2025 Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team

[DJ Downforce]

Hamilton fans are Hamilton fans, by and large.

That's the same for most top level driver fans though. If Max went to Merc so would his fans etc. Maybe you didn't mean it in this way.

[trinidefender]

I think Fred is fine for now. Stella would definitely help with structuring the technical team and getting the most of everyone. Vowles would probably help create a better culture and be more open. Komatsu is pretty anonymous, I wouldn't want him tbh.

Ferrari has always had the problem of "wanting results NOW." I can't remember the last time a team principal at Ferrari was actually given the time and, probably more importantly, freedom to act without interference from management above them.

As predominantly a McLaren fan I think the Ferrari camp and fans can look at the journey McLaren has been on to get back to the front. It's been, long winding and has had many ups and downs. The difference is it was done carefully with consistent small steps being put in to move up the grid. Started with Zak and the people he hired, improving the facilities. Seidl helped clean up a lot of the mismanagement but unfortunately brought in James key which was his mistake. In addition to that there was a big infrastructure push and the all important key, the funds and authority were given by the Bahrainis and others for the race team to act independently. All in all that took a decade.

I fear Ferrari has a culture of too much corporate influence from above. I hope Fred has managed to cut through that noise. Give him space, time and funds to act properly

[Emag]

Something that needs to be pointed out for McLaren is the acquisition by the Bahrain wealth fund. Even before the full acquisition, the fact that they were dumping money into McLaren is what saved them from literal bankruptcy during covid. Not to downplay the role that stability plays in it, but having bucket loads of money that wasn't spared for major investments at the MTC (everyone knows about the Wind Tunnel, but the state of the art simulator is often overlooked), is a big help.

Now, Ferrari doesn't exactly suffer from lack of money, and their facilities are not at a state where they could be blamed for poor performance, that's for sure. The factory at Maranello is a work of art in itself. The problem for Ferrari is its location. People look at McLaren's results right now and make the wrong assumption that it happened overnight just because Rob Marshall joined them. That's not true and McLaren would have probably been in a similar position this year even without Rob Marshall. They have had plenty of talent at their team for years, they were just not utilizing it effectively. And there are a couple of reasons for that inefficiency, which I wont go into detail, but long story short, it boiled down to lack of financial resources, outdated infrastructure (before their investments) and organizational problems. This last bit is where Stella played a big role in improving. New hires/poaches from rival teams have served only as a boost to a well-versed technical team which was in place by 2023 already.

Back to the main point.
The fact of the matter is, Ferrari is at a disadvantage because most of the engineering talent for the sport is now based in the UK. Another mistake that people make, is assigning too much (way too much actually) responsibility for a team's failure or success to just one person. Usually, the people who make the headlines. The thing is, it's not about the people who make the headlines, it's about the tens-hundreds other engineers who work every day to improve the car with their ideas. To give a different perspective, It's like looking at Apple and assuming Craig Federighi is the mind behind all the recent technical achievements of the company.

Unfortunately, with most of the top team's factories being based in the UK, that's just a much more attractive job market and more incentive for students over there (fresh blood) to pursue careers in mechanical engineering or aerodynamics, just because they're more likely to find a job. That's not the same in Italy.

[DJ Downforce]

I think Fred is fine for now. Stella would definitely help with structuring the technical team and getting the most of everyone. Vowles would probably help create a better culture and be more open. Komatsu is pretty anonymous, I wouldn't want him tbh.

Ferrari has always had the problem of "wanting results NOW." I can't remember the last time a team principal at Ferrari was actually given the time and, probably more importantly, freedom to act without interference from management above them.

As predominantly a McLaren fan I think the Ferrari camp and fans can look at the journey McLaren has been on to get back to the front. It's been, long winding and has had many ups and downs. The difference is it was done carefully with consistent small steps being put in to move up the grid. Started with Zak and the people he hired, improving the facilities. Seidl helped clean up a lot of the mismanagement but unfortunately brought in James key which was his mistake. In addition to that there was a big infrastructure push and the all important key, the funds and authority were given by the Bahrainis and others for the race team to act independently. All in all that took a decade.

