It is a period of important evaluations for Ferrari in Formula 1. The Maranello team is in the midst of various significant tasks, both on and off the track, to build as quickly as possible a team that is finally strong and capable of fighting for the much-anticipated successes for the fans and beyond. Team principal Frederic Vasseur is working to reorganize an entire team that for a long time, indeed too long, has had resources within it that were never really useful to the cause of the Prancing Horse. This is the honest assessment that emerges from looking at the mere results.
The departure of Italian aerodynamicist Enrico Cardile, the former Ferrari Head of Aerodynamics Department, to Aston Martin is just the latest move in a series of departures that began last year when the Frenchman took over as team principal to try to revive the fortunes of the Italian team after the more than negative management under Mattia Binotto. In fact, almost all the men who worked with the curly-haired team boss have left or been moved to other departments far from the track’s affairs. These were necessary moves that, in the end, no one complained about.
After an encouraging start in this 2024 Formula 1 racing campaign, the Italian car has been caught up in performance by other teams, such as McLaren and Mercedes, who have been very good at working better with developments. On the contrary, the SF-24 single-seater has taken decisive steps backward in the last month, so much so that the Maranello technicians are still deciding which aerodynamic update package to use for the upcoming races in Hungary and Belgium. We say this because at the Silverstone circuit, after a comparison test which was carried out in practice, the Maranello team reverted to the old specification in order to try to get things right on a technical level.
Fred Vasseur’s task is anything but simple. Yet this year, even if aimed at the near future, the Formula 1 championship started with a bang: we are obviously talking about the signing of Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time F1 world champion, who signed a probably three-year contract with the Italian side. The British driver indeed seems reinvigorated after the resounding victory achieved last Sunday in front of his home fans. A race conducted masterfully by the Briton. In short, as far as the drivers are concerned, considering also the multi-year renewal of Charles Leclerc, the red team is in a good place for the 2025 Formula 1 campaign.
With the arrival of former Mercedes engineer, the Frenchman Loic Serra, who will begin his work with Ferrari next October, it seems the team has at least unofficially found Enrico Cardile’s replacement. However, we know well that his role within the team will be different, as the Frenchman specialized at Brackley in managing the group that deals with vehicle dynamics. For this reason, the recruitment of technical staff for the Italian team is far from over. We refer to Adrian Newey, who has confirmed his Red Bull departure and is currently evaluating all of his options to decide on what team to join next season.
It should be noted that due to a clause in his contract with Red Bull, the British car designer will not be able to officially announce his next venture before September the earliest. From England, some news media outlets say he won’t go to Aston Martin, then the next day they say he will, and another day they report he is looking for a house in Oxfordshire, where airport connections are easier for those who need to travel frequently. Rumors that can be more or less confirmed. It seems unlikely that Enrico Cardile, probably irritated by the well-known and declared negotiations between Ferrari and Adrian Newey, would join a team where he would then find the Briton.
In short, it would be a real blow. Meanwhile, speaking of external consultations, Italian journalist and Ferrari insider Leo Turrini has revealed the news of Rory Byrne renewing with the Italian side. The father of Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari cars since the late ’90s seems to still be in contact with the team, although there have been no official updates for several years. The South African now lives in Thailand, serving as a consultant for Maranello. This is what is being said, although, as mentioned, there is no official evidence to support it.
There is therefore some technical uncertainty at Ferrari, at least this is the impression from the outside: however, it seems very strange that a driver like Lewis Hamilton, the most successful in Formula 1 history, would decide to leave Mercedes to join a team without having certain assurances. There are situations that Ferrari is probably trying to guarantee the English champion, especially with these market moves. Yes, we are still in July, but the 2025 Formula 1 championship is closer than one might think and the Italian team is not standing still. How could they.
Contrary to what one might think, whether Adrian Newey does in fact join the Maranello team or not, Ferrari has a precise technical plan for the near future, which is being meticulously detailed. The objective is well known: to start a winning cycle with the new regulatory framework that will come into effect in the 2026 Formula 1 season. Although the current difficulties are evident, it is wrong to look to tomorrow’s prospects with such skepticism. Ferrari has not won anything since 2008 and precisely for this reason the maneuvers are extensive. It is better to wait before judging because the plans are much more serious than they seem, this is what John Elkann recently pointed out.
Source: FUnoanalisitecnica.
