Ferrari has big problem: 'British engineers have been scared off'

Peter Windsor discusses the tricky situation that multiple F1 race winner Charles Leclerc finds himself in in a video on YouTube. In passing, the Briton addresses a major problem facing Ferrari. Namely, it is not easy to bring in good personnel for the Italian team.

Ferrari struggles to strengthen

At Ferrari, sporting and organisational matters are not in order. The team is competing sporadically for podium finishes with Leclerc. A bummer for the talented Monegasque who was hailed as the next Ferrari champion in 2019 when he came to the team. Organisationally, things are also very messy at the team. And that would greatly affect the team's sporting form, according to Windsor.

Frederic Vasseur has been at the helm at the Scuderia since 2024, replacing Mattia Binotto. Instead of strengthening the team, it seems staff are mostly walking away. Windsor sees that there is a big problem for Ferrari. Windsor: "It is a unique problem to Ferrari, reallly, compared to the British-based teams. It is very difficult to get people to work for Ferrari, these days."

Firing Allison at Ferrari has put people off

Windsor says that is partly because of the Brexit and continues: "There are [also] so many contractual restraints that's preventing them [staff] from doing that. The teams are very protective. It's very difficult to get them to go to work for Ferrari. I think there is still a little bit of nervousness in the F1 world about the way Ferrari sacked James Allison at the time."

Windsor insinuates that apart from the practical difficulties of getting staff at Ferrari, there is also a resentment among British F1 staff to work at the Scuderia. Windsor: "As good as Allison is, Ferrari sacked him. There was a time, when he was going through a lot of personal agony after the passing away of his wife. It was the reality that Ferrari actually just did sack him sent. That kind of scared a lot of good English, British-based engineers into not going there."