Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur will miss Saturday’s Monaco Grand Prix qualifying day for medical reasons, leaving the team without its boss at one of the most important sessions of the weekend. Ferrari said Vasseur will not be at the circuit today and will remain under observation at a local medical facility after medical checks.
The timing makes the absence more striking. When people search what time is the monaco grand prix, they are usually looking for the moment that can decide the rest of the weekend, and at Monaco that moment is qualifying, where track position is hard to win back. Ferrari said no further medical information would be provided, but it added that the team looks forward to seeing him back at the track soon.
The team arrives at Saturday in a strong position on track. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finished first and second in both practice sessions on Friday, a sharp contrast with Ferrari’s broader run of form, which has not included a grand prix win since October 2024. Vasseur, who replaced Mattia Binotto in January 2023, also said after running on Friday that it was difficult to put a lap together for everybody.
He pointed to the pressure created by Monaco’s crowded grid, saying that with 10% more cars this year it is more than 10% more difficult. He added that tyres are becoming predominant again in performance and that it will be key for Saturday to get a proper out-lap and a clean lap. That matters more here than almost anywhere else, because a small mistake in Monaco can cost an entire session.
That is what gives Ferrari’s weekend its edge. The strongest opening Friday of the season so far is being overshadowed by the absence of the man leading it, and the team now has to manage the most delicate part of the weekend without him. Ferrari is also in separate negotiations with the FIA, F1 and other engine manufacturers over 2027 engine rules, though no fresh detail was given on that front.
The unanswered part is not whether Ferrari can keep its speed for one more day; it is how long Vasseur will be away and what medical issue is keeping him under observation. For now, Ferrari has given only one promise: it expects him back soon.
