Apparent calm
Ferrari is gradually approaching the long-awaited and chaotic weekend in Baku, the first in Formula 1 history in which there will be two separate qualifying sessions that will form the two starting grids of the weekend – one for the Sprint race and the other for the actual Azerbaijan GP. Despite the apparent calm, tensions are brewing within the team. Team principal Frederic Vasseur remains convinced of the potential of the SF-23 project, highlighting the presumed progress made, and reiterating the aspect linked to internal reorganization to justify the upcoming departure of Laurent Mekies, already confirmed by AlphaTauri as their next team principal while still under contract with Scuderia Ferrari.
Nervousness behind the scenes
Behind him, Charles Leclerc, currently ranking higher in music charts than in the championship standings, and Carlos Sainz, who assures that he has moved on from the bitter conclusion of the Australian GP earlier this month, both show the same feeling of tranquility, at least in front of the media. However, the feeling is that the atmosphere within the Maranello team is like a pot of boiling water, and no one is able to put out the fire fueling these tensions.
Therefore, it is no coincidence that Stefano Mancini’s reconstruction of the current state of Ferrari in the Italian newspaper La Stampa is not marked with optimism and hope.
Confidence has its limits
” […] There is an ongoing flight from Maranello fueled by the crisis state, or is it a natural process of reorganization? […] since the beginning of the year, Ferrari has replaced team principal Mattia Binotto with Frederic Vasseur and then gradually lost Inaki Rueda […], David Sanchez […] and now Laurent Mekies […]. Unconfirmed reports also suggest that Enrico Cardile, responsible for the chassis […], will also leave. […] The challenge for Vasseur is complicated: he must spread an optimistic atmosphere to attract important reinforcements. […] The importance is given by the ability of incoming technicians to bring new ideas for the 2024 project. […]
“Charles Leclerc swears loyalty to the cause and love for Ferrari, but his confidence also has a limit. When asked if Toto Wolff […] had called him to talk about the future, he lets slip a “not yet […]” that opens up any possibility for the future. […]”.
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The Laurent Mekies case, and not only
Similar reflections are also put forward by Alessandra Retico in La Repubblica. In this case, the lack of updates on the SF-23 is emphasized, with updates expected to arrive between Imola and Barcelona. It would not make sense to introduce them during a weekend with the first sprint race of the season. The departure of sporting director Laurent Mekies is also discussed, with its rather peculiar dynamics. He is described as “a spy not of discomfort, but of uncertainty […] Mekies still has a contract to resolve with Ferrari, which wants to preserve itself: when one changes teams, one also brings knowledge and secrets with them. And AlphaTauri, Red Bull’s junior team, is a direct rival […]”. However, the reading of the “Charles Leclerc case” is slightly more optimistic: “[…] There is a need for a sense of belonging and confidence in the project. Charles Leclerc still has it, in his fifth year in red and with a contract that expires at the end of 2024, but who knows after such a disappointing start […]”.
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