Ferrari is set to bolster its Formula 1 team with a significant recruitment drive, adding a whopping 40 new team members at its headquarters in Maranello.
Recent reports indicated that Mercedes’ prominent performance engineer, Loic Serra, has already been signed by Ferrari, and he is currently serving a lengthy ‘gardening leave’ before officially joining the team.
However, it appears that Serra’s addition is just part of a more extensive wave of staffing changes aimed at reviving the struggling Ferrari team.
Ferrari’s new team boss, Frederic Vasseur, who took over from Mattia Binotto for the 2023 season, emphasized that the immediate focus is on the development of the SF23 car.
“The SF23 is a legacy of the last ten years. I can see that the mentality of the team cannot change in six months. A Formula 1 team is like a big ship – changing course is slow,” Vasseur explained.
Having joined Ferrari from Alfa Romeo late last year, Vasseur, a highly experienced racing team manager, believes that Ferrari needs to embrace significant changes and not rely solely on its history for success.
“Success is the result of work, not history,” he asserted. “The Ferrari name is not enough to win. But we are moving in the right direction. Like another two or three teams, we have great resources that we must use.”
Regarding the drivers, Vasseur clarified that the team is currently focused on addressing bigger problems and will only engage in talks about possible contract extensions towards the end of this season.
