At the Miami Grand Prix, the fifth event on the 2023 Formula 1 calendar, Scuderia Ferrari aimed to consolidate what was seen in Australia to try to once again keep Mercedes and Aston Martin at bay. How things went is unfortunately well known. The SF-23 has shown once again to be an indecipherable and performance unpredictable car. The initial hopes turned into a disappointing weekend, especially with Charles Leclerc who never found the key to a car he could barely control.
The technical crisis experienced by the Maranello team probably derives from the ongoing restructuring of the Ferrari Racing Division. Frédéric Vasseur is the absolute protagonist of this process, the man who is trying to hold the reins of the Prancing Horse in a transitional phase that, by nature and essence, cannot fail.
Even though key figures like David Sanchez have left (and sporting director Laurent Mekies is about to join AlphaTauri as team principal), Scuderia Ferrari is demonstrating that it is not proceeding in the dark as many have claimed. At the heart of this structural change is a very clear strategy, and slowly, piece by piece, every piece of the puzzle is falling into place.
Naturally, the overhaul, to be complete and to produce solid result, needs time. Mistakes could be made on this path, but the feeling that emerges from Ferrari is that the road is set and it is the right one. Despite a weekend like the one that ended two days ago at the Miami International Autodrome in Florida, USA.
Probably a figure like Fred Vasseur was needed, who has broad shoulders to sail through tumultuous winds and possesses great experience in managing teams, which has been his main task in the long career spent in motorsport. That’s why the change at the head of the Sports Management became necessary, otherwise, it was enough to continue with the old paradigms which, however, in the light of the facts, had not given the hoped-for results.
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Ferrari: the difficult absence of a technical director
Is everything going well then? Has Ferrari solved its problems and is it just a matter of time before we see the salvific effects on the track? According to those who know the Maranello environment well, we must be cautious and avoid arriving at easy conclusions. Engineer Luigi Mazzola, one of the architects of Ferrari’s roaring years with Michael Schumacher, Jean Todt, Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne, and so on, believes that Fred Vasseur’s approach is not correct.
The technician believes, perhaps a bit harshly, that the historic team lacks a leader and above all a technical director. Someone who takes on the responsibility of coordinating the different areas by showing firm and authoritative leadership and positioning themselves as a reference point. Not that Fred Vasseur is incapable of doing so, but the operational goal of the French manager is not technical but structural organization.
Luigi Mazzola argues that instead of searching for technicians who are lower down the pyramid, Ferrari should find that figure to put at the top of the company who can chart the technical direction to be followed by all subordinates. This role cannot be played by Fred Vasseur, who as we said earlier, does not have specific technical skills.
Paradoxically, it was Mattia Binotto who could do this type of work while Vasseur could continue to focus on how to reorganize the entire sports management. If before, in Ferrari, there was an anomaly with the Italian manager occupying two roles, that of sports director and technical director, today another anomaly is configured because in the second role there is practically no one.
Ferrari: Mazzola insists on Charles Leclerc’s departure
But Luigi Mazzola’s skepticism also refers to Fred Vasseur’s ability to effectively reorganize the GES. Someone has repeatedly drawn parallels with Jean Todt, but the latter came from a victorious experience in the world of rallying. Therefore, in some way, he knew how to achieve triumph. From this point of view, however, the former Sauber executive is lacking and this could weigh in the exercise of his functions.
According to Mazzola, the situation is so serious that it could influence Charles Leclerc’s future choices, despite having recently sworn allegiance to the Ferrari cause. “In my opinion – he explained to QN – by the end of 2024, Charles will leave. He risks becoming the new Jean Alesi. I imagine that in his frustration, he is asking himself many questions. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to give him a technical director who is up to his talent.” – the Italian explained.
Perhaps the judgment is a bit too strong precisely because it was Charles Leclerc who said he trusts Fred Vasseur blindly and appreciates the changes he has brought to the team after Mattia Binotto’s management. Only time will tell how things will evolve, but at this point in the journey, it seems that the new arrivals at Ferrari – including Fred Vasseur – need to have the time to work and demonstrate to the whole world that the paradigm brought inside the Maranello team is the right one to return to the top of the sport, as explained by the Italian website FUnoanalisitecnica.
Don’t be deceived by the start of the 2023 Formula One season, which sees Ferrari struggling. The long wave of the old management is still producing its effects, patience is needed in this historical moment. Fred Vasseur should be supported instead of being subjected to final judgments or irrevocable failures. Rather, it is those above the French manager, namely Benedetto Vigna and John Elkann, who should be more cautious in certain media statements. They should be the ones to make their voices heard, clarifying certain trends that remain impenetrable, especially in this difficult time.
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