I fear Ferrari has a culture of too much corporate influence from above. I hope Fred has managed to cut through that noise. Give him space, time and funds to act properly

I agree and want Fred long term. My post was just to play devils advocate on what other TPs would bring based on my observations at their respective teams.

[Silent Storm]

Something that needs to be pointed out for McLaren is the acquisition by the Bahrain wealth fund. Even before the full acquisition, the fact that they were dumping money into McLaren is what saved them from literal bankruptcy during covid. Not to downplay the role that stability plays in it, but having bucket loads of money that wasn't spared for major investments at the MTC (everyone knows about the Wind Tunnel, but the state of the art simulator is often overlooked), is a big help.

Now, Ferrari doesn't exactly suffer from lack of money, and their facilities are not at a state where they could be blamed for poor performance, that's for sure. The factory at Maranello is a work of art in itself. The problem for Ferrari is its location. People look at McLaren's results right now and make the wrong assumption that it happened overnight just because Rob Marshall joined them. That's not true and McLaren would have probably been in a similar position this year even without Rob Marshall. They have had plenty of talent at their team for years, they were just not utilizing it effectively. And there are a couple of reasons for that inefficiency, which I wont go into detail, but long story short, it boiled down to lack of financial resources, outdated infrastructure (before their investments) and organizational problems. This last bit is where Stella played a big role in improving. New hires/poaches from rival teams have served only as a boost to a well-versed technical team which was in place by 2023 already.

Back to the main point.
The fact of the matter is, Ferrari is at a disadvantage because most of the engineering talent for the sport is now based in the UK. Another mistake that people make, is assigning too much (way too much actually) responsibility for a team's failure or success to just one person. Usually, the people who make the headlines. The thing is, it's not about the people who make the headlines, it's about the tens-hundreds other engineers who work every day to improve the car with their ideas. To give a different perspective, It's like looking at Apple and assuming Craig Federighi is the mind behind all the recent technical achievements of the company.

Unfortunately, with most of the top team's factories being based in the UK, that's just a much more attractive job market and more incentive for students over there (fresh blood) to pursue careers in mechanical engineering or aerodynamics, just because they're more likely to find a job. That's not the same in Italy.

I get where you’re coming from about the UK being a dense talent hub for F1 engineering... But saying Ferrari is at a disadvantage because they’re not based there really overlooks history and reality. Despite being in Italy, Ferrari has consistently delivered top 3 cars across multiple regulation eras, often pioneering their own unique technical directions. Just look at the 2017–2018 era or the radical sidepods they brought in 2022 (which Adrian Newey couldn't understand) before others followed suit in form or function. You'd be surprised how many non Italians work in Maranello today.

If anything, Ferrari proves that excellence can be homegrown and international without needing to sit in Oxfordshire. The real issue isn’t location... It’s cohesion, direction, and sometimes internal politics. When that aligns, Ferrari shows they can go toe to toe with anyone in the pit lane.

And frankly, being just outside the UK echo chamber might be why they keep trying bold, original ideas rather than endlessly swapping interpretations of the same spreadsheet.

And let’s be honest... If location was truly the limiting factor, we wouldn’t be seeing UK based teams get it so wrong for entire seasons either. Talent isn’t chained to geography anymore, and Ferrari attracts it globally, with world class infrastructure to support it.

[Emag]

I get where you’re coming from about the UK being a dense talent hub for F1 engineering... But saying Ferrari is at a disadvantage because they’re not based there really overlooks history and reality. Despite being in Italy, Ferrari has consistently delivered top 3 cars across multiple regulation eras, often pioneering their own unique technical directions. Just look at the 2017–2018 era or the radical sidepods they brought in 2022 (which Adrian Newey couldn't understand) before others followed suit in form or function. You'd be surprised how many non Italians work in Maranello today.

If anything, Ferrari proves that excellence can be homegrown and international without needing to sit in Oxfordshire. The real issue isn’t location... It’s cohesion, direction, and sometimes internal politics. When that aligns, Ferrari shows they can go toe to toe with anyone in the pit lane.

