There is no doubt he had envisioned it differently. After all the preseason excitement, Lewis Hamilton had expected a much stronger debut in Australia, only to face the harsh reality of a Ferrari with several issues to resolve at the start of the F1 season.

Following a promising Friday, Ferrari was forced to raise the car’s ride height to prevent excessive floor wear and avoid the risk of disqualification. This decision meant both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc had to continue the weekend with a car that no longer resembled the one that had initially given them confidence in free practice.

The outcome was a fourth-row start in qualifying, ultimately turning into just five points at the end of the race. Certainly not what Ferrari fans had hoped for at the beginning of what had often been described as a championship-contending season.

Never before had Ferrari exuded so much confidence and optimism in the weeks leading up to the opening race. However, that same certainty that had once excited the Tifosi is now being questioned.

A former driver has no doubts about Lewis Hamilton

What happened in Australia could impact the mindset of Ferrari’s drivers, at least according to a former Scuderia driver. “From Saturday onwards, things didn’t go well. McLaren and Max Verstappen looked dominant, and we started from a far-from-ideal position,” said René Arnoux on Rai Radio 1. “The first race of the year is always filled with emotions because it gives you a sense of where you stand compared to the competition.”

“We’re not competitive in either dry or wet conditions. In fact, from the outside, it seemed like Hamilton and Leclerc were dealing with more water on track than their rivals. They struggled to accelerate and were at risk of losing control of the car,” the Frenchman added. “I understand Lewis’ frustration. Changing teams is never easy, especially with the limited number of testing days. In my opinion, after the race, he lost some enthusiasm, but we’ll need to wait a few weeks to truly assess the car’s potential.”

“Right now, there seem to be three or four competitive teams. Ferrari cannot stay at this level, and I’m confident they’ll catch up. The problem is, I don’t know when that will happen,” concluded René Arnoux, who joined Ferrari in 1983, when he secured three victories, at the Canadian, German, and Dutch Grands Prix and was in contention for the world title until the final race of the 1983 Formula 1 season.

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The third win of the 2024 Formula 1 season for the Prancing Horse puts the red team in a privileged position in the Constructors’ Championship. The 39 points to catch up are not a Mission Impossible for a team that, according to Rene Arnoux, will challenge its rivals until the end of the season.

The former Ferrari driver was recently interviewed by the Italian daily newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, analyzing the Monza race: “Ferrari had a great level of performance, with low tire wear. This, besides being decisive, also gives hope for the next races.” – the former Formula 1 driver added.

The red team’s success “besides making me happy, is good for the championship,” explained the 1948-born driver. “We will witness a great battle between Red Bull, McLaren, and Ferrari until the end.”

Ferrari is more of a team compared to the past, and you can see the influence of Frédéric Vasseur. René Arnoux is convinced of this, even though he doesn’t know the Team Principal personally, he recognizes the value of the work in Maranello. “It seems to me that he is replicating the growth that McLaren achieved. And I believe he is doing it even faster. McLaren’s progress is the result of work that began three or four years ago.” – he added.

According to Rene Arnoux, Ferrari has also made progress in managing strategies. “Things have changed. On Sunday they were very good. It might have seemed like they took a big risk by opting for a single stop. Instead, I think they had data and certainties: they made great progress. This is another aspect that makes me hopeful for the future.” – the former Ferrari driver concluded.

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Monza’s triumph rewards Ferrari, now closer to the top in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships: former driver René Arnoux analyzed the title fight. Do Charles Leclerc and Ferrari have a chance?

Morale is sky-high at Ferrari after the Monza victory: the success in Italy, achieved with an updated SF-24, propels Charles Leclerc and Ferrari to the top positions in the championship standings. In the days following the Italian Grand Prix, former Ferrari driver René Arnoux shared his thoughts in an interview for Italiandaily newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, offering his perspective on the title race.

Red Bull in crisis: Arnoux isn’t surprised, constructors’ championship is open

The 76-year-old from Grenoble commented on the title situation after Ferrari’s win at Monza. The battle at the top is wide open: “For months, I’ve been saying that the ‘sex and money’ issue (referring to Red Bull, editor’s note) would have repercussions. I always believed it could destabilize the team. Even Verstappen is feeling it: an F1 driver is a very strong person, but at the same time, very fragile,” Rene Arnoux explained.

