It would be convenient if every restructuring process were linear and preordained, without the typical obstacles that reality, in a mocking manner, imposes when a theoretical program becomes operational. Often, in order to take two steps forward, one must take a step back. This reasoning applies to every field and is also suitable for Ferrari, which is in the midst of technical and organizational reshuffling.
The transformation of the Sporting Management began in 2022 when it became clear that Mattia Binotto’s days in Maranello were numbered. It is logical to assume that the difficulties displayed by the SF-23 are also the result of a managerial “displacement” that occurred during the transition period between the manager from Lausanne and Frédéric Vasseur.
The first five races of the championship paint a harsh picture: Ferrari, along with Mercedes, represents the disappointment of this early 2023. Maranello has not been able to achieve what Aston Martin built in a year, recovering over two seconds in terms of pure performance.
Some media outlets, in an optimistic and evidently unrealistic surge, attributed gains of over one second per lap to the SF-23. There’s no need to go into figures and data here. The numbers are visible to all, speaking clearly and saying something different.
It’s as if in this phase, Fred Vasseur, in addition to carrying out the streamlining of the Sporting Management, also has to pick up the pieces resulting from the disappointment of yet another transitional season, which is struggling to regain competitiveness.
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Every Formula One team is like a clock in which many mechanisms must work in unison. As much as the head of the Sporting Management can be the great orchestrator, the architect who holds everything together and makes it work at its best, they cannot be left alone in this burdensome operation that moves along the delicate line that separates glory from failure, as explained by F1 expert Diego Catalano for FUnoanalisitecnica.
Who could support Vasseur in his work? The idea, which may have a provocative taste, comes from England. But, reasoning without rigid mental constraints, the conjecture wouldn’t be so far-fetched even if there are no elements to make it concrete. Let’s start with the assumption that Frederic Vasseur is an organizer and not a technician. In the previous “reign,” there was an engineer who served as a technical reference and head of the Sporting Management.
A merging of positions that didn’t work and has now been separated, although there is some haziness in precisely identifying the head of the technical department. Damon Hill, referring to this particular situation, mentioned that Ferrari may have been a bit too “light” in parting ways with Mattia Binotto, who could have been a very useful right-hand man for Fred Vasseur, able to operate in his area of expertise without having to digress into logistical, sporting, and political matters.
“That role didn’t suit him,” Hill suggested when speaking about Binotto on the F1 Nation podcast. “I don’t think it was the right position for him. Binotto is a technician, and I believe he was also a very important figure for the team. He possesses immense talent. If it were up to me, I would call him back and let him manage the entire technical aspect.”
Ferrari: Would a dual leadership have helped?
The 1996 world champion knows perfectly well that he is positing an imaginary scenario that is nevertheless described to show how, in his judgment, the departure of a professionally prepared figure like Mattia Binotto was paradoxical:
“I don’t know how politically feasible this hypothesis is. I was surprised that Ferrari didn’t immediately consider it, finding a way for Binotto and Vasseur to coexist within the same facility. I believe it would have been possible with Fred. He understands well how these kinds of things work.”
Hill’s reasoning is entirely conjectural but not therefore subject to logical censorship. In the historical phase that the Prancing Horse is going through, rather than getting lost in accusations bordering on the absurd (like those uttered by those who put the drivers on trial) and chasing culprits that are no longer there (Mattia Binotto) with all the corollary of controversies that are read in relation to a team that is overexposed in the media, it would be advisable to come together and try to understand how to overcome the difficulties.
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