There was a time when Ferrari represented a destination for Formula 1 engineers, aerodynamicists, and technicians with all kinds of skills. Today, unfortunately, it is no longer the case: history is no longer enough. The Maranello team, without titles for fifteen years, has seen its international appeal, which in the past convinced highly skilled individuals to join their Formula 1 project, diminish. And to worsen the situation, competition has become ruthless both on the track and in the factory.
Gerhard Berger discussed this in an interview with the Italian daily newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Gerhard Berger’s comments on the situation at Ferrari
Taking stock of the situation at Scuderia Ferrari regarding a recruitment campaign that is struggling to take off, Gerhard Berger states: “You have to convince people to move to Maranello, and it’s not easy because they are worried about not being able to win there.” As mentioned earlier, the strong competition characterizing modern Formula 1 plays a crucial role in this context. “There are other big teams now, like Mercedes, Aston Martin, and even the emerging Audi, who are also trying to attract engineers from Red Bull,” emphasizes the former Austrian driver, who raced for the Maranello team between 1987 – 1989 and between 1993 – 1995.
Furthermore, Gerhard Berger suspects that the recent rumors about Lewis Hamilton’s possible move to Ferrari may have originated from Maranello itself for tactical reasons. “Sometimes certain strategic moves can be used to attract engineers, in this case, from Mercedes,” he points out. Finally, he concludes by saying, “I don’t think the drivers are the real problem for Ferrari, just as they weren’t in 2022. It’s not about their driving abilities. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are exceptionally strong.” – the Austrian former Formula One racing driver concluded.
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