With Red Bull in crisis, Ferrari could take advantage: “A 39-point gap isn’t small, but given how poorly I see Red Bull, it’s not that big either. But McLaren is also in the mix. I think it will be a great battle,” observed the Frenchman.

“Charles, you can be unbeatable, but you need more consistency”

Rene Arnoux’s view on the drivers’ championship is different. He remains cautious: “Charles is 86 points behind Max Verstappen. That’s a lot, I fear too many,” the former driver analyzed before acknowledging Charles Leclerc’s abilities. “When he’s in top form, like in Monaco and Monza, it’s hard to catch him, very hard. But there are 24 races: Charles just needs to be more consistent.” – the former Formula One driver pointed out.

Norris can catch Verstappen, but on one condition

Lando can aim for Max’s lead, but his team needs to change its approach. “Norris is also far from Max (62 points), but that’s already something else. […] But to do so, McLaren needs to play as a team. They need to work for him!”

“Who will win the championships? I can only say that I hope they win, realistically speaking. Since I fear Charles Leclerc is too far behind, for the drivers’ title, I say Norris. Naturally, for the constructors’ championship, I say Ferrari.” – Rene Arnoux concluded, as reported by Gazzetta dello Sport.

Source: f1ingenerale

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However, the performance at the Albert Park circuit represents another piece of evidence of how the Maranello team continues to move in the right direction, and the Suzuka stage, scheduled for a week from now, will be another test bench to assess the growth of the SF24 on an extremely selective circuit like the Japanese one.

Interviewed by the Italian daily newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Renè Arnoux also emphasized the splendid performance of the red car in Melbourne, praising a Scuderia Ferrari team that seems to be getting closer and closer to Red Bull: “The red cars had a great race. Sainz was really perfect in how and how much he managed to be decisive”.

“In general, the car was competitive both in qualifying and in the race. Of course, Verstappen was missing due to a technical problem, but Ferrari did well to be there. They exploited the weekend excellently. Besides, from the first GP, we understood that the car was much better than that of 2023”.

Speaking instead of the gap between the prancing horse and the Milton Keynes team, the Frenchman commented: “It is much closer to Red Bull, in Australia, we had full confirmation of this. Not yet quite at the level of Red Bull, but almost. It is also true that Red Bull has only one car ahead. Perez is a number 2, sometimes 3. He often disappears”.

The criticism of Sergio Perez offers an important reflection in terms of the constructor’s title. While aiming for the driver’s title, with Max Verstappen in such a state of grace, is quite a complicated task, Frederic Vasseur has instead set his sights on the constructors, with Ferrari trailing by 4 points from the top after three Grands Prix.

Should Perez sink again into the difficulties encountered especially in the second half of the past season, the consistency of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in terms of placements could prove decisive at the end of the season, at least to bring one of the two titles back to Maranello.

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It is the most highly discussed topic at the moment. Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Scuderia Ferrari opens up dreams, hypotheses, and scenarios that the entire Formula 1 paddock is analyzing and will continue to analyze for the next 12 months. In an interview for the Italian daily newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, René Arnoux also joins this enthusiastic group. According to the former French driver, age will be a factor not to be underestimated.

“[We must take into account] psychological fatigue, travel fatigue, the excessive number of races – explains René Arnoux – It will be very difficult to fight for the title. All drivers want to go to Ferrari, without exception. It happened to me too. Lewis Hamilton is a great champion; the problem is that he will arrive when he is 40: I don’t think one can win a World Championship at that age.” – he pointed out.

Much will depend on the quality of Ferrari’s project for 2025 and 2026. On a competitive car, Lewis Hamilton can have his say and “achieve good results,” but against the still young Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, he may struggle. Something that may have led the Monegasque to accept the arrival of the new teammate willingly: “I don’t think he took the news badly; he knows that Lewis is a certain age.” – the French former racing driver who competed in 12 Formula One seasons added.

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And if Lewis Hamilton performs well instead? “It will be a nice rivalry,” declares René Arnoux, adding that both drivers will be put on an equal footing.

However, the timing is wrong: “They put Carlos Sainz in a very embarrassing position. Getting such a slap at the beginning of the season will not do him good, and who knows if he will be able to repeat an exploit like in Singapore. If a team had done something like this to me, I would have taken it very, very badly.” – René Arnoux concluded.

