Former FIA president and Ferrari chief Jean Todt has weighed in on the Scuderia’s determination to swap Carlos Sainz with Lewis Hamilton.
Whereas acknowledging that Ferrari will keep a “top-level” driver pairing with Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, Todt questions whether or not the staff’s new line-up is actually an improve over the earlier mixture of Leclerc and Sainz.
The Frenchman’s perspective affords a helpful perception, given his intensive expertise with Ferrari. Todt oversaw the staff’s dominant period with Michael Schumacher, giving him a singular understanding of what it takes to reach Maranello.
Driver Expertise Not the Situation for Ferrari
Sainz spent 4 seasons with Ferrari and secured 4 Grand Prix victories. For a lot of, the Spaniard’s dismissal was much less performance-based and extra pushed by Hamilton’s availability which was just too engaging for the Italian outfit to disregard.
Nonetheless, the choice has led some to wonder if Ferrari is prioritizing short-term star energy over long-term stability, on condition that Hamilton is getting into the twilight of his profession at 40 years outdated.
With Ferrari nonetheless trailing Pink Bull within the battle for championships, Todt believes that driver high quality has by no means been the staff’s main situation.
“What’s Ferrari lacking to win? Little, little or no. Even up to now, they got here very shut,” he instructed Italian each day newspaper La Repubblica.
“Even the line-up with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz was a very good pairing; they definitely didn’t lose due to the drivers.”
Todt’s remarks spotlight that Ferrari’s latest struggles have been extra about automobile efficiency than driver expertise.
Whereas Hamilton’s arrival will carry expertise and marketability, the previous FIA supremo stays unsure about whether or not it actually strengthens Ferrari’s on-track capabilities.
“Clearly, even with Hamilton the line-up stays top-level. Will it’s higher than the earlier one? I do not know, we’ll must see the extent of the automobile,” he added.
No Impression on Leclerc
Hamilton’s signing has generated an immense quantity of media consideration, with each step of his transition to Ferrari making headlines.
From his arrival in Maranello to his first laps within the SF-23 – together with his first crash – the British driver has dominated the F1 information cycle.
This shift in focus raises questions on how Leclerc, Ferrari’s long-standing golden boy, will deal with the arrival of one of many sport’s most embellished figures.
©Ferrari
Nonetheless, Todt doesn’t imagine Hamilton’s presence will negatively impression Leclerc.
“I don’t suppose will probably be affected by Lewis Hamilton,” he mentioned. “For Charles, it could possibly be a possibility to be much more motivated, very similar to what occurred with George Russell at Mercedes.”
Todt’s Ferrari Legacy and Present Disconnect
Todt’s tenure at Ferrari is known, marked by an unprecedented interval of success within the early 2000s alongside Michael Schumacher.
Nonetheless, the 78-year-old has additionally revealed his disappointment on the present Scuderia administration’s lack of communication with him.
Having devoted years to turning Ferrari right into a championship-winning drive, he admits feeling puzzled by the absence of contact since his departure from the FIA in 2021.
“Since I left, I’ve spoken to some members of the staff, however since I left the FIA I’ve by no means had any contact once more,” Todt admitted.
“I have to say that I used to be very perplexed given how a lot time I devoted to this unimaginable firm and what number of outcomes we achieved.”
Reflecting on his time at Ferrari, Todt recalled the large overhaul he led when he arrived in 1993.
“After I arrived in 1993 there was a fort in ruins, the design space in England, an outdated and unusable wind tunnel on the headquarters. However little by little we constructed a jewel,” he mentioned.
Underneath his management, Ferrari constructed a formidable operation that secured an mixture 14 championships, a record-breaking interval within the staff’s historical past.
“Alone I’d not have completed something, I used to be good at forming and sustaining a staff for years, making it a dream staff,” he mentioned.
“The 14 championships received stay within the books. It was probably the most profitable interval within the historical past of Ferrari.”
With Hamilton now in Ferrari pink, the query stays: will his presence carry the Scuderia nearer to championship glory, or is the staff nonetheless preventing the identical uphill battle?
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