F1 News: Ferrari Under Fire For Lying About Lewis Hamilton Rumours For Gain
A Ferrari insider has revealed that, while the F1 world questions where Lewis Hamilton is going to be going as his contract with Mercedes comes to an end, he accuses the Maranello team of making up rumours to bring talent to the team.
In the Red Bull-dominant world of Formula 1, Ferrari is currently facing challenges in their weekend performance. But these issues are not rooted in their drivers. Gerhard Berger, a renowned figure in the sport with two tenures at Scuderia Ferrari, suggests that the real problem lies in the team's struggle to bring in high-profile personnel.
Berger explained to La Gazzetta dello Sport that convincing top-tier talent to join Ferrari at Maranello is a daunting task.
"You have to convince people to move to Maranello and that's not easy," he says. He further noted the concerns potential hires might have about Ferrari's chances of securing victories.
Berger added, "They are concerned that they cannot win there. There are also other big teams now, such as Mercedes, Aston Martin and even the up-and-coming Audi, who are also trying to attract engineers from Red Bull."
He even hinted at the possibility that Ferrari might have deliberately circulated rumours about Lewis Hamilton joining their team, a strategic move aimed at luring in engineers from Mercedes.
“Sometimes certain strategic moves can be used to attract engineers, in this case from Mercedes," he hints.
Refuting any notion that Ferrari's current drivers are at fault for the team's recent setbacks, Berger strongly praised Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, affirming their exceptional capabilities. The team's struggles in 2022, according to him, arise from broader issues rather than any lack of skills on the drivers' part.
Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 world champion and son of the late Ferrari icon Gilles Villeneuve, agrees with Berger. According to Villeneuve, the crisis at Ferrari isn't a recent development, and he urges observers to examine the team's historical pattern.
Speaking to Le Journal de Montreal, Villeneuve criticised Ferrari's frequent shifts in strategic direction, lack of a firm idea, and tendency to deflect blame rather than take accountability.
“Don’t just look at this year. When you keep changing direction as they do, you never have a base to work from. And we see that everyone passes the buck. It’s never anyone’s fault.
“There is no decision making and this instability is costing Ferrari dearly. Over the last ten years they chose to go back to their roots and be an Italian team but it doesn’t seem to work, especially in Formula 1.
“In the process, the team has lost good people and rebuilding all this takes a lot of time,” Villeneuve finished.