Page 31 - Ferrari in F1

TON WATSON FINE BOO
2019
to Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes, although it often
After two seasons in which the Cavallino had to concede
had the best car on the grid, it was hardly surprising
that there was a sense of anticipation at Maranello.
Maurizio Arrivabene, who had been head of the team since
2015, left Ferrari on January 7, and Mattia Binotto was appointed
director. He had climbed to the top after many years of loyal
service, starting as a junior engineer in the engine department
in 1995, leading that department between 2013 and 2016, when
he took charge of the entire technical division. Binotto was now
manager of the entire team.
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When the first Grand Prix was held in Melbourne, Australia,
it became clear once again that Mercedes had somehow hidden
its game. While Ferrari had excelled in winter testing, the German
manufacturer had the upper hand when the championship was
underway in earnest. Vettel and Leclerc finished fourth and
fifth respectively in Melbourne, after Valtteri Bottas and Lewis
Hamilton (Mercedes) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull). It was also
discovered that the new Ferrari did not go well on all circuits.
It was particularly hampered in slow to medium-speed corners,
where it used to shine. Was it the larger wheelbase that has made
Arrivabene’s management methods were questionable. They
it less agile?
were based on fear, with Maranello employees living under the
constant threat of dismissal, which perhaps partly explained the
relative failures of 2017 and 2018. When you fear for the future
of your job, the common reaction is to do as little as possible
to avoid mistakes. It then becomes impossible to achieve the
harmonious organization needed to win, as was the case at
Mercedes. Arrivabene’s departure had been expected since the
end of the 2018 championship. Unfortunately, another month
went by before it took effect, depriving his successor of precious
time to put his own management style in place before the start
of the season. The following months were therefore marked
by a certain frenzy. Binotto was different from Arrivabene as a
manager. He favored a gentler style and succeeded in imbuing the
entire Cavallino team with a more positive attitude.
The new SF90 model, with the”90” referring to the 90th
anniversary of the Scuderia’s foundation in 1929, was, like all-
new Ferraris, particularly fast during winter testing. In many
respects, the car bore a strong resemblance to the previous year’s
SF71H, but the wheelbase had been lengthened to match the
Mercedes, which was only seven centimeters more. The V6 engine
was also an upgrade of the 2018 version, with a series of minor
improvements, giving it around 20 hp more than the Mercedes
engine in qualifying and 10 hp in race mode.
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The second race of the season took place on the Sakhir
circuit in Bahrain, which suited the Ferrari. On this occasion, it
became clear that Leclerc, despite his youth and lack of Formula
1 experience, had no intention of resigning himself to playing the
second role for as long as his predecessor Kimi Räikkönen. On
his second official appearance for Ferrari, the young Monegasque
driver took pole position, relegating his teammate Vettel to a more
modest role. He was well on the way to a sensational victory
when a technical incident dropped him back to third place behind
Hamilton and Bottas. The only person not admiring the young
driver’s performance was his colleague, Vettel. The German had
begun his fifth season with Ferrari, and despite all his personal
mistakes, he had worked hard to bring the team back to the
forefront. The trajectory, albeit up and down, was now showing
an upward trend, and just when Ferrari was finally in a position
to challenge Mercedes, it was young Leclerc who could reap the
rewards of Vettel’s efforts.
b Sebastian Vettel (left) and young Monegasque driver
Charles Leclerc entered the 2019 season on good terms.
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Behind his Harry Potter-style glasses, the amiable Binotto was
upset by the struggle between his two drivers, which dominated
the rest of the season. The situation should not have surprised
him. For many years, the team was characterized by a fixed
hierarchy between its two drivers. Having two top-class drivers
on the same team was a recipe for conflict.
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