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“The Problem Isn’t Just the Engine”- Ralf Schumacher Exposes the Real Issues With Ferrari

Published 07/14/2020, 6:52 AM EDT

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At the surface, the main reason behind Ferrari’s problems appears to be its car, more specifically the engine. However, former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes that Ferrari has much bigger issues than just it’s poorly performing power unit. The German was particularly critical of Ferrari’s structure and Mattia Binotto’s leadership.

It’s no secret that Ferrari’s engine is no longer the cream of the crop. The team’s trademarked straight-line speed has disappeared, ever since the FIA concluded its investigation over the Scuderia’s 2019 engine.

Ferrari is a misconstruction: Schumacher

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But Ferrari’s engine troubles are just the tip of the iceberg. Fragile driver relations, strategic errors, and poor communication have all contributed to the Italian team’s downfall. Ferrari’s handling of Sebastian Vettel only cements the fact the team isn’t a cohesive unit.

For a man who resurrected Ferrari from the ashes, giving his all to the team, Ferrari simply dropped Sebastian Vettel over a phone call.

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Until Vettel’s revelation, it seemed like Vettel and the Scuderia parted ways mutually. As we found out much later, that was never the case.

McLaren is also parting ways with its driver Carlos Sainz this season. The key difference between Ferrari and McLaren’s driver splits is the level of transparency, and trust between the driver and the team.

One feels like a messy divorce while the other is a happy goodbye.

Schumacher believes Ferrari needs to “diversify” its team and move away from Ex– Ferrari boss Sergio Marchionne’s principles.

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In an official column for Sky Germany, Schumacher wrote: (as translated by google)

The late Ferrari boss Sergio Marchionne issued the stipulation that more Italians must have the say in the racing team. That is certainly a nice, romantic thought. But in reality it doesn’t work. The F1 is international.

“The Ferrari is a misconstruction. The problem isn’t just the engine. The mechanics don’t work either. Neither driver can cope with this, a clear indication of this,” wrote Ralf.

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The crucial question: is Mattia Binotto ready to poach people from the outside in order to master the situation? If not, he is the wrong one in this position!”

After another disappointing result, Ferrari heads to the Hungaroring firmly on the backfoot.

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Written by:

Abhishek Bharadwaj

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Abhishek Bharadwaj is an F1 author and content strategist at EssentiallySports. Having joined ES in January 2020, he has over 700 articles to his name. While he was first introduced to the world of F1 in 2006, he started religiously following the sport in 2012 and has had an undying passion for it ever since.
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