Former Ferrari Formula 1 press officer Alberto Antonini, who was replaced by the Maranello team with Silvia Hoffer Frangipane when Mattia Binotto took over from Maurizio Arrivabene, shared his thoughts on Frederic Vasseur being appointed as team principal from the 2023 Formula 1 season and also provided some updates on the Maranello team’s challenger for next year, in a recent article for formulapassion.it:
“As for Fred Vasseur, he is now in the most delicate phase of his approach to Ferrari. These days the Ferrari Racing Department is half empty, but he will have to do everything possible to interview his subordinates, to talk to everyone and get an idea of them. Yes, because perhaps the fears of pressure already addressed to him by the top management to make the first changes in the workforce are not entirely unfounded; starting right from the ‘race strategies’ sector which in 2022 ended up too often in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. It is true that the distribution of tasks appears a bit strange, with Iñaki Rueda in the role of manager and sporting director and Ravin Jain with the task of actually thinking the race tactics. But before swinging the hatchet, if I may, it would be good for the new team principal to get an idea of how to optimize processes, improving the communication, rather than sending people home. After all Ferrari has hired a manager, not an executor.” – Alberto Antonini pointed out.
“The 675, the car destined for win the world championship (but shouldn’t all Ferrari cars be?), doesn’t exist yet. Slowly, from the second week of January, it will begin to take shape in the Assembly department, as always by adding pieces around the fuel tank. For what it counts, it should be a very nice single-seater, derived from the F1-75 in shape but updated in several points. It makes no sense to overturn a concept (that of the sidepods) which has clearly shown its validity. As for the engine, the discussions regarding the horsepower will take place in due time.”
“The goal was for Ferrari to be able to exploit the advantages of fast combustion in all conditions. This year, often, it has not been possible – see Mexico – and the drop in power had overshadowed the general performance. Now, at least on paper and on the test bench, the problems induced by external circumstances – cooling, rarefaction of the air that undermines the turbo – seem to have been solved. Let us remember, however, that the current regulations do not allow improvements or purely performance development. To understand, the FIA would never allow you to mount a lightened piston. But if with some more robust components you can go as fast at an altitude of 2200 as at sea level, well, then the word is up to the drivers. Each for its 33 grams.” – Former Ferrari Formula 1 press officer Alberto Antonini concluded.
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