Vasseur to skip F1 Monaco GP Saturday due to medical checks

Ferrari Formula 1 team boss Fred Vasseur will not be present at the Monaco Grand Prix on Saturday due to ongoing medical checks.

Track action for final practice is due to commence at 12:30pm in the principality ahead of qualifying at 4pm for which Vasseur will not be at the circuit.

It means his usual roles will likely fall on deputy team principal and ex-F1 driver Jerome d'Ambrosio, who has held that position since October 2024 following a year at Mercedes.

A Ferrari statement read: “Fred Vasseur will not be present at the circuit today. Following some medical checks, Fred will remain under observation at a local medical facility.

“No further medical information will be provided. We wish Fred a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back at the track soon.”

Expectations are high at Ferrari because slow-speed corners are a big strength of the SF-26 and that was witnessed on Friday when the Scuderia finished 1-2 in both FP1 and FP2. 

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Photo by: Anni Graf - Formula 1 via Getty Images

FP1 saw Charles Leclerc lap 0.226s quicker than Lewis Hamilton with a 1m13.978s, before the seven-time world champion struck back in FP2 by beating his team-mate by 0.111s.

Many are looking at the Scuderia to end Mercedes’ perfect start to 2026, in which it has won all five grands prix, particularly when Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished third in both practices.

But Ferrari is not getting ahead of itself, as speaking on Friday Vasseur claimed “I don’t care about this kind of approach or rumours that we have to do the job”.

“It's a very long way in Monaco from Friday first to the quali and to the race,” he added.

“The most difficult is that you have to anticipate the evolution of the track, the evolution of the grip.

“You have to be always one session ahead. This is a real challenge for the team and for the drivers. It's still a long way and we'll see tomorrow evening about the real pace.”

Those thoughts were echoed by Leclerc, who took Ferrari’s latest victory at the principality in 2024 before Lando Norris won for McLaren in 2025.

“Red Bull, and Max especially, was very close to us in FP2,” said the Monegasque as Verstappen was just 0.168s off Hamilton.

“I expect them to be very strong, I expect McLaren and Mercedes, as well, once they put everything together in qualifying, they will be very close.

“So I think it’s going to be a tight qualifying and more than what people expect.”