Last Updated on December 6 2023, 3:17 pm

Luca Baldisserri, once a key figure at Ferrari as a Formula One engineer and close associate of Michael Schumacher, has a unique perspective on the current state of the Scuderia.

Unlike many who see Ferrari’s recent seasons as a series of disappointments, Baldisserri sees a glimmer of hope, even the potential for a World Championship turnaround.

 

Near misses and promising seasons

After 2007, Ferrari continued to be a formidable force in F1. In the years that followed, they came tantalisingly close to championship success.

In 2008, Felipe Massa missed out on the championship by a single point in a heartbreaking finale in Brazil (although his loss is now in a legal dispute! – READ MORE ON THIS). Fernando Alonso brought the team back to prominence in 2010 and 2012, challenging for the title until the final races of each season.

These years were marked by competitive cars and strong team performances that kept the hopes of the fans alive.

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The transition period: Changes in management and drivers

The next phase for Ferrari was characterised by significant transitions, both in terms of management and driver line-up. The departure of key figures such as Stefano Domenicali and Fernando Alonso, and the arrival of Sebastian Vettel in 2015, signalled a new era.

However, this period was marred by inconsistency and internal challenges as Ferrari struggled to find the right formula for success.

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The Vettel-Leclerc era: A mixture of promise and frustration

The arrival of Sebastian Vettel brought new hope. The team showed signs of resurgence, particularly in 2017 and 2018, when they were strong contenders against Mercedes. However, strategic mistakes and reliability issues often undermined their championship ambitions.

The arrival of Charles Leclerc in 2019 replacing a mostly subservient to Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen, brought a new dynamic to the team. His impressive performances hinted at a bright future, but the team’s overall competitiveness fluctuated.

 

 

Technical struggles and strategic missteps

One of Ferrari’s biggest challenges in recent years has been technical and strategic. Despite having fast cars at times, the team often struggled with reliability issues or made questionable strategic decisions during races. These problems were particularly evident in seasons when they had the potential to challenge Mercedes’ dominance.

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The new era: Hope and rebuilding

The 2020 season marked a new low for Ferrari, with the team finishing sixth in the Constructors’ Championship – its worst performance in decades. However, this period of struggle also ushered in a period of rebuilding.

With Mattia Binotto at the helm and a focus on building a strong car for the new regulations in 2022, Ferrari set out to regain their former glory with mixed successes. A serious looking challenger to Red Bull initially at the beginning of the 2022 F1 season, the teams fortunes took a downward turn as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen fast asserted his dominance on the sport, winning the championships in that year.

 

 

2023 Ferrari

Fred Vasseur’s appointment as Team Principal of Scuderia Ferrari in 2023, succeeding Mattia Binotto, marked a pivotal moment for the team. Vasseur, known for his stint at Alfa Romeo Racing, brought a diverse array of experience and a new strategic vision to Ferrari. His takeover was seen as a crucial move aimed at reviving Ferrari’s competitive edge and restoring its glory in the fiercely contested world of Formula 1.

Under Binotto, Ferrari experienced a mix of successes and challenges, and with Vasseur at the helm, the expectations were high for a resurgence in performance and a renewed pursuit of championship titles. Alas, it wasn’t to be yet again for Ferrari as the team’s performances appeared to be rather up and down, lacking any consistency, especially on a Sunday race day.

Former Schumacher engineer Luca Baldisserri argues that things aren’t as bleak as they seem. He believes that Ferrari have been much closer to Red Bull than the raw statistics suggest.

 

 

 

 

Baldisserri: The “alien” factor

Baldisserri points to what he calls the “alien” factor – the extraordinary talent of Max Verstappen. According to him, Verstappen’s exceptional skills in the Red Bull car are a major reason why Ferrari appear to be so far behind.

He suggests that when you compare the performance of the second drivers in both teams, Ferrari weren’t as far off the pace as they appeared in relation to Sergio Pérez in the Red Bull.

“When I analyze a car, I always look at the performance of the second driver. And here it is even clearer that Ferrari’s performance was not that far behind that of Sergio Pérez in the Red Bull,” said Baldisserri in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.

The other Red Bull was only so far ahead in the end because “an alien” was at the wheel with Max Verstappen, the engineer added.

In terms of qualifying, Baldisserri believes that Ferrari were either very close to or ahead of Red Bull. He urges fans to look at the season not just from the perspective of wanting wins, but to acknowledge the progress the team has made.

“If you don’t look at it from the perspective of a fan who would only like to see victories, the season didn’t go too badly.”

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Looking ahead to 2024

Baldisserri is optimistic about the 2024 season. He sees a real opportunity for Ferrari to close the gap on Red Bull, especially given the largely unchanged regulations. However, he acknowledges a significant challenge: “Catching up to Max Verstappen’s level of performance is a different and more complex task.”

Baldisserri’s insights highlight the complex nature of F1 racing, where a team’s performance isn’t just about the car or the strategy, but also the exceptional talent of individual drivers like Verstappen.

While Ferrari may be closing the technical gap with Red Bull, matching Verstappen’s ability is a formidable challenge that lies ahead.

“In order to know what is really necessary, I would still have to be in the team. It is one thing to close the gap with Red Bull. But it is a completely different and much more complicated thing to close the gap with Max Verstappen “ concludes the engineer.

 

 

 

In conclusion, Luca Baldisserri’s perspective offers a nuanced understanding of Ferrari’s current position in F1. His insights are a blend of realistic assessment and hopeful outlook, suggesting that while Ferrari may be on the right track, overcoming a talent like Max Verstappen will require more than just technical advances.

The 2024 season will be a crucial test of whether Ferrari can rise to the challenge.

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MORE F1 NEWS: Ex-FIA president claims Hamilton 2008 world title void

The uproar over the “rigged” 2008 Singapore Grand Prix will just not go away. At stake is the true identity of that season’s drivers’ championship which saw Felipe Massa champion for around half a minute. Having won the race the Brazilian driver watched on the big screen as his rival Lewis Hamilton made up a place on Timo Glock and scored the extra point required to given him his first F1 title.

As Martin Brundle said when reviewing the race, “a championship is never won in one race” and the events earlier in Singapore certainly had a bearing on the final outcome and who was…READ MORE ON THIS STORY