Why is Ferrari not competitive in F1?

Yep, I got to know him when I lived in Switzerland. He had an apartment in Montreux so I would see him from time to time so one day I just said hello, I saw you race a bunch of times hope all is well, etc.. his English is excellent so he knew right away I was American - " So why are you in Montreux in March? started to talk and we ended up eating a Schwarma together talking about racing. So he said that he was in Switzerland because of his company being based there & Skiing. We talked about Ferrari, and all the drivers - he really did not like Teddy Mayer but loved Carl Haas... that is why he raced at Beatrice in the late 80's... I told him I thought he was robbed by Ferrari in 83 and should have been given a drive in 84 & 85... he was so polite Very true gentleman.

 

Because Mercedes-Benz is racing! In every era, in head to head competition, M-B has been better.

 

The last time i looked, Beretta, (as a company) was 494 years old.

 

I don't follow F1 anymore since they became the "angry bee circus" but I have a couple of theories (for what they may be worth?):

1) The Ferrari experience seems to have "broken" Vettel: whether it's because he has an inferior car or whether it's the politics, or even if it's just that he's older now? We'll never really know the reason/s but he's just not the same(?). As a perennial Ferrari fan, I really disliked him at Red Bull because he was so formidable but, at the same time, I couldn't help admiring his talent. He also didn't seem to contribute to Ferrari as much as Schumacher did(?).

2) Ferrari have never really fiddled with 4-cylinder so it may be that it's just not in their DNA(?). I realize there will be many who say the tech is the same - just fewer cylinders but that has never been Ferrari's forte?

3) The difference might just be in the difference between German and Italian culture/psyche? The Italians being passionate, opinionated, temperamental; while the Germans are disciplined, calculated and they naturally adhere to a structured order of leadership.

As a few have already alluded, I ultimately believe that strong, knowledgable leadership is what Ferrari needs: Greeks have a saying that, "the fish stinks from the head" - meaning the head rots first, so the leadership needs to be sorted out first. A leader that can garner the respect and compliance of the rest of the team.

That's just my penny's worth of banter (not even 2 cents. ;-/)

 

MB is just better it always have been, historically anytime they have decided to compete in F1 they dominate.

 

It is easy to forget, but in the 1950s, Lampredi developed an I4 for F2 use that went on to some success in F1 (in 1953 and 1954) and Sports Car racing in cars like the 500 Mondial, 500 TR, 750 and 860 Monza, and 625LM

 

Quite simple explanation actually. It is now entirely (with exception of Jock Clear, on Charles’s side of the garage) run by Italians. Their glory days were with a Brit (Brawn) an Irish designer (Byrne), a Frenchman (Todt) and a German driver! But the politics in the team are unimaginably dominant. Contrast with Mercedes.....case rests....!

 

I agree that politics and management are big issues with the team. Vettel is struggling with mental focus and decision making because of all the turmoil. Not least of which is the Covid pandemic. I was in Italy, Venice in fact, when Carnevale was shut down. I flew in and out on Swiss, and got home OK. But what happened after was shocking. My hotel had a mass exodus with people from all over the world fleeing on that Saturday and Sunday. I stayed until Thursday and enjoyed a subdued end of my trip with the only surprise being a reassigned seat before check in.

The economic and public health shock forced Ferrari to drastically alter their spending plans, including the budget cap. And Seb's mistakes and bad behaviors of the previous season burned some bridges within the team. The no offer of contract speaks volumes to the financial limits faced by the team. Sainz was a cheaper solution down the road. Seb's performance in Austria was hugely disappointing, and tangling with Sainz no less. Impatient and desperate. I was upset, and threw away my support after that. I am half Italian and passionate, emotional now, but Seb really needs to cool off and bring the position home. Wait till the next corner, especially with the car jumping all over the place. The set up is poor, power too, tweak has crippled them. I really think Seb miscalculated thinking he could do what Schumi did, but with no testing. Vastly different circumstances now. I really thought having Binotto as a tech principal would help but management and strategy say otherwise. A big disappointment. The gain in downforce with the shovel wing is gone now. What the hell happened besides the engine loss?

 

But who says they are still making the best guns?

 

Ferrari won 2 WDCs with 4-cylinder: 1952/53 with Ascari.
They also raced 4-cylinder sports cars, notably the 500 and 750 Monza.

 

I humbly submit they've been out of the road car business since the late 60's, when Ferrari sold that division of Ferrari to fiat. Whatever the problem, it has nothing to do with length of racing 1. Or how long they have or haven't built road cars, in my opinio .

 

I guess it has to do with ‘New-age-techno’. All cars are the same. Regulations are killing the sport! If the cars were all white, you cannot tell the difference.
It’s a good thing when Ferrari decides to step back from F1 for one or two years. Lamborghini survives, Ferrari can too!

 

I think if anything the road and racing cars are closer together today under one owner than ever before.

 

My personal opinion is that Ferrari have just tried to home grow too much talent at home in Italy and when they have gone out to get high performance people who are non Italian, they have not embraced them... perhaps the language & culture or perhaps just the infighting. I think the team are way, way too big & arrogant.

Vettel has clearly been shaken by Leclerc ... and that is his own weakness... that was shown at Red Bull when he had both Webber and Riccardo.... he like to be the clear number 1. When they had Riakkonnen that was clear... Leclerc has changed the focus. There is a bit of a baby aspect with Vettel that Red Bull put up with .. .but at Ferrari they just laugh at you... and I think that hurt him psychologically... shaken his confidence.... and Getting Married having two kids etc.. that also builds up on you... no matter who you are.

regardless I'm still a fan of Ferrari... and I like Leclerc - he's a very nice guy, very polite & I think he's the real deal... I'm sad for Vettel as I think he;'s done in F-1. it would be amazing if he wins the WDC this year... but the reality of that happening is almost zero.

 

+1 agree

 

Something very wrong the car is garbage, the upgrades clearly don't work as the team have gone backwards from last week, it needs a proper re-set as 20/21 already up in smoke there is no recovery with the current engine freeze. Think both cars will be out in Q2 this week-end.

 

He's from South Africa.

 

It doesn't look good for Ferrari at the moment. First the engine looks detuned, now the aero are in question.
Still plenty of time to redress that before the 2 Italian GPs, of course.
If not Binotto will soon feel he is on the ejector seat.
It's tough at the top at Ferrari ...

 

I like him a lot, but I fear he will be let down at Ferrari

 

They have a second+ a lap to find, season is gone already

 

Very good post.

 

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Why bother paying top drivers, may as well get some pay drivers in as essentially the team have produced an utter garbage car.