I hadn’t forgotten Byrne , but didn’t put him in because I thought that with the stability with Todt and Brawn provided , any top designer would have flourished . I didn’t realise / had forgotten that Todt brought Schumacher in , more respect to him .
It was only recently, I was reminded/became aware that Todt was at Ferrari since 1993, I’d also forgotten that Brawn and Byrne joined for 1997, so a year after Schumacher had moved. When we look back it seems like there was a master plan, but when you look in detail it was more a case that when Michael arrived he and realised more technical horsepower was also needed and so the recruitment spree continued (for example Byrne had retired, so was available much earlier). Similarly, whilst I think they’d have been successful on Michelin’s the Bridgestone relationship which was the final piece of making them dominant, seems to an opportunity they realised and persued in 1997, so it was very much a chain reaction where Ferrari got Todt, who got Schumacher, who pushed for Brawn and Byrne and it was Ross who identified the Bridgestone opportunity and pushed for that. Todt made it all happen/work, but I don’t think there’s any suggestion he had some grand strategy in mind at the beginning, it was more the case of making decisions that gave them opportunities and then ensuring they benefited from those.
The past is the past. Look at Mclaren, how they have won the last two team championships after years in the doldrums. Ferrari can come back but only if they are honest with themselves about what they have done wrong. That's the difficult bit. Remember both Vettels and Alonso's frustration at Ferrari. It absolutely has to be the team culture that is partly to blame. I would love to see a Ferrari red regularly on the podium, no matter who the driver is.
Maybe we’re saying the same thing differently. I’m not saying they can’t do it, I’m more saying it feels like they’re still heading in the wrong direction and missing opportunities. Stella the man credited with the culture and organisation at Woking left Ferrari several years back and took all that capability with him Will Courtney who’s led RedBull’s strategy for years has gone to McLaren, Ferrari are weak in this area Jonathan Wheatley who ran Trackside ops for RedBull for years has gone to Audi, whilst it’s not a disaster for them Ferrari have room to improve here. Enrico Cardile who led chassis at Ferrari for last year’s car is now at Aston, meanwhile Ferrari have ride height issues. Rob Marshall who’s realised much of the flexible aero tricks of the last 15 years joined McLaren just before their resurgence. Flexible aero has been another struggle for Ferrari in the last couple of years and the basis of much of McLaren’s success. Adrian Newey’s now at Aston, he’s the closest guarantee of success you can get in the last 35 years. They might turn up next year with a brilliant car and/or PU and Charles walks the championship, Max desperately wants to join for 2027 and they go on to dominate the next regulation era. If they do it will be very much against the odds though, or because of something none of us can see. I respect the history and tradition of Ferrari, but honestly outside of the Schumacher years they’ve been “close but no cigar” for much of my F1 following life - I’m therefore largely ambivalent to their current status (although I do feel somewhat sorry for Charles who I guess is simultaneously living a nightmare and a dream), but I get there are people who are emotionally invested in Ferrari succeeding. I grew up with McLaren and Williams dominating and I’m pleased to see McLaren back and hope for the same for Williams. Similarly in Williams case though, whilst I can see they are coming back, I don’t yet see what’s going to make the difference in jumping them out of the midfield and it’s Aston who have made all the moves that make me think they’re the most likely candidate to join the leading pack.
I agree they have missed all the smart moves. But look who was running the team who then was sacrificed, not one but several managers. Ferrari have to change to come back. And yes, a lot of talent has gone elsewhere that could have come to Ferrari had they been smarter. It is going to be some time before they make their comeback, sadly.
I’m undecided on whether Fred will be a positive for Ferrari or just the next on the list of managers who have held the reins to limited effect - signs in my opinion aren’t good, but the evidence is too limited to be confident in any opinion. There’s definitely a few on here (I think including yourself?) who think he’s done a good job and I’m interested to know what you’ve seen you think is positive or makes you confident he’s on the right path? From my side he doesn’t seem to have done much yet, but equally if we do use the Todt comparison results improved within a year of him joining - a bit - but it was nearly 3 years before the Schumacher deal really signalled any significant intent externally. I think it would be harsh to really judge him on this year’s decline in performance, although there is a bit of a smoking gun. I do think he’s missed a bit of an opportunity with missing out on the recent senior figure merry go round, because there’s always a narrative around Ferrari especially in Italy - if they’d been able to hire Courtney or Wheatley for example, they’d have some top talent, but also the narrative shifts to “Ferrari are strategically/operationally inept on a consistent basis” to “they’ve done something positive to address these challenges, but it’s going to take time to see the effects”. Managing that narrative seems like it’s key to stability and reducing pressure on the team and it’s a challenge that’s somewhat unique to Ferrari. Ignoring it hasn’t gone well for several previous managers.
Your comments are sometimes long and thoughtful so I will do likewise in responding. I don't think Fred has done a job that demonstrates he can deliver. I hoped he might but I don't feel his presence, as yet. Having said that, Italians are proud and political, any criticism would not drive the intended response. Change is hard for any, extra hard within a strong culture. The first challenge is to recognise change is necessary. I am hoping Fred is focused on getting the support for the change he wants to make. Lewis as a 7 times WDC and coming from a highly respected team is writing reports to senior management. Charles can't do this with the same ability to compare, nor could Sainz. In this regard I think Fred likely recruited Lewis as an ally to persuade the powers on the need to make changes. If you think of the managers that have come and gone with little success, they can't all have been incompetent. There has been a fundamental problem that none could fix. So I would like to think Fred knows what he is doing, building the support to change the culture. Hiring a few recognised experts might have been a start towards this aim and here I feel Fred may have missed a trick but he might have hoped to attract Newey, which would have been a magnet. Of course that never happened. So now he has to propose an alternative and I suspect that is what he has done and why his contract has been renewed. We may have to wait another full season before we see a team reinvigorated and functioning as a team able to win championships, not just races. At least, this is my hope as I want to see Red on the podium regularly and genuinely in the hunt for both championships. In summary 2026 showing promise with some podiums, 2027 challenging for a championship.
Thanks for the considered response. I spend quite a bit a lot of time in airports and hotels unfortunately, I blame that for my verbosity. It’s an interesting perspective and I think I do understand where your hope springs from. 2026 is going to be dictated by PU and Aero Efficiency I think and I don’t think the fan level insight really gives us a read on this, certainly not at this stage. Following Ferrari is always an eventful journey and you may well get your wish, the rumours suggest 2026 could well be pretty chaotic, certainly in the early phases and if there’s one thing Ferrari have experience with…
I have lived your life, airport's and hotels. Sometimes 5 flights a week, thankfully not anymore. Only time will tell who will come out on top, but I don't have high hopes for Ferrari yet. I do now wonder if Lewis is playing a long game to stay in F1 as a team principle or a supporting act too a principle at some point. Using this as learning exercise. My only doubt in that being he is quite emotional.
I’d guess he’s got a role for life with Ferrari at least as a brand ambassador and could see him in a non-executive/consultant role (similar to Lauda at Merc). I can’t see him as a Team Principal, and driver to TP is a really rare route, I know Algesuari is trying it, but he had a very brief driving career such that Motorsport Management is probably really his main career, other than that I can only think of Prost in anything like the modern era? If he hangs around in F1, then co-ordinating a some kind of driver programme would seem like a good fit, either from a Team, FIA or Driver Manager perspective and would give him opportunities to follow his “diversity” passions. Given he’s also passionate about fashion and music I could imagine - once he hangs up the helmet- he might want the space to be able to prioritise those at least for a while.
