“You are not a true champion if you are not one with Ferrari.” The previous phrase is good in itself, but its symbology makes it even more relevant if we take into account that it came from the mouth of Michael Schumacher in his presentation as a driver for the ‘Scuderia’, before becoming the biggest myth of Maranello, with a string of five consecutive titles between 2000 and 2004. With the exception of 2007, the last crown that traveled to Italy, largely thanks to the fratricidal fight that Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton starred in at McLaren, the most universal team is still there of racing history in its efforts to give credibility to a brand that exists thanks to F1, even though it has not won it for more than 15 years.
Ferrari has been in a permanent metamorphosis for more than a decade that has never ended. The most obvious indication of this is the five different directors who have sat in the chair, since Marco Mattiacci replaced Stefano Domenicali at the head of the red cars’ operations, with the 2014 season underway. After the fleeting appearance of Mattiacci, Maurizio Arrivabene (2015-2018) and Mattia Binotto passed by, the last to be replaced, with a view to 2023, in a swerve given directly by John Elkan, the president of the company. The controversial arrival of Fred Vasseur, from Alfa Romeo, shook the ‘Il Cavallino Rampante’ troop, now led by an element from outside, without the emotional ties that his predecessor (Binotto) might have had, a man who grew up in factory. That Vasseur’s hand is not shaking was evident again last week, when Ferrari announced that Charles Leclerc was going to welcome a new track engineer with immediate effect. The Spanish Xavi Marcos, who has accompanied the Monegasque since 2019, has been replaced since this weekend, in Imola, by Bryan Bozzi, until now Leclerc’s performance engineer. “It represents a step forward,” commented Vasseur, without hesitation.
This last change of seats occurs at one of the key moments of the course, given that the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix (at 3:00 p.m., Dazn), will allow us to gauge the effectiveness of the first major update of the cars of this year, as it is of the first European stop on the calendar. On the track, Leclerc and Carlos Sainz’s SF-24 sports redesigned sidepods, new front and rear spoilers, a different engine cover and a remodeled floor and diffuser. All these components were briefly tested in a filming session that took place a few days ago, in Fiorano, and their main objective is to improve the performance of the car in low-speed corners, without losing its punch in fast corners. . A will that is as easy to understand as it is difficult to achieve.
At the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, work is piling up for Leclerc and Sainz: Max Verstappen achieved his eighth consecutive pole position, equaling the best streak ever, none other than that of Ayrton Senna, who died on this same stage, ago. 30 years. Leclerc will start third, just ahead of the Madrid native (fourth), after both gained a position due to a three-position penalty to Piastri. Fernando Alonso will be the penultimate, conditioned by the accident he suffered in the third free practice.
The ‘tifosi’ are more excited than usual, both for the current moment and for what is to come. The six tests held so far suggest that Red Bull and Verstappen have become much closer. In fact, Leclerc is third in the overall table, just five points behind Checo Pérez (second) and 38 behind the Dutchman. Sainz, for his part, is fifth, tied with fourth (Norris), 15 points behind his neighbor. Furthermore, on the horizon, the figure of Lewis Hamilton is becoming enormous, who will arrive in Maranello in 2025 and who is seen by many as the ticket back to the top. The incorporation of the Briton, furthermore, could perfectly be combined with that of Adrian Newey, who less than two weeks ago announced his departure from Red Bull. “I’ll probably take some time off, but then I’ll be back in action.” [F1]”, the design genius slipped. Even though he has received offers from the paddock environment that can afford to pay his fee, the Ferrari project surely brings together all the attractions to seduce an engineer who has won almost everything and who, if he accepted the challenge and was successful, would validate even Schumacher’s phrase.
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