Success in F1 is largely built on the relationship between a driver and their team. At Scuderia Ferrari, that relationship is in turmoil.
Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc appear to have lost trust in the Ferrari strategists and instead constantly question decisions or outright override them. This is not to say that they should follow Ferrari blindly. Ironically, this has also led to unfortunate strategy calls — even just two weeks ago in Sepang, Ferrari put both drivers on slick tyres on a damp track. They may be forgiven for that seeing as it was a gamble either way but it is just one of a plethora of examples of terrible strategy from Ferrari.
Most recently, Hamilton called his own strategy at the Singapore Grand Prix and maintained track position instead of pitting, ultimately costing the team valuable points. While Hamilton acknowledged that this was the wrong call on social media post-race, it seems to be the case that both drivers are running out of options.
So, how does one fix Scuderia Ferrari?
One of the rumors gaining traction around the paddock is the possibility of Christian Horner making his dramatic return to F1 as a replacement for current Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur. On paper, it seems like Horner’s prolonged tenure at Red Bull means he has the capability to put an end to the game of hire and fire that Ferrari has been playing with team principals in recent years. Since 2014, no team principal at Ferrari has lasted more than four seasons at the team, in comparison to Horner’s decades of experience of being at the helm.
Potential changes of leadership aside, the truth is that the issues run so much deeper than just the tip of the iceberg and it is likely that a whole team restructuring would be required to get Ferrari back to an era of domination. If Ferrari are not willing to let Horner, or anyone else, rebuild the team, the root of their problems will never be solved.
Additionally, the structural problems at Ferrari are only further compounded by on-track drama. Tensions between Hamilton and Leclerc have been simmering for a while, largely in part due to the drama of Zaandvort late in the summer, where Hamilton was held up behind Leclerc. Ferrari’s refusal to call team-orders left many fans frustrated but is ultimately nothing new.
By having two talented drivers with the same championship goal, it is difficult to appoint a first and second driver in terms of strategy prioritisation. Neither Leclerc nor Hamilton is willing to yield to the other and they won’t until Ferrari find a backbone of power and authority to make them.
Perhaps Horner will bring in a new era or perhaps this article will hold value after the next team principal is prematurely ousted. Either way, Netflix’s Drive to Survive will likely be hovering outside the Ferrari garage over the next few races desperate to get answers.
“#16 Charles Leclerc” by taka_suzuki is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
