Scuderia Ferrari. This team is Formula One.
For me, growing up in the 1990s and 2000s, the red racing car was the perfect metaphor for, not just F1, but for the whole of motorsport. Everything to do with this sport was red. From toys to books to merchandise; it was red. Everyone knew of Ferrari and everyone knew of Michael Schumacher. Their success as team and driver was staggering. With five World Driver Championship (WDC) titles and six World Constructor Championship (WCC) titles between them; they've become one of the most successful partnerships in Formula One history. But, what exactly, in this recent era of racing, has gone wrong for the team from Italy? Will they ever bounce back and emulate their success?
It's December 2022 and the 73rd official Formula One season has recently come to a close. Ferrari drivers; Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, finishes 2nd and 5th, respectively, in the driver standings. The team finishes 2nd. Compared to recent years, this has been a big step forward for the Italians, but mistakes were still consistently present throughout the season. It's fair to make the comment that a championship was easily thrown away.
Scuderia Ferrari is one of the oldest teams in Formula One, making their debut in the sport's inaugural season in 1950. To this day they have raced in over 1000 races and have won a record breaking 16 WCC titles - the most recent being in 2008. They also have 15 WDC titles between nine different drivers, including the likes of Ascari, Fangio, Lauda, Schumacher and most recently, in 2007, Raikkonen. It makes you question as to how such a prestigious team has got it all wrong in the past ten years or so.
The Ferrari team has issues. And, they've been prevelant for some time. The team has had numerous team principles who just can't get it right. From race strategies to car development to professional relationships with their drivers; overtime the "dream team" soon becomes a full on nightmare. Take Fernando Alonso, for example. He joined the Scuderia in 2010 and everyone expected great things from the Spaniard. Alas, it was not meant to be. Ferrari's slow development on the car led to Alonso feeling frustrated. Soon he became vocal on the issues and Ferrari didn't want to cope with pressure from their driver or the media. There's heck of a lot more to this but they, somewhat, simply casted Fernando to one side.
And, it's not just the drivers that sometimes get the boot. The role of the team principle is, somewhat, just as delicate. In this past season, 2022, the big issue has been strategies. It's evident from the team's radio during race weekends that communication seems to be the main contribution to their ever failing strategies. Due to this, current team principle; Mattia Binnotto, has therefore left the team. But, this isn't the first time a team principle has left. Binnotto is just one of many. And, so far, the successors haven't fared any better.
So, what now for the prancing horse? Well, who knows? It's a matter of wait and see. They have two extremely dedicated, fast, race winning drivers contracted up until the end of 2024 and a car which really took it to Red Bull at the start of the season. They have the all the ingredients but just can't "make the cake," so to speak. Also, they've already proved that if they can get it right, they get it really right. It's just a case of keeping on top of developments, consistency and getting the right strategy. It's not impossible for Ferrari to be the team they once were but right now, things aren't looking the best. Their status as a top F1 team can, occasionally, be laughable. But, at the end of the day, this is motorsport. It's a bloody difficult world to be apart of. We'll just have to wait until next year to see if the Scuderia can turn things around.
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