F1, Ferrari: Vasseur strengthens the Scuderia with risky moves
Ferrari, Vasseur, Tondi and the Formula 1 project. The departure of key figures from the Scuderia Ferrari, especially in the long periods without victories, has split opinion into two sides: some consider these exits irrelevant, arguing that those who left did not contribute to any significant success, while others believe that defeats and the tensions inside the Maranello management pushed some engineers and managers to listen to rival offers.
Why turnover is not easy to handle
According to many fans, there is no need to panic when professionals leave if they have not built a winning cycle. Yet the reality is not so simple. Working in a Formula 1 team means being an elite professional, and replacing senior engineers or managers who decide to accept a new challenge is never straightforward.
Replacing staff is complicated because their expertise is highly specialised and requires years of experience in a very niche field. Wolf Zimmermann has already done so, while Lars Schmidt will leave Ferrari’s engine department to rejoin Mattia Binotto, this time at Audi, which will make its official Formula 1 debut in the next FIA regulatory cycle.
These are engineers who have worked at Maranello for over a decade, contributing to reducing the technological gap to Mercedes in the turbo-hybrid era. Their departure is significant because the engine department, now directly led by Enrico Gualtieri, loses two highly valuable resources just months before the introduction of second-generation power units.
Even if the Power Unit 2.0 has already been approved, the opportunities for additional development and upgrades (ADUO), a mechanism introduced by the FIA to maintain competitive balance under the new rules, show how essential stability is in this division.
Ferrari, internal unease within the team
Regardless of rumours about disagreements between Gualtieri and the departing engineers – which are not confirmed – any manager who loses experienced professionals is far from happy. Alongside their technical skills, Ferrari is losing historical know-how built up over more than ten years, a priceless intangible value that inevitably strengthens the competition, even within the limits of industrial secrecy.
Reports also suggest that Diego Tondi is not entirely at ease. After Enrico Cardile’s sudden resignation in April, Ferrari launched a deep internal reorganisation. The Italian engineer was promoted to head of aerodynamics, but the disappointing 2025 campaign has not helped stabilise the team’s structure.
In Tondi’s division, Fred Vasseur has recently brought in a familiar face. On September 1st, Franck Sanchez, a French engineer from Sauber, officially joined the Scuderia. The comparison is clear: just as Binotto took Zimmermann and Schmidt to Audi to work with trusted collaborators who respect his authority, Vasseur has done the same by bringing in Sanchez.
Why Diego Tondi could consider leaving
Could the former Sauber engineer end up overseeing Tondi’s work? It is not yet possible to say. What is clear, however, is that when a team principal like Fred Vasseur brings in his old colleagues, the main reason is the trust – both technical and personal – he has in them. That may explain the rumours of unease from the current head of aerodynamics at Maranello.
The only hope for Ferrari is that the old saying proves true: “everyone is useful, but no one is indispensable.” A principle that, in reality, often fails in Formula 1. The constant revolving door at Maranello does not help the long-term stability the Ferrari board is demanding, a stability that was the very reason they decided to confirm Fred Vasseur in his role, despite the highly disappointing results of this season.
