Ferrari and human relations management: A significant problem in F1

In Formula 1, Ferrari has faced many challenges over the past 15 years, but one issue often overlooked is human relations management. When thinking about figures like Costa, Allison, Sassi, and others, considering their subsequent successes, particularly for Mercedes in the cases of Costa and Allison, it seems evident that Maranello lost something valuable. Sometimes, terminations are necessary, and they are not inherently wrong.

When things go wrong, someone pays the price, and it’s inevitable. It’s also natural that the same person, transitioning from one reality to another, performs significantly better and becomes irreplaceable or, conversely, faces the exact opposite scenario. This happens in all sports and workplaces because there are many variables at play, and human capital, the minds, are hearts and souls before being just minds. If you are comfortable or uncomfortable in an environment, it makes all the difference in the world, just as it does if you have personal issues and then overcome them.

When you are not well, simply put, you cannot perform at one hundred percent. These are all very obvious things that, I believe, most of us have experienced at least once in life. So, it’s not surprising that in a relatively small world like F1, people changing teams is common, and a technician may work for numerous teams during their career. However, the problem arises in how these departures are handled.

F1: Ferrari and the Lack of Policies Regarding Terminations

Since 2016, every time a technician left Ferrari, the International Federation immediately launched a series of checks that seemed, to be polite, surgical. Without being conspiratorial, many have thought that the departed technician might have taken not only their skills elsewhere but also the operational secrets of the team they left (Ferrari) and perhaps some “sensitive” secrets.

Let us explain further. It’s obvious that all F1 teams try to exploit all possible gray areas of the regulations, pushing the limits or surpassing them, as the boundary is very subtle. So, let’s make a very human hypothesis. You are suddenly dismissed by Ferrari. They show you the door, and the media revels in it. You get upset, harbor some human resentment.

Then, a top-tier team welcomes you with open arms. Now, you want to prove not only that you are skilled but maybe reveal where the team you came from was pushing or exceeding the regulations. Do you understand what I mean? You might say it’s wrong. Of course, it is. But it’s also incredibly human. Think about it.

It’s rare for a technician “fired” by Ferrari to want to return to Maranello. In fact, it’s categorically excluded, as if they had exited a Dantean circle and wanted to “see the stars” again. This should lead to a series of reflections on how “exits” are managed, especially those of top figures. We had these thoughts while reading the statements made by Modesto Menabue, the former engine builder of the Ferrari team, in an exclusive interview with Formula1.it.

Let’s frame the facts, considering that Allison was fired in 2016 and immediately hired by Mercedes. According to Menabue, Allison “in 2016 paid for the family tragedy (the sudden death of his wife after fulminant meningitis). He spent two days a week in Maranello: unacceptable for Sergio Marchionne. Another technician picked up by Toto Wolff, who is not stupid, to gather information from.”

We can only imagine what Allison went through in those months. And the team lost not only its then-technical director but also handed him over to a direct and winning competitor. The former Ferrari engine specialist further clarifies his thoughts: “After Allison was fired, FIA technicians came to conduct targeted checks. There was, for example, a mobile air intake in a specific area of the car designed by Allison. Prohibited but not known. The stewards checked that specifically, saying there were moving parts. How did they know?”

Obviously, we cannot have evidence to claim that someone was “spying” on the FIA, but if you connect the dots, some legitimate doubts about “leaked information” arise. In the last 10 years, has it ever happened, except for Ferrari, that when transferring from the old team to the new one, the first team underwent a series of targeted checks by the federation? I believe not.

So, I think there are two areas where the Prancing Horse should intervene (and maybe with Vasseur, they are already doing it). Firstly, try to manage departures in a friendly and peaceful manner, almost “painless.” And since “thinking badly is a sin, but often it pays off,” put into action a series of legal tools (there are plenty of clauses) to prevent leaks and various types of whispers.

You cannot stop a mind from taking its knowledge elsewhere, but at least you can avoid involving the third party, namely the FIA. However, I refuse to believe that there are naive individuals in Ferrari. So, what is it that we don’t know?