Despite the important signals of progress shown by the SF-24 in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Ferrari still has a lot of ground to make up against Red Bull, and the aerodynamic updates in the coming months will be crucial to finally be able to challenge Max Verstappen.
Frederic Vasseur knows this well, observing with a sly smile the developments related to the Christian Horner situation and ready to make the decisive move to snatch important figures from the Red Bull chessboard and weaken the reigning world champion team.
The turbulent situation inside Red Bull has prompted rival teams to target the best minds of Adrian Newey. Let us explain who the individuals are that have caught the eye of the Maranello team.
At the moment, the “bomb” Helmut Marko seems to have been defused. The 80-year-old super consultant at Red Bull, after a lengthy discussion with Red Bull Chief executive officer Oliver Mintzlaff, confirmed in an interview for Sky Deutschland that his position within the Milton Keynes team is not in jeopardy. Nevertheless, it almost appears paradoxical to note that the second double win of the 2024 Formula One season represents the only element of normality in the daily life of the reigning world champion team. In the Saudi Arabian paddock, there was a lot of information suggesting a very toxic atmosphere inside the Milton Keynes factory than what was perceptible on the track.
PERFECT TIMING
The interest expressed by Ferrari and other teams towards Red Bull technicians at various levels certainly did not end with Helmut Marko’s reassuring statements at the end of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend. The turbulent situation at Red Bull is naturally closely observed by the rest of the teams, which have moved with great timing, intensifying contacts with various members of the team led by Christian Horner. Among these, of course, there is also Scuderia Ferrari. After all, this is not surprising, as it was precisely the Maranello team just a year ago that made well-defined proposals to Pierre Wache, Adrian Newey’s right-hand man and his staff.
Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!
Details have emerged from Jeddah precisely identifying the figures that have attracted the attention of Frederic Vasseur. Some of them, it is fair to underline, were subsequently safeguarded by the Milton Keynes team during the past season to discourage rivals from recruiting new technical resources. Pierre Wachè is one of them, alongside Enrico Balbo, chief aerodynamics manager. The Italian was among the figures contacted during the last Azerbaijan Grand Prix, one of the most relevant pawns to base the slow and silent process of technical strengthening, which is Fred Vasseur’s top priority and most important operation at the forefront.
WHO ARE THE TARGETED TECHNICIANS?
But other figures, perhaps less in the spotlight but clearly not less important, are emerging as additional targets. One would be David Morgan, responsible for aerodynamic development in Red Bull on the track. A British engineer, David Morgan has been with the team in Milton Keynes for over six years, having joined after spending five years at Williams. He is responsible for configuration choices as well as the execution and interpretation of aerodynamic correlation data between track and simulator. Ben Waterhouse, on the other hand, holds the role of Performance Manager, effectively overseeing the entire vehicle dynamics. He is well-versed in the adjustments and operation as well as internal configurations of the suspensions, allowing the RB20 car a perfect combination of dynamic and aerodynamic balance. Last but not least, another possible candidate for a move to Maranello could be another Italian technician, Alessandro Germani, the current team leader of aerodynamic development. A deep expert in CFD (computational fluid dynamics) simulations, the Italian engineer has been at Red Bull for nine years and has climbed the ranks of the aerodynamic technical staff.
THE ARRIVAL OF ELKANN
If these are the figures being watched, for the crown jewel, namely Adrian Newey, it seems obvious to consider not only Frederic Vasseur’s work behind the scenes but also the strong value that the involvement of President John Elkann could have in this regard. It is therefore not a surprise that the Ferrari president was present at the Jeddah circuit for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. John Elkann was seen meeting with Oliver Mintzlaff in the Red Bull hospitality, most likely for a visit more directed at issues related to the upcoming Concorde Agreement than the technical market. This does not take away from the fact that, despite negotiations almost always taking place in more discreet settings, Ferrari’s president has skillfully tried to perceive first-hand the state of tensions that have torn apart the rival team in recent weeks. Being present at the circuit was a strong signal, not only of proximity to the Maranello team but also of direct involvement in the progress of Ferrari’s Formula 1 project. In short, at Ferrari, it is clear who is in command; power struggles, at the moment, concern others.
— see video above —
