Ex-Formula 1 driver Emmanuele Pirro has warned new Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur not to change much amongst the Maranello-based team, who started the 2022 season exceptionally.
Whilst Ferrari started last season with two wins from the opening three races, strategic errors, reliability issues and driver blunders saw the Italians fall well behind Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship.
Mattia Binotto ultimately lost his job partly due to the endless strategic errors, which cost Charles Leclerc, in particular several victories.
Looking ahead to 2023, the team’s reliability issues appear to have been solved, with the side having found an additional 30hp as a result.
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Pirro does believe that Vasseur will bring “positivity” to the Ferrari camp and the team’s staff, meaning that he should give those that made mistakes last season a second chance, instead of changing people as he pleases.
“It didn’t go as well for Ferrari as it could have,” Pirro told Corriere dello Sport.
“There were difficulties with the technology and with the team management. So I believe Fred Vasseur will bring positivity and order to the Scuderia’s exceptional human resources.
“To try a revolution now would not be good,” said Pirro.
“Rather, there needs to be a man at the top who releases the existing potential to give the team the final momentum towards winning the title.”
Fixing the team’s strategic issues isn’t all that Vasseur needs to solve, with the Italians approach to their drivers being somewhat of a disadvantage.
Carlos Sainz and Leclerc were treated as equals last season, something which Pirro wonders could complicate things amongst the duo in the upcoming season.
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“At Red Bull, the distribution of roles between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez is clear. Max is the stronger driver,” he said.
“But when you have two equal drivers, like Hamilton and Russell at Mercedes or Leclerc and Sainz at Ferrari, the team boss then has to support the driver who has more difficulties. Like parents helping a weaker child.
“After that, in the difficult moments, the driver who can bring the extra flash of inspiration will prevail. That makes the difference between the teammates,” Pirro added.