Source: f1ingenerale

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This connection led him to get back behind the wheel of one of Maranello’s cars, part of the ‘XX’ program, reliving the emotions of the past. After a session on the track with the FXX-K, the Italian website Formula1.it had the exclusive opportunity to chat with René Arnoux:

**Q: Hello René, you’re a regular presence at the Ferrari World Finals, always part of the red family in a different role. What does Ferrari mean to you?**

“**René Arnoux:** Ferrari means something not just to me, but it’s exciting for many people. If you conduct a survey and ask about the most well-known racing car, everyone says Ferrari, nothing else. It’s not a coincidence; it has a legendary history, a present, and a future. It’s the only name with this charm, both in racing and on the road. Collectors compete to acquire them. All of this is significant.”

**Q: You raced for Ferrari during your Formula 1 career, and perhaps that’s how everyone remembers you. How do you evaluate your time in red?**

“**René Arnoux:** I drove for three years at Ferrari, something everyone dreams of. They sought me out, and I would have gone to Maranello even swimming. It’s an extraordinary company; they make every component themselves, from design to realization. They are unique in the world.”

**Q: Your adventure in Maranello was made possible by the approval and will of Enzo Ferrari. What do you remember about Il Drake? What impressed you?**

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“**René Arnoux:** You arrive in Maranello after always dreaming of racing with them, and you find yourself in front of Il Commendatore; it’s like being a child at Christmas. I was selfish; I went without managers or lawyers. I regret nothing, and I didn’t want to share that moment. A wonderful moment, and I’ll remember it forever.”

**Q: With Ferrari, you had the opportunity to wear red, and your career changed.**

“**René Arnoux:** At the beginning, we talked about my career, my life. At lunch, he reminds me, ‘Rene, we are also here to talk about the future.’ From there, we talked about the technical aspects, my experience at Renault, Ferrari’s development for 1983, and he asked me what I wanted. We agreed on everything, shook hands, and he said, ‘Let’s sign.’ We signed two and a half months later. For me, Enzo Ferrari’s handshake had great value; I was happy. I would have regretted signing immediately; it made no sense. A handshake has much more value for me because, even with a contract, if they want to get rid of you, they find a way. The commendatore’s hand, on the other hand, was a secure currency.”

**Q: But you missed the championship with Ferrari. Is that a regret?**

“**René Arnoux:** Look, in 1983, I was close to the title; I lost it in Detroit while comfortably leading the race. Eight laps from the end, the engine broke due to a poorly done soldering of the tin. Nothing you can do about it.”

**Q: Nevertheless, it was a beautiful story, wasn’t it?**

“**René Arnoux:** I believe that when you’re at a certain level, going to Ferrari is almost obligatory…”

**Q: In your career, you competed against formidable drivers: Senna, Mansell, Prost, Piquet. Who do you think was your toughest rival?**

“**René Arnoux:** The greatest rival I had in my career? Myself.”

**Q: In 1985, you left Ferrari for reasons never clarified, and much has been written about it. Without asking for the truth, did it involve personal reasons, technical aspects, or disagreements with a leadership that was changing over time?**

“**René Arnoux:** I’ll be honest: I never talked about the issue for years, and I can say that you’ll never get an answer to that.”

**Q: Apart from racing for Ferrari, you also raced against Ferrari. Everyone, those who experienced it and others, remembers the duel between you and Gilles Villeneuve at Dijon in 1979. Can you take us back to those moments?**

“**René Arnoux:** Such a duel could only happen between me and Gilles. We had trust in each other; we knew each other. We found ourselves dueling, each with our technical problems. It was beautiful, and even though it happened more than forty years ago, anyone I meet tells me it was the most beautiful F1 race. Everyone remembers it.”

**Q: What was your relationship with Gilles Villeneuve like?**

“**René Arnoux:** We knew each other for a long time, invited each other to lunch. He told me to go eat pasta at Ferrari, and I invited him to eat at Renault the next day—always lunch together on race weekends. There was a beautiful friendship; we knew each other well.”

**Q: An almost unthinkable duel for today’s F1, don’t you think?**

“**René Arnoux:** Now there would be an immediate investigation. Damn, with today’s rules, Gilles and I would have gone straight to jail!”

**Q: A customary question: do you still follow Formula 1?**

“**René Arnoux:** I follow MotoGP more than F1. I find myself in the atmosphere of the races as I conceive them. Motorcycle riders have great courage: we have talent, but they have much more. If we have four balls, they have eight. I find the atmosphere I like. In F1, if you go to watch a race, you end up watching it on TV; they don’t let you go to the pit wall. I prefer to stay at home and have a beer.”

