Ferrari is experiencing a “climate of fear” with personnel unwilling to take risks in case they are fired, as per the Italian Formula One group’s former chief engineer Luca Baldisserri.
“Sadly, neither (chairman Sergio) Marchionne nor (group principal Maurizio) Arrivabene have racing experience, a culture that has actually been lost at the top of the group,” he informed Italy’s Corriere dello Sport newspaper.
“They are no longer a team but a group of scared people,” he added. “Inside there is an environment of fear, the young boys do not take dangers, they do not make choices for fear of being tossed out in disgrace.”
A Ferrari spokesman was not instantly available for comment.
Baldisserri worked with seven times world champion Michael Schumacher and Brazilian Rubens Barrichello during a golden age for the team at the start of the century and consequently supervise Ferrari’s driver academy.
He left Ferrari in 2015 to handle the profession of Canadian former academy motorist Lance Stroll, who is tipped to race for Williams upcoming year.
Ferrari have actually failed to win a race so far this year with Germany’s Sebastian Vettel and Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen, after 3 victories in 2015, and have slipped behind Red Bull in third place overall.
The most effective and oldest group in Formula One, the Maranello team last won a drivers’ world title with Raikkonen in 2007. Their latest manufacturers’ championship was in 2008.
“Raikkonen is going better than in 2015, Vettel much worse,” stated Baldisserri. “It is essential for Ferrari to get him (Vettel) back and keep him close, at least in the brief term … but the issue is not them.”
Marchionne, who is likewise Fiat Chrysler primary executive, replaced Luca di Montezemolo as Ferrari chairman in 2014. Arrivabene, a previous Philip Morris executive, was selected in November that year.
Technical director James Allison was the new high-profile departure in July, with Mattia Binotto moving from the engine sector to replace him.
Baldisserri said the engine department had performed wonders from 2014 but Binotto was more of a team principal than a technical director.
While Ferrari have misfired, Mercedes have simply won their 3rd successive contractors’ title and are sure of a 3rd drivers’ crown in a row also with just Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton still in contention and four races remaining.
Previous Ferrari designer and technical head Aldo Costa has been engineering director at Mercedes given since Maranello back in 2011.
