Why Ferrari ends its worst season in 40 years and the third in its history in Formula 1

The 2020 calendar of Formula 1 is over and also the nightmare for Ferrari. The third worst season in its history came to an end after that of 1973 and 1980, when Scuderia hit rock bottom. A championship full of errors, problems and internals that exacerbated the crisis in Maranello ends. With one of the two best budgets in the category together with Mercedes, he leaves much to be desired for his sixth position in the World Constructors' World Championship. The Italian team was overtaken by squads with less history, experience and the means to compete.

Ferrari is the only team that was in the seven decades of the Máxima. 47 years ago he had his lowest point when he finished in the same position in the team competition, where he only scored 12 points, the same as BRM, the extinct English team that he beat for the only podium he won thanks to Jacky Ickx's third place in Germany. This year its riders had that honor three times, twice with Charles Leclerc (2nd in Austria and 3rd in Great Britain) and once with Sebastian Vettel (3rd in Turkey).

The case of the German pilot is a sign of the bad handling that occurred. The quadruple world champion (2010 to 2013) also culminates his nightmare and the groping of the head of the team, Mattia Binotto, who acknowledged that he “rehearsed the phone call three times in which he told him he was not going to continue in the team...” Seb could not be crowned in the Italian team and in 2021 he will race in Aston Martin, I...

There is a saying in the environment that says “when Ferrari catches a cold, F1 is sick”. That red cars do not fight ahead is something that is felt inside and outside the category. More with what La Rossa drags. He has millions of fans around the globe and his passion goes beyond results. But after so many joyless years, the Maranello team is expected to revive.

In 2019 the Scuderia ended its first decade without any titles in either Drivers or Drivers. In 2020 he completed his 1,000 races in F1 in a negative frame. Although their problems started before the start of this season and there are eight reasons that explain their debacle.

Failure from above

The subject is misguided from the dome. There is not a strong head that knows about motorsport. May he have the experience of having greased his hands like Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, someone who came to run and who did himself from below as in his first role where he was the nexus between the Scuderia and the media, in the early 1970s. Then he returned in the dawn of the nineties and being the executive director produced the change that shaped the most successful streak in history along with Michael Schumacher. It was a team with the best technical and sporting components of that time.

After the death of Sergio Marchionne in 2018, the top position at Ferrari was held by Louis Camilleri, who has just announced his departure “for personal reasons”. He accepted that position because he was the president of Philips Morris (he also left that role), a company that has strong commercial ties with Ferrari. For now he will be replaced by John Elkann, who is the great-great-grandson of Giovanni Agnelli, founder of Fiat. He also chairs FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles).

Lack of leadership in the team

Since the departure of Jean-Todt, current president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), that the Scuderia suffers from lack of command. Someone who doesn't shake his pulse when it comes to making a decision. Don't hesitate if you have to roll a head. The former French team-manager came to Maranello after winning two Constructors' titles and two Drivers' titles at the World Rally Championship (1985 and 1986); four times the Dakar (1987, 1989, 1990 and 1991) and twice the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1992 and 1993).

Todt made the necessary internal modifications. It took time, but in his fifth season he already fought a championship (1997) until the last date with Schumi, who then swept the Drivers' titles from 2000 to 2004. Ferrari won the laurels of Constructores from 1999 to 2004. Nine global crowns in six seasons. He was even responsible for the team in the last scepter won with Kimi Räikkönen, in 2007.

Although in 2008 he prepared Stefano Domenicali (graduate in business administration) as his successor, the Italian did not live up to the same level as those who followed him in the position, the marketing specialists, Marco Mattiacci and Maurizio Arrivabene, and Binotto himself, who will be a brain in the technical field (he was responsible for the engines), but the role of director of the team was great.

Allison's Departure

Engineer James Allison was on the team until April 2016 when his wife died. The Englishman decided to return to his country to be closer to his children. Mercedes is based there and since 2017 he started working for the German team. From that moment on, he has been one of the main responsible for the creation and development of his cars. It is true that the coach's departure was a personal issue, but Ferrari lost a key piece.

Shrinkage in engines

Last year there was a controversy over the alleged irregularities in the fuel flow of its impellers with an additional 60/70 horsepower. It was because of the level they showed in three races where they achieved three pole positions and victories in a row. There was a complaint from Red Bull, the issue was analyzed by the FIA and everything remained in a “secret agreement” between the governing body and the Scuderia.

This year, due to the pause forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, it was agreed to freeze the development of the drivers. This prevented the Maranello people from working on their irons and they were never able to recover the HP that were lost after the investigation by the FIA...

There were some aerodynamic novelties, but they could not make up for the decline in engines.

Bad decisions

With this scenario, at least there was self-criticism. At the end of July, with three straight dates, John Elkann, acknowledged that in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, that “this year we are not competitive because of the mistakes of the project. We have had a number of structural deficiencies for some time in aerodynamics and car dynamics. We have also lost power in the engine.”

After these statements, in August, there was a change in the technical head that for now did not deliver the expected results. It was with a technical triumvirate that he freed Binotto from that responsibility. It is made up of the historic Rory Byrne (he worked in the time of Schumacher), Enrico Cardile and David Sánchez. It will be necessary to see if they manage to improve for 2021.

Disorganization

The mistakes that were made at the pit stops were a postcard from Ferrari in 2020. It seemed like a rookie team with long arrests, without synchronization and that in most cases harmed — coincidentally — Sebastian Vettel. Striking are the failures in this aspect of a squad that always stood out for the quick attentions to its drivers during the races and that with that letter they managed to win positions.

Mismanagement of the budget

It has one of the two best budgets together with Mercedes with 400,000,000 euros per year. Exceeds Red Bull (300,000,000 million euros). However, there was no optimization of resources. The way out was not found to be able to capitalize that money in results. At the same time, the two teams mentioned never fell back with their workhorses: Mercedes engines dominate since 2014 with the beginning of the hybrid era (combustion and electric). And Red Bull confirms every year that it has the best chassis in the category thanks to the genius of Adrian Newey, one of the best engineers of the last 30 years.

No plan B

There is no radical change on the horizon. A strong twist that invites you to dream. A light at the end of the tunnel that illusions typhosis. Elkann himself assumed it when he confirmed his loyalty to Binotto: “I have total confidence. Also because Mattia has all the capabilities and features to start a new winning cycle. He was at Ferrari with Todt and Schumi. He knows how to win and from next year he will work with two drivers who are young (Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz) and ambitious like us.”

While Scuderia fans will have to be patient and prepare for another year that will be forgotten in 2021. “We are currently laying the groundwork to be competitive and win again when the rules change in 2022. I am convinced of this”, concluded the head of FCA and who for now will also drive directly to Ferrari.

Until a replacement for Camilleri is named, it will be Elkann who lives closely with the Ferrari world. We will have to see how this hot iron entails. The descendant of Giovanni Agnelli is facing his greatest challenge, which is to put the future of the most iconic F1 team on track. Can he achieve it?

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