Ex Ferrari F1 boss says team should consider axing strategy chief
Aug.10 - Ferrari should consider ousting its Spanish strategy chief, according to the Maranello team's former boss Cesare Fiorio.
Whilst acknowledging reliability and strategy mistakes that have put Charles Leclerc 80 points behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen, current boss Mattia Binotto insists the current team needs no drastic changes.
Fiorio, who was Ferrari boss in the early 90s, does not agree. "I certainly expected an intervention by John Elkann after the events in Budapest," he told the Italian magazine Autosprint, referring to Ferrari's executive chairman. "Unfortunately, the mistakes have been numerous," the 83-year-old added.
Laurent Mekies (Racing Director) and Inaki Rueda (Head of Race Strategy)
"The 2022 car is very competitive and you can see that the team has made progress compared to the last two years. The credit for that must be given to Binotto, who has always been very skilled on the technical side and is leading the engineers to build a winning machine."
Autosprint claims Binotto's current contract only runs until the end of the current season.
"Mattia was originally a designer and he knows how to do that job very well, as shown with the F1-75," said Fiorio. "He just needs people who fit better with the culture.
"Binotto needs to stay in place, but not Rueda," he added, referring to Ferrari's under-fire strategy chief Inaki Rueda.
"He has never positively influenced the different teams he has worked for," Fiorio charged.
After stints at McLaren, Jordan, Renault and Lotus, Rueda moved to Ferrari in 2015 and was made head of the strategy and sporting sides in 2021.
Fiorio thinks part of the problem is that Ferrari has followed the trend of other leading F1 teams in outsourcing the core of the strategy department to a 'race control' back at Maranello.
"Modern strategies are based on very advanced and complex mathematical models, which unfortunately no longer correspond with personal intuitions," he said.
"In the race, you often have a few seconds in which decisions have to be made. You don't have time to analyse dozens of models, manage computers and communicate remotely.
"It means Ferrari is now lacking this personal intuition," said Fiorio.
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"Fiorio thinks part of the problem is that Ferrari has followed the trend of other leading F1 teams in outsourcing the core of the strategy department to a 'race control' back at Maranello."
Well that explains it. Slow internet connection from trackside to Maranello. Or maybe a slow Italian to Spanish to English translation program.
I would take that as being a major part of the problem,, how can you win a race like that it's no wonder the pit calls are all over the place.
That's why Honda as works engine suppliers have done so well in the past and now, there attitude is well build you a fast engine you do the rest as there 80s and there 19> onwards all engineering decisions done In a single language Renault the same really in the past but not now
Funny, but Alfred Neubauer and Enzo did quite well without the strategists! I think todays teams are making it too complicated with too many involved in calling the shots! They need to have a board meeting to decide on which tyres to fit!
Whilst i agree Smokey, pitstops back then took about 10mins and they had a Million sets of the single tyre choice to use, so yeah it was easier...Nowadays, At Ferrari the board meeting are to discuss which team boss has the best hair ,At Merc, Hamish poking his nose in-minus the stud saying hell only wear a prince albert if its made of environmentally/ethically sourced gold..!, while in the Renault boardroom they are voting on who get the Dunces cap this week,While On Flavs floating boardroom , hes passing out the brown envelopes to Mark and Fernando.
Hahaha ..... Love it!
But it's probably true about the current lot!
Except for Flavio, he is my hero! A man of actions.
I'd fire the dolt that decided to burn up all the Medium tires for Practice and Quali.
Management by remote-committee - I can't think of a worse idea. That is idiotic.
Happened to me drilling for oil off-shore. The Drilling Engineer was over-ruled by HQ to save $$ - "Naw, you don't need the mud to be that heavy". We were about to hit a high-pressure gas zone. Sure enough, the mud was too light and the well kicked. Three days later and millions of $$ in barge-loads of barite later, we got the well back under control. Yeah, not a fan of remote offices telling me what to do.
You can beat around the bush, go around the corner or scapegoat all day. The buck stops with the head Honcho so the only white man rockin an Afro gots to go. 😄
Or they can keep the embarassment going; either way.
The team builds the car, the driver drives it to the finish. All the team has to do once the race has started is not slow him down. Too many cooks.
These armys of number crunchers are only telling the drivers what they already know 90% of the time.
Based upon building a crap car the head honcho at Merc should walk...oh pleaseee
Bring back Norbert Haug!
Yes , good bloke, straight talking German, a worthy moustache weare to rival Nige possibly, a company man , he was moved on but , was he bothered Naww he was retiring anyway to enjoy the bratwursts and weissbier franziskaner, myself i prefered the Warsteiner( prev mcl sponsor), tenuous link Warstein not far away from Mohne Damm, which the British visited a few decades ago , enough said
Comparing Toto to Binotto the Bonobo with an Afro is another case of false equivalence.
Seems to be contagious amongst morons. 😂😆
Ferraris solution! Seeing as Binotto & his strategy team has "cocked" up the first half of the season I suggest that they let their drivers make the decision with no argument,, CL obviously upset by the wrong & hesitant calls made by his team seems confident that he can do better so,, let them make their own calls.. Sorted.
Off with his head!
And Mattia Binozo too.
Thay are the 'Anti Stratwgists"... executing rhe worst possible decisions under stress.
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