Chief strategist Inaki Rueda, who was at the helm of Scuderia Ferrari in 2022, has been transferred to Maranello’s remote race control unit amid team changes. Race strategy was a major weakness for Ferrari last season, with several misjudgments, including the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, costing Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz big points in races they should have won.
Coupled with engine reliability issues, the strategic missteps have resulted in a dampening of the strong momentum Ferrari and Leclerc were enjoying at the start of their 2023 campaign. The team’s mistakes and shortcomings ultimately led to team boss Mattia Binotto stepping down at the end of the season and being replaced by Alfa Romeo/Sauber team principal Fred Vasseur. Arriving in Maranello in mid-January, Vasseur conducted an in-depth analysis of Ferrari’s strategic process. “When you talk about strategy or aerodynamics or any other topic, you have to avoid just focusing on the top of the pyramid,” Vasseur said earlier this year when asked about possible changes to the team’s strategy department. . “When you talk about strategy, it’s very often more of an organizational issue than people on the pit wall.” And I want to know if it’s a decision-making problem, an organization problem, or a communication problem.” Rabin Jain will stand on the pit wall as his successor. Jain holds a first class degree in Physics and a Master’s degree in Mathematics and Theoretical Physics from the University of Oxford. Vasseur also revealed the responsibility of Ferrari sporting director Laurent Mekies and his own. Mekies will be in charge of the team’s operations, while Vasseur will be in charge of dealing with drivers, sponsors and the media.