'Ferrari should hire people from Bridgestone or Michelin, with extensive "tire specialist" backgrounds'

Up to this point, the 2023 Formula One championship has been a disappointing and truly complex year for Scuderia Ferrari, at least considering the results obtained in the first five races of the season. Based on the numbers, the Italian side is struggling to make the SF-23 single-seater work, which, despite being the logical evolution of the F1-75, has proven to be slow and difficult to understand. So much so that it has brought the Red Team down to fourth place in the constructors’ standings, behind Mercedes and Aston Martin, ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the next round of the 2023 F1 campaign.

As mentioned, the Prancing Horse has disappointed, earning only a few points in this early part of the championship, showing disappointing and fluctuating performances. Moreover, in addition to the far from exciting results, the present of the Ferrari Racing Division is also complicated by a period of transition due to some ongoing changes in the Maranello team’s organization. Significant changes, such as (above all) the resignations of Team Principal Mattia Binotto, David Sanchez and most recently that of Laurent Mekies, who will be leaving the Italian side to join AlphaTauri.

Changes that, of course, do not only involve departures but also new entries: as reported in recent weeks, team principal Frederic Vasseur has received approval from the Ferrari senior management to operate on the market and sign several high-level professional figures to strengthen the Maranello team’s technical staff. A campaign that, to date, seems to be focusing mainly on aerodynamic technicians (such as the famous DRS man from Red Bull or the figure of Enrico Balbo, once considered a sure thing, then blocked), rather than seeking figures, perhaps minor, but equally important and decisive in the team’s economy.

Providing this interpretation is well-known Italian journalist Roberto Chinchero, who, in a recent article for the Italian version of the ‘Motorsport.com’ website, emphasized how in Maranello, one of the most “long-standing” and unresolved problems for years has been the understanding and management of tires (as accused also during the Miami GP by both drivers in the race and with both compounds used).

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“The management of tires is a problem that has plagued Ferrari for years. Over time, technical directors, drivers, aerodynamicists, and team principals have alternated in Maranello without ever reaching a solution. There have been seasons in which the problem was less impactful, but the issue has always been topical.” This is a problem that, as mentioned, has accompanied the team for years, but the technicians of the Ferrari Racing Division don’t seem to be able to remedy it. For this reason, Roberto Chinchero believes that it wouldn’t be wrong for Maranello (during this recruitment campaign) to look for technicians, perhaps from Bridgestone or Michelin, with extensive “tire specialist” backgrounds. A move that Scuderia Ferrari’s rivals have already made, enjoying the benefits.

“Among the Scuderia’s opponents, some have long since decided to strengthen themselves with specialized technicians (mostly former Bridgestone and also some engineers with experience at Michelin), and there is doubt that specific know-how in this area is not a bad thing.” – the Italian journalist concluded.