**Q: Speaking of Ferrari: do you think Vasseur can bring the red team back to winning ways?**

“**René Arnoux:** I think so; I believe Ferrari doesn’t lack people who ‘make’ the car: they are excellent in composites, mechanics, assembly. What’s missing are figures at the top of the pyramid, four or five strong individuals. If you don’t have great aerodynamicists, engine specialists, electronic experts, you’re done, you don’t go anywhere…”

**Q: So, a technical director and top-level department heads?**

“**René Arnoux:** Exactly. Especially in the aerodynamics department. In my time, just adding more horsepower to the car was enough, but today, if you gain 20 horsepower out of 1000

, it makes little difference. Aerodynamics make the difference. I remember that, even in Renault, Bernard Dudot told me that to gain 1 second per lap, you need 80 horsepower, while with aerodynamics, you spend less and get there more easily. With ‘standard’ engines like today, all 1600 cc, six cylinders, you gain crumbs. If you get aerodynamics right, you gain a lot.”

**Q: To conclude, what can you tell us about today’s drivers, from the perspective of someone who was a driver?**

“**René Arnoux:** Actually, I prefer not to talk about today’s drivers and not make comparisons. Once, I drove Schumacher’s F2004, and as soon as I got out, everyone asked me the difference between the current cars and those of my time. Like day and night, so I don’t make comparisons. They are more comfortable, with wonderful electronics, assisted. All of this has taken away the pleasure of driving: electronics intervene at the exit of a corner, the most beautiful moment. You have power steering, assisted gear changes, gentle brakes, everything is smooth. In my time, everything was tough; by mid-race, we were already worn out. Today’s drivers, on the other hand, dance on the podium…”

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Carlos Sainz, in today’s highly technological and less human Formula 1, managed to bring out the driver in him. He made a seemingly audacious choice to defend against the charging Mercedes by allowing Lando Norris, his immediate pursuer, to close in and benefit from the DRS (Drag Reduction System) advantage within a one-second gap. This strategic decision turned out to be the key to his victory. The Ferrari driver used the DRS train behind him to impede the Mercedes’ overtaking attempts, despite the Mercedes cars being much faster than the front-running duo.

Comparisons to Gilles
Some have compared Carlos Sainz to Niki Lauda for his race vision, while others drew parallels to the formation of cars seen during the 1981 Jarama Grand Prix under the brilliant direction of Gilles Villeneuve. Villeneuve’s last unforgettable victory saw him fend off Jacques Laffitte, John Watson, Carlos Reutemann, and Elio De Angelis (with a gap of just 1.2 seconds separating the first and fifth) on the straight and resist tenaciously in the twisty sector.

Recalling this Grand Prix was René Arnoux, a former driver well-acquainted with Villeneuve, interviewed by Rai Radio 1 on the Radio Anch’io Sport Italian program. Rene Arnoux said: “I saw something from the past; Sainz’s victory reminded me of Gilles’ win in 1981 at Jarama, Spain. I remember that race well; I immediately abandoned the race lead, went to the back straight, and watched about three-quarters of the race. Gilles stretched on the straight while the others, like Jones and Lafitte, remained behind throughout the race. Yesterday, Sainz started very well, didn’t give up, and had a great race. I’m happy because we saw a very competitive Ferrari with a beautiful setup. It’s not easy to have such a tightly contested race from start to finish, with monsters like Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton, and George Russell behind. Holding them all off was a fantastic achievement, both for Carlos Sainz’s first win this year and for Ferrari, which has returned to a very high level.” – he pointed out.

Rene Arnoux concluded with a comment on Ferrari’s resurgence observed between the races in Monza and Singapore: “No one made a mistake. Excellent strategy, everything was perfect. I hope Ferrari is on the right path now, and we’ll see more victories this year. Charles Leclerc? He shouldn’t think too much about his teammate. If he starts asking himself questions, he becomes weaker.”

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Rene Arnoux’s words on the Ferrari moment
“I’m disappointed, because it’s true that the safety car didn’t help, but it went worse in Arabia than in Bahrain. But Red Bull now is like Jean Todt’s Ferrari was: others are racing for third place”, the Frenchman pointed out.

This is how he began his interview, before explaining how, according to him, the Maranello team should intervene to improve the 2023 project.

