Vasseur wonders if Newey would ‘fit’ at Ferrari

Jul.18 (GMM) Ferrari’s team boss says he isn’t sure if Adrian Newey would be a good “fit” at Maranello.

Until recently, Ferrari was regarded as the most likely next destination for the highly regarded, Red Bull-departing technical guru.

But the latest reports suggest Newey, 65, has either ruled out his Ferrari option or even angered the fabled Italian team with demands for sweeping control over technical matters.

Aston Martin is now regarded as his most likely next F1 team – although McLaren may also still be in the running.

When asked if Ferrari was interested in Newey, team boss Vasseur responded: “It’s the same as if I was asked if I was interested in Max Verstappen.

“I would like to see the team boss in the paddock who would answer no,” he told Auto Motor und Sport. “It would be a serious mistake on my part if I didn’t think about Newey.

“But the question is different – does he fit into the team? And what does he bring to the team for the future? That’s not a sure thing,” the Frenchman insists.

“Sometimes one plus one doesn’t equal two, but two and a half. Newey is certainly an issue, just as he is an issue for everyone,” added Vasseur.

Ferrari’s more pressing matter at the moment is getting to the bottom of why its latest upgrade, introduced in Barcelona, revived the ugly problem with high-speed ‘porpoising’.

The team ran back-to-back tests with old and new parts at Silverstone last time out, with Vasseur now reporting: “We now understand our problem better than we did before.

“Because the bouncing is not reproducible in the wind tunnel, it is difficult to find out what causes it. That is why we compared two different floor specifications in Silverstone, giving us until Budapest to find a solution.

The outcome is a revised floor for this weekend’s Hungarian GP.

However, Vasseur said the impact of car upgrades is steadily diminishing in 2024.

“Definitely,” he said. “There are only small steps to be taken now. Using the tyres correctly has five times the impact of an upgrade.

“But you still have to develop,” Vasseur added, “otherwise you’ll simply fall behind.”

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