Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur has teased that the Maranello-based Formula 1 outfit will reveal a new technical structure after the summer break in light of former Chassis Technical Director Enrico Cardile’s departure.
The Scuderia announced Cardile’s departure from the team a fortnight ago and he will join Aston Martin as its new Chief Technical Officer in 2025.
Vasseur has absorbed Cardile’s vacant role on an interim basis but the Ferrari Team Principal has hinted that a replacement is on its way.
Not only has Vasseur got a plan in place to replace Cardile full-time, but Ferrari will introduce a new technical structure after the Formula 1 summer break.
“The position during the summer break is the easiest one,” Vasseur told media after Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix. “And just after the summer break, we’ll announce the new organisation.”
Still, an experienced head leaving Ferrari has surely got to leave a mark, not least when that person is bound for a rival, but Vasseur ultimately doesn’t see it that way.
Formula 1 is a melting pot of creative minds often switching from team to team as their careers develop and names come and go from Maranello as they do in Brackley, Woking or Milton Keynes.
For instance, ex-Mercedes Performance Director Loic Serra will join Ferrari in October as Head of Chassis Performance Engineering and he could very well fill the Cardile-shaped hole left in the team according to F1 journalist Joe Saward.
Vasseur however is keen to stress the importance of the collective group of engineering minds at Ferrari.
“At the end of the day, we have a group of more than 200 people working on this one, or 300 people working on this,” he explained.
“One person is always… it’s not a drama. I always push to explain that individuals are less important than the group, and it’s true when you are recruiting someone, and it’s true when you are losing someone.
“I’m not worried at all by this. The stability of the group is there. The people are working very well together.”
Team harmony comes amid what Vasseur admitted is “a tough moment.”
Things were looking rosy for Ferrari at the start of the year when Carlos Sainz became the first driver outside of Red Bull to win a race at the Australian Grand Prix and the Scuderia remained in contention long enough to grant Charles Leclerc a maiden home win in Monaco.
However, since Leclerc’s triumph around his backyard, there has been significant struggle for the Scuderia as it has watched McLaren and Mercedes ascend to become Red Bull’s closest challengers.
The new technical structure at Ferrari will undoubtedly have a lot of heavy lifting to do in order to avert the Scuderia’s recent run of form, which has yielded just one podium in five races.
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