Ferrari’s team principal, Fred Vasseur, has raised concerns about the extended periods of gardening leave in Formula 1 and how they may delay the Scuderia’s return to the top of the podium. The Italian outfit has faced a challenging start to the 2023 season, with only one podium finish courtesy of Charles Leclerc in Azerbaijan.
Not only have Ferrari struggled on track, but they have also experienced some turbulence behind the scenes with several high-profile departures. McLaren announced the signing of Ferrari’s head of vehicle concept, David Sanchez, while sporting director and deputy team boss Laurent Mekies is set to leave to become AlphaTauri’s team principal, replacing Franz Tost.
Vasseur expressed his frustration with the contractual situation among engineers in Formula 1, highlighting the contrast between teams’ agility in recovering from setbacks during a race weekend and the slower pace of making significant personnel changes. Although Ferrari has made a key hiring decision recently, the individual, believed to have been signed from a midfield team, will not be able to have an impact on Ferrari’s performance until 2025.
