Is Ferrari leaning towards Loïc Serra over Adrian Newey for its next technical director, with Pierre Waché proving elusive?
Ferrari Set to Announce Organisational Restructure Spanning 2024 to 2026
The move aims to balance the current regulations with preparations for subsequent changes.
Frédéric Vasseur, team principal, previously indicated that further details would be shared post-summer break. Rumours suggested Mike Elliott, former Mercedes F1 technical director, as a prime target.
However, it appears that Loïc Serra will be the linchpin of the new structure. Formerly Mercedes’ performance director, Serra has been recruited by Vasseur to begin next year as director of track engineering, aerodynamic development, and performance.
In a twist, the Frenchman is poised to become Ferrari’s technical director, mirroring McLaren’s organisational structure with three technical departments under Serra’s oversight. Aero director Diego Tondi and engineering head Fabio Montecchi are set to be his department leads.
According to Adam Cooper, Vasseur’s initial main target was actually Pierre Waché, Red Bull’s technical director. Vasseur hoped that Waché and Serra’s previous collaboration at BMW Sauber would persuade another Frenchman to join the Italian squad.
However, Waché, described by Vasseur as an “unattainable dream,” has risen to the top technical position at Red Bull following Adrian Newey’s departure, leading him to retain his role at Milton Keynes.
Newey to Aston Martin F1?
A recent rumour from Autosprint has sparked speculation about Adrian Newey’s potential move to Aston Martin F1, where he would team up with former Ferrari chassis technical director Enrico Cardile.
The rumour remains speculative and unconfirmed at this stage, but 1996 World Champion Damon Hill has corroborated hearing similar whispers from a non-media source. Hill wouldn’t be surprised if Newey made the switch to the Silverstone-based team, with a staggering rumoured salary of $100 million over three or four years.
“Aston Martin F1 are in a transitional phase,” stated Hill. “They are moving to a larger factory but are still using someone else’s wind tunnel. They aren’t quite where they want to be yet, but once they have everything set up, who knows what they will be capable of.”
“I think they might be in a holding pattern, thinking ‘this is the best we can do with what we have at the moment’. But next year, we could really see something extraordinary.”
Hill reiterated his bet on Newey being attracted to the project: “When you think about the future of some people who design cars, this could be one of the places on their list!”
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Waché Too Elusive for Ferrari’s Tech Role? Waché Too Elusive for Ferrari’s Tech Role?