“Perhaps the car was designed better last year, even if it wasn’t reliable. Now it’s not competitive, it doesn’t have a valid chassis, it eats up the tires and the results are worrying. There’s a lot to work to do. People also need to change because people bring results. Ferrari has many good people in all the departments that have to build the car, but there is a lack of competent people for the concept of the car. Four or five people always make the difference”.

The former Formula 1 driver then concluded his analysis regarding the SF-23 and its problems by saying: “We need to find engineers for the chassis and electronics. And most of all for aerodynamics. With these cars 8 -10 horsepower don’t make the difference, but it’s aerodynamics that makes you win. And we have an example before our eyes. It’s Adrian Newey who makes Red Bull win. Look at Aston Martin, it was a disaster, they changed people in charge of the project and in just one year they had an improvement like I’ve never seen before”.

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“The right figures must be taken from Red Bull or Mercedes”, thus Rene Arnoux concluded the first part of his interview to the microphones of the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.

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But what do the ex-Ferrari man think the team can achieve in the new championship. Italian daily newspaper la Gazzetta dello Sport asked René Arnoux for an opinion. Let’s find out what the Frenchman said.

René Arnoux’s comment on the Ferrari SF-23 challenger
“It is said that when a car is beautiful it can also win, right?”,Rene Arnoux began his interview for the Italian media referring to the Ferrari SF-23.

He then added: “I really liked the energy surrounding this event. It was especially nice to see the people on the team, the engineers and mechanics, those who designed the car and those who built it. And I saw everyone excited, there was a lot of great enthusiasm. That’s why yes, I have faith that Ferrari can fight for the title. And it confirms my idea that something had to change” – he pointed out, hinting at the departure of Mattia Binotto, who handed in his resignation at the end of the 2022 Formula One season.

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Looking to the near future, he continued: “The car is very similar to last year’s and now, like when I was a driver, I look forward to the first day of testing. Because that’s where you see what others are doing, and of course you face the friend-enemy to whom you can’t tell lies: the stopwatch. I’m absolutely sure it will be a three-way battle, in which skill, with little room for development foreseen, will be very important” – the former Ferrari driver concluded.

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The opinion on the drivers:
When asked about Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, René Arnoux replied: “I like them both. I respect them a lot. If I could turn dreams into reality, as a convinced Ferrari fan that I am, I would like to see them always finish in first and second place without preference as to which of the two gets the win. It doesn’t matter. As far as their management is concerned, it is always the contract that speaks for itself. You always have to see what is written on it. These are things that we cannot know, we can only rely on the feelings and opinions gathered at the end of each session. Formula 1 drivers must abide by the contract, period. If above it it says that you are the first driver then you have to win at any cost, fine. If it says otherwise then you have to lend a hand if necessary and without complaining about it” – said French former racing driver who competed in 12 Formula One seasons.

“Obviously you have to take into account the psychology and career of the boys,” continued the Frenchman. “Forcing a young driver to be the second driver after arriving in Formula 1 by winning everything in the preparatory categories is not easy at all. To date, we realize that between the two, one certainly has more chances of winning the title than the other and therefore it’s right to apply common sense and think as a team. So at that point, as second driver, if you can lend a hand, you give it your best and you don’t have to back down, also because you’re racing for a great manufacturer. The situation now is very different from the Schumacher era when it was Irvine and Barrichello who had to sacrifice themselves. So let’s hope that, beyond contracts and services, both guys behind the wheel have the sensitivity and intelligence to understand how to behave in the interests of Ferrari” – he added.

After all this preamble, in which Rene Arnoux was careful not to name names, the former Maranello man finally decided to go overboard and admitted: “Personally I would bet more on Charles Leclerc, especially within an important process of reconstruction of his self-esteem. The truth is that Charles needs to get back to having self-confidence, after the many disappointing moments suffered in the recent past. As for Carlos Sainz, he seems to me very solid and increasingly able to express himself at his best when the car is set up well for what are its characteristics”.

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According to Rene Arnoux, however, the drivers have very little to do with the Prancing Horse’s real chances of victory and pointed out that “the question to ask goes completely beyond that of the drivers. Formula One is a complex system and Ferrari is a very difficult environment. If one thing starts to go wrong, then others will follow immediately. If one fails, many more will go wrong. That’s the point. Here you have to reverse the trend and make them all go well, one after the other. When generally things go well, then everything goes well. Ferrari is not simply a top team. In some ways it is THE top team, it represents the center of gravity of Formula One and a team like this cannot fight in the lower positions or struggle with problems more common for midfield teams” – Rene Arnoux concluded.

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