Formula 1: Will Ferrari Changes Bring a Better 2015?

It’s all change at Ferrari before the start of the 2015 Formula 1 season, as a number of key personnel have been shown the door in the wake of one of the biggest driver changes in recent memory.

After seasons of underwhelming machinery, Ferrari’s overhaul means they are very serious about returning to the top of Formula 1 in the quickest manner possible.

The 2014 season had not been kind to the Scuderia. With new regulations to exploit, the team produced an underwhelming car with a weak engine, possibly the weakest of the three engines used in 2014.

Fernando Alonso dragged as much as he could out of the car, scoring two podiums, while Kimi Raikkonen struggled with the new regulations and a lack of front end grip. A best result of second means this is the first season since 1993 where Ferrari have failed to secure a win, which is just unacceptable.

Change is needed, and change is what they are getting.

It all started back in October, in the build-up to the Japanese Grand Prix, when then-reigning four-time Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel announced that he was leaving the cocoon of Red Bull in search of a new challenge, which was to be Ferrari.

With Raikkonen already confirmed for 2015, Fernando Alonso looked set to depart Ferrari after five seasons, 11 race wins, and three runners-up spots in the drivers' championship. Crucially, though, there was no championship year.

Signing the man who beat him on a consistent basis is a statement of intent from Ferrari. The love between the two had died, but of the current crop of drivers, only Vettel matches him in terms of success and clearly has the knowledge to help develop world championship winning cars.

More recently, Esteban Gutierrez joined the team as a test and development driver. It was the move that the 23-year-old Mexican has been seeking since it became apparent he had no race seat at Sauber for 2015.

Another new face, team principal Maurizio Arrivabene, seemed happy with the move, per EstebanRacing.com:

“We are pleased to be able to offer this opportunity to Esteban who, although young, has plenty of experience relating to the new generation of Formula 1 cars. I am sure that, with his experience, he will make an important contribution to the development work of the team in the simulator.”

Not only do the team now have sponsorship opportunities in Mexico, but they also have a development driver with racing experience of the new regulations, which could lead to more consistent developmental progress across 2015.

Ferrari announced on their website on Friday that they have also signed Jean-Eric Vergne to replace Pedro de la Rosa in a test driver role. The Frenchman had been frozen out of Formula 1 after leaving Toro Rosso, but their loss is Ferrari’s gain, as Vergne has proven himself to be an excellent driver who is very sensitive to the car.

Arguably, then, the situation driver-wise is looking bright for 2015, brighter than it has been for some time.

Big changes have occurred all over the team though. This year, Luca di Montezemolo stepped down as president of Ferrari and was replaced by Fiat-Chrysler president Sergio Marchionne, and two team principals have also been shown the door; first Stefano Domenicali, who was sacked following a poor start to the season, then Marco Mattiacci, who was sacked for reasons not yet clear.

In more technical roles, the engineering director Pat Fry, chief designer Nikolas Tombazis, engine chief Luca Marmorini and tyre chief Hirohide Hamashima have all been dismissed within the last month, which suggests that Ferrari are pinning their struggles with engines and tyres on the staff at the top of the chain.

From 2016, Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer Jock Clear will be taking over Pat Fry’s role, unless they can negotiate his one year notice period, via BBC. He has championship-winning pedigree, also serving as Jacques Villeneuve’s race engineer in 1997.

Until he arrives, James Allison will have an increased role in trackside operations, one which he richly deserves given his success with Lotus in 2012 and 2013. He too has winning in his blood, being part of the Ferrari and Renault design teams that dominated the early and mid 2000s.

Overall, that is a lot of senior personnel to change at one time. Even if the replacements are of the highest quality, they are going to have to jell pretty quickly. Given that car development is likely to be at an advanced stage already, their impact likely won’t be felt as hard at the start of the season as it will towards the Spanish Grand Prix—the fifth race of the 2015 calendar. 

A lot will depend on who they bring in as their tyre chief. It’s an area Ferrari have really struggled in since Bridgestone exited the sport, so it will need to be someone closely linked to Pirelli for it to be an upgrade on Hamashima.

The decision to replace Tombazis with his deputy Simone Resta is also a confusing one. Resta was part of the team that designed such a poor car and is surely unlikely to bring in the new way of thinking that a fresh, external appointment would.

2015 will be a testing year for the Maranello-based team. Allison will finally get to have serious influence on a Ferrari in his first full year of development. They will need a chassis on an aerodynamic par with Red Bull if they are to compete for regular podiums. Unfortunately, engine development is crucial, and it could take another year before they are ready to challenge Mercedes, given how much developing they need to do to catch up.

Ben Anderson and Edd Straw of Autosport believe that if things click the way Ferrari want them to, they can still have a solid year:

“If Allison is able to do things the way he wants on the technical side, and new signing Sebastian Vettel settles in and starts delivering the kinds of performances he did pre-2014, the future will start to look much brighter.”

The team of proven winners they are developing in and out of the car is certainly enviable and impressive. We will know for certain if the changes have made a significant difference come testing season next year.

For the good of Formula 1, the horse must start prancing again soon.