur.

"I look