2016 Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team - Ferrari

[iotar__]

I'm beginning to think that Allison was leaving for whatever reasons and Ferrari did "we didn't like him anyway". Just like with Alonso.

Name, importance of one person and impact on a car was overrated last season, this and will be next (either way), considering a lot of work was put into it already. Even if some other changes follow, most stays the same.

[ripper]

Ferrari has endured lots of changes in the last years with little or no visible championship effect.

That's the problem. Whenever someone new takes the helm, they inevitably bring with them their own vision of how the team should operate, and it resets the clock every time.

From the man Ferrari wanted....

[quote="grandrix.com, July 20, 2016""]Brawn, Ferrari's now retired former technical director, has played down claims he is looking for a way back into F1, saying he has no desire for another "24-7" role.

Actually, he thinks the Maranello team should stick with Allison.

"They've got some very good people there," Brawn told Britain's Sky recently. "James Allison is excellent and if they give him the resources and give him the time, and put the infrastructure around him and great drivers, then they'll achieve success.

"But they mustn't overreact and they mustn't be reactive to what the media is saying," he insisted.

Oops.

And if this should come to pass...

But La Gazzetta claims that Marchionne, who is also the Fiat Chrysler CEO, has decided to take more control of Ferrari, including an active say on the main management decisions.

...Ferrari is fücked, because Marchionne will run the team into the ground. He just proved it by letting Allison walk away having not shepherded a single design from start to finish; SF16-H would have been the first.

It seems nothing but the weather changes in Maranello.[/quote]

In this case only family reasons might have had a bigger influence than usual. Understandably JA would like to stay closer to his sons and maybe Ferrari/Marchionne's thoughts is: "It's better a less skilled TD but 100% focused on the team than a non full focused James Allison".

Anyway I think that next season will be a true nightmare for Ferrari

[bhall II]

In this case only family reasons...

Possibly. All the same, Marchionne's (ignorant) rhetoric paints a decidedly different picture, especially in light of the recent "crisis" meetings...

"What could have been is unfortunate because it didn't happen - we didn't win - so we need to fix this now," he told Sky Sports F1 on Sunday.

"The team knows that the clock is on and we need to start winning some races and bringing them home."

[...]

"The team has developed a car at this point to the level we expected and I think we knew we weren't going to be exactly on Mercedes at the beginning of the season," he said.

"But the car will develop to the point where there is no distinguishable difference between us and them. That's really important because it will let the drivers run."

(He took armchair engineering to new heights with that last bit.)

[...]

Motorsport.com has learned that he has held a series of key meetings at Maranello with the chassis and aerodynamic departments – with a particular focus on speaking to those who report to department heads as well as their juniors.

Marchionne is determined to find out whether or not there is a belief from the shop floor that more potential can be extracted from the SF16-H, and if the true state of progress of the car is as he has been led to believe by senior management.

It is possible that Marchionne could take action after these meetings to tidy up internal structures – moving around those staff who he believes have not been exploited to their best, and moving aside those whom he believes have been holding things back.

[...]

[ripper]

Sigh... I see a storm ahead.

[Thunder]

Well not exactly breaking news since everyone except the Ferrari PR Department knew it, but this surely comes at the worst Time considering next Seasons big Rule Change.

[bhall II]

Sigh... I see a storm ahead.

Ahead? It's here!

I give it 3/1 odds that Vettel will leave when his contract expires next year.

[WaikeCU]

Sigh... I see a storm ahead.

Ahead? It's here!

I give it 3/1 odds that Vettel will leave when his contract expires next year.

Is he already confirmed for next season at Ferrari? Is there any possibilities he'll jump ship for next season?

[ripper]

I would understand him, He's not "young" anymore and if he wants to win again it's better to look for a stable team.

Well I'll continue to support Ferrari anyway, but I suspect few grim years again.

[Schuttelberg]

Sigh... I see a storm ahead.

Ahead? It's here!

I give it 3/1 odds that Vettel will leave when his contract expires next year.

Is he already confirmed for next season at Ferrari? Is there any possibilities he'll jump ship for next season?

He has a contract for next year and there is no place he can logically go till 2018 ends.

[ripper]

The only bet he could take for next year, if he breaches the contract, is to substitute JB at McLaren

[Schuttelberg]

I would understand him, He's not "young" anymore and if he wants to win again it's better to look for a stable team.

Well I'll continue to support Ferrari anyway, but I suspect few grim years again.

Vettel is 29. 29. He has in the worst, 6 years left in F1. May be, 7/8. There's a lot of time even now to be patient and be at Ferrari and win with them. Schumacher was 31 when he won his first at Ferrari and it was his 3rd title. With drivers like Schumacher, Alonso, Hamilton and Vettel once they get on a run they're hard to stop. Seb just needs to keep his eyes and ears open and if Ferrari work with diligence and honesty, 5 years is a lot of time to win a championship. If he sees they have no ambition, opportunities at other avenues will always open up for him because of his achievements. Panic at this moment when calm is most needed won't help his career at all.

[Fulcrum]

How much work/time has already been committed to the 2017 project at this stage, and how much depended on Allison?

If Marchionne, or anyone else for that matter, was truly visionary, they would have made the decision to take as much pain as possible this year. This being the case, Allison's departure would have been factored into proceedings immediately after his wife's passing, even if it has only been expressed now. Perhaps this, in part, explains the muted progress Ferrari have made this year?

It's difficult to spin 'lack of stability' positively though. For the sake of competition, I can only hope the relaxed engine regulations provide Ferrari with some scope to close the gap.

[a1b2i3r45]

Allison will be replaced with Mattia Binotto, who will take on the role of Chief Technical Officer at Scuderia Ferrari after moving across from the engine department. After a spell as a race engine engineer, and chief engineer, he became head of engine and KERS in 2009 – before stepping up to chief operating officer of the power unit at the end of 2014.

They are putting an engine guy as CTO when aero is making a comeback. I envisage a repeat of 2014 in 2017.

[wickedz50]

The only bet he could take for next year, if he breaches the contract, is to substitute JB at McLaren

There is/was no respectable place to go for him today and before when he quit RBR. I felt he quit RBR because he felt threatened by the way RBR team went behind Ric then in 2014, same thing as Ric feels now when the RBR team makes Max look more wonderful. Max is little bit of a prodigy.
Was Alonso a fool to give up that Ferrari seat for an unknown journey?

[RedNEO]

The only bet he could take for next year, if he breaches the contract, is to substitute JB at McLaren

Was Alonso a fool to give up that Ferrari seat for an unknown journey?

I'm surprised you can still ask that question with a straight face. Alonso was absolutely right to leave Ferrari, the man who tried to convince him to stay just abandoned ship today. Ferrari are going backwards this year and McLaren look like the better place to be next year with its stability and especially if Honda find those extra horses.