07/23/2020 - 16:00
- Clarín.com
- sports
Due to the bad start to the 2020 Formula 1 season, Ferrari announced important changes that will try to reinforce the structure of the team and that will undoubtedly be a relief for Mattia Binotto, the main player targeted by the start of the year with his left foot.
The main concern is the lack of pace that the Ferrari SF1000 has, a car that showed fewer benefits than its predecessor, and something that put the final responsible in the spotlight, who is none other than Binotto.
While in Italy many believed that this hard moment would cost the head of the sports project and the head of the Ferrari GT, Antonello Coletta, was already being talked about to replace him, in Maranello they decided to create a new Performance Development department.
In a statement, the Italian team said: "The Ferrari team has restructured its technical department to make it more effective. [...] To do this, a chain of command was created that will be more focused on its objective and has been simplified, and provides empowered the heads of each department to achieve their goals. To this end, it has also established a new Performance Development department , headed by Enrico Cardile ", who is the head of aerodynamics and will be assisted by Rory Byrne and another air technician like David Sánchez.
The Ferrari of Vettel and Leclerc, during a practice session in Austria. (Photo: AFP)
The team will once again rely on the advice of Byrne, who was a key player in the design of the Benetton and the Ferraris that took Michael Schumacher to the top. Enrico Gualtieri will continue to be in charge of engine development (Power Unit), with Simone Resta, who returned to Ferrari last year after a brief stint with Sauber / Alfa Romeo as chassis manager. Laurent Mekies also follows as Sports Director.
For his part, the head of the team, Mattia Binotto, said: "We believe that the Ferrari staff is of the highest level and we have nothing to envy our main competitors in this regard, but we had to make a decisive change , raising the commitment in terms of the responsibilities of the department heads, "said the Swiss, who in 2019 replaced Maurizio Arrivabene.
And he concluded: "We said it several times, but it is worth repeating. We have begun to lay the foundation for a process that should lead to a new and lasting winning cycle. It will take some time and we will experience setbacks like the one we are experiencing right now. In terms of results and performance, however, we must react to these shortcomings with strength and determination to get back on top of the sport as soon as possible. "