Giancarlo Fisichella feels it is “wrong to say Ferrari ruins drivers”. Giancarlo Fisichella on why several top drivers did not manage to win with Ferrari.

For years, there has been a cloud of mystery hanging over Maranello. The last world championship was won in 2007, and since then, there have been few competitive cars. Especially in recent times, an internal crisis has emerged, a problem that goes beyond a not-so-powerful engine or aerodynamics that need adjustment. It’s not clear which part of the machine isn’t perfectly oiled, and who can speak about it better than someone who has experienced the world of the Scuderia Ferrari?

In a recent interview with Corriere della Sera, Giancarlo Fisichella shared his thoughts on what seems like Ferrari’s “meat grinder,” a place where talented youngsters or even ambitious champions enter but can’t fulfill their dreams. “It’s wrong to say that Ferrari ‘grinds down’ its drivers. The trouble is if you don’t have a winning car, after a while, the champion gets tired. The Charles Leclerc – Carlos Sainz pairing won’t break up: there’s rivalry, but they are intelligent young men who know they have to work for the team. The current season is difficult to turn around. I fear that Red Bull has produced a monstrous car. It’s too far ahead: it was already strong in 2022, but the evolution has been tremendous,” said the Italian professional racing driver, who has driven in Formula One for Minardi, Jordan, Benetton, Sauber, Renault, Force India and Ferrari.

The conversation then shifted to the man of the moment: Max Verstappen. The Dutchman is particularly appreciated by the former driver, who, when asked who is stronger between the 25-year-old and Lewis Hamilton, stated: “Verstappen. He’s the evolution of the species; Max has something more and gives the impression of driving with just one hand.”

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