Ferrari have confirmed Fred Vasseur, 58, is in hospital and will not be present at Monaco qualifying after medical checks. His deputy Jerome D’Ambrosio will step in as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc chase front-row positions on a circuit Ferrari believe su
Lewis Hamilton’s chase for pole at Monaco has taken an abrupt turn before qualifying even gets under way.
Ferrari confirmed on Saturday that their team principal, Fred Vasseur, 58, has been hospitalised following medical checks. He will not be present at the track today, with Jerome D’Ambrosio set to step up in Vasseur’s absence.
Qualifying for Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix is scheduled to start at 2pm BST, and under normal circumstances Vasseur would be on the pit wall guiding the session. Whether he will be fit enough to return remains unclear.
Ferrari’s statement was brief but direct: ‘Following some medical checks. Fred will remain under observation at a local medical facility.’ The team added: ‘No further medical information will be provided.’ Ferrari then closed with the message they’re forced to repeat when the situation is uncertain: ‘We wish Fred a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back at the track soon.’.
The disruption lands in a high-stakes moment for Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. This weekend is expected to shape into a direct fight for the front row, with both Ferrari drivers pushing for pole position at the tight, unforgiving Monaco street circuit.
Friday’s running offered encouragement for that scenario. Hamilton finished quickest in practice in Monte Carlo as he continues his bid for his first race win with the Italian team.
For Ferrari, the aim in qualifying later on Saturday is clear: secure their first pole position of the season. But with Vasseur kept under observation and D’Ambrosio taking charge on the pit wall. the team will have to do it without the figure who would normally be steering the moment-to-moment decisions as the garages empty and the cars line up for their single-lap battles.
Hamilton and Leclerc still have the job in front of them—turn Ferrari’s promise for Monaco into a front-row reality. Yet the human reality behind the garage door has already changed the rhythm of the build-up, hours before the session that can decide the whole weekend.
Lewis Hamilton Fred Vasseur Ferrari Monaco Grand Prix Monaco qualifying Jerome D’Ambrosio Charles Leclerc pole position hospitalised