And frankly, being just outside the UK echo chamber might be why they keep trying bold, original ideas rather than endlessly swapping interpretations of the same spreadsheet.

And let’s be honest... If location was truly the limiting factor, we wouldn’t be seeing UK based teams get it so wrong for entire seasons either. Talent isn’t chained to geography anymore, and Ferrari attracts it globally, with world class infrastructure to support it.

History is history for a reason. It's the past and its gone now. The world doesn't operate the same way it did 20 years ago. I made no claim that Ferrari has an inept technical team, on the contrary, I praised Maranello. They're capable of performing at the top consistently, because they're Ferrari. However they've been playing on an uneven playing field for more than a decade now and in my opinion that's a big reason why they've only been able to stay consistently at the top while not claiming the top spot for many years now.

You also misunderstood my point. Talent does not constitute the big headline names you see in the media. Ferrari is more than capable of drawing any big name they want towards them. Their problem is lower in the hierarchy. Over the last ten years or so, the UK has become the "Sillicon Valley" of F1 Talent. The pool of talented engineers in the UK is much bigger than what Ferrari has in Italy. I don't think anyone can deny that.

[dans79]

I fear Ferrari has a culture of too much corporate influence from above. I hope Fred has managed to cut through that noise. Give him space, time and funds to act properly

Imo, Ferrari's fundamental problem is that members of the team are not allowed to criticize the team or the company. Fred's comments about the strategy in Miami are a perfect example He basically said "we did everything correctly", and That's about as fare from the truth as you can get.

They were incredibly slow and indecisive, not being able to admit that, learn from it and move on is exactly what is wrong. You don't have to blame specific people, but you need to admit to the obvious.

[dialtone]

I fear Ferrari has a culture of too much corporate influence from above. I hope Fred has managed to cut through that noise. Give him space, time and funds to act properly

Imo, Ferrari's fundamental problem is that members of the team are not allowed to criticize the team or the company. Fred's comments about the strategy in Miami are a perfect example He basically said "we did everything correctly", and That's about as fare from the truth as you can get.

They were incredibly slow and indecisive, not being able to admit that, learn from it and move on is exactly what is wrong. You don't have to blame specific people, but you need to admit to the obvious.

How does this even make any sense?

You think that since they can’t go to the press and open criticize the team (something no team does), then they have an issue with the rear suspension?

Folks… let’s at least try to make an effort with the analysis.

[dans79]

How does this even make any sense?

Other teams have admitted to mistakes, or thinks not going as they should. I can't think of the last time Ferrari did that. Imo, they seems to focus to much on saving face!

[dialtone]

How does this even make any sense?

Other teams have admitted to mistakes, or thinks not going as they should. I can't think of the last time Ferrari did that. Imo, they seems to focus to much on saving face!

This thing that Ferrari doesn’t admit mistakes on the performance of the car is a fantasy.

And even then, it is COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT to the rear suspension that is work done during the winter when no press interviews are happening.

“Not admitting mistake” when they’ve been working on a new suspension since the start of the year is the biggest non sequitur I’ve read here in a while.

Here is the only fact: nobody here is present in the internal Ferrari meetings, advancing reasons why the rear suspension was messed up based on press interviews is ridiculous.

[dans79]

Here is the only fact: nobody here is present in the internal Ferrari meetings, advancing reasons why the rear suspension was messed up based on press interviews is ridiculous.

Did you even read any of my posts? I said nothing about the suspension, I specifically mentioned the strategy ridiculousness in Miami!

[dialtone]

Here is the only fact: nobody here is present in the internal Ferrari meetings, advancing reasons why the rear suspension was messed up based on press interviews is ridiculous.

Did you even read any of my posts? I said nothing about the suspension, I specifically mentioned the strategy ridiculousness in Miami!

There was no ridiculousness in miami. At best they shouldn’t have asked charles to let lewis through, but they weren’t going to pass Ant anyway.

[dans79]

There was no ridiculousness in miami. At best they shouldn’t have asked charles to let lewis through, but they weren’t going to pass Ant anyway.

Taking multiple laps to make a decision is ridiculous as far as I'm cornered. A friend who is a very casual fan was watching with me, and even he was questioning what was going on.

[Silent Storm]

I get where you’re coming from about the UK being a dense talent hub for F1 engineering... But saying Ferrari is at a disadvantage because they’re not based there really overlooks history and reality. Despite being in Italy, Ferrari has consistently delivered top 3 cars across multiple regulation eras, often pioneering their own unique technical directions. Just look at the 2017–2018 era or the radical sidepods they brought in 2022 (which Adrian Newey couldn't understand) before others followed suit in form or function. You'd be surprised how many non Italians work in Maranello today.

If anything, Ferrari proves that excellence can be homegrown and international without needing to sit in Oxfordshire. The real issue isn’t location... It’s cohesion, direction, and sometimes internal politics. When that aligns, Ferrari shows they can go toe to toe with anyone in the pit lane.

And frankly, being just outside the UK echo chamber might be why they keep trying bold, original ideas rather than endlessly swapping interpretations of the same spreadsheet.

And let’s be honest... If location was truly the limiting factor, we wouldn’t be seeing UK based teams get it so wrong for entire seasons either. Talent isn’t chained to geography anymore, and Ferrari attracts it globally, with world class infrastructure to support it.

History is history for a reason. It's the past and its gone now. The world doesn't operate the same way it did 20 years ago. I made no claim that Ferrari has an inept technical team, on the contrary, I praised Maranello. They're capable of performing at the top consistently, because they're Ferrari. However they've been playing on an uneven playing field for more than a decade now and in my opinion that's a big reason why they've only been able to stay consistently at the top while not claiming the top spot for many years now.

You also misunderstood my point. Talent does not constitute the big headline names you see in the media. Ferrari is more than capable of drawing any big name they want towards them. Their problem is lower in the hierarchy. Over the last ten years or so, the UK has become the "Sillicon Valley" of F1 Talent. The pool of talented engineers in the UK is much bigger than what Ferrari has in Italy. I don't think anyone can deny that.

You say “history is history,” but you’re the one leaning on a decade old narrative that Ferrari’s location is holding them back. The problem with this UK "Silicon Valley" analogy is that it oversimplifies the very complexity you say you respect. If raw proximity to engineers was the magic formula, then every team within a 50 mile radius of Brackley should be dominating, or at least not languishing at the back.

You mentioned Ferrari struggles with talent “lower in the hierarchy,” but that just shifts the goalposts. If Maranello can attract top tier minds, you’re implying those same minds are incapable of building or managing effective engineering pipelines beneath them. That’s not a location issue... It’s either poor leadership, bad structure, or outdated process. Again, not geography, but execution. The claim that the UK has a magical surplus of better junior engineers sounds more like a romanticized view of the F1 tech scene than a grounded analysis.

Ferrari’s ability to stay in the fight across generations despite upheaval proves they don’t need UK zip codes to stay relevant... They just need sharper internal execution. Location is an excuse. Champions are built, not found on maps.

[dialtone]

There was no ridiculousness in miami. At best they shouldn’t have asked charles to let lewis through, but they weren’t going to pass Ant anyway.

Taking multiple laps to make a decision is ridiculous as far as I'm cornered. A friend who is a very casual fan was watching with me, and even he was questioning what was going on.

Last post of mine on this.

Your friend is indeed a noob.

You being a hamilton fan have plenty of experience with asking teams to swap places or similar calls. 3 years ago, almost to the day, Ham received a “it’s james” call that forced him to stay out while Russell pitted ruining his race, also in miami, while under safety car the team told lewis that their advice was to stay out, or not if he didn’t want to.

Did Mercedes or James ever apologize for having done something pejorative to the team performance? Not once.

When mclared took the whole sprint in brazil to swap oscar with lando, stella said: “ideally you would do it earlier but the conditions never materialized because you have a guy in 3rd that can overtake you”

Get out of here with the nonsense… every team does this, 3 laps with sainz right behind is perfectly normal. Better option was to tell Lewis that he was slower and was gonna stay there, but I don’t even want to imagine what was going to happen here if that was ever said on the radio.

As I said, this is my last reply on this nonsense.

EDIT: it was 3 years ago, not 2.