Leo Turini on David Sanchez’s resignation

The eve became known about the firing of David Sanchez, now Ferrari’s former chief aerodynamicist, who was responsible for the development of the F1-75 and SF-23 chassis. The Italian journalist Leo Turini, known for his close ties to the team from Maranello, was unable to comment on this event …

Let me exercise my right to speak candidly about Sanchez’s departure from Ferrari – it is possible that he will go to McLaren, by the way.

First. Frederic Vasser has an agreement with Benedetto Vigna, and this is a very influential person, that he will build the structure of the Scuderia as he wants and seems necessary. Moreover, it is his responsibility.

As he dismantles the Mattia Binotto team: for different reasons, people in different positions left it, and now it’s Sanchez’s turn.

I doubt that other key people who have worked with Binotto for a long time will retain their position – no need to name specific names, you can imagine.

The above is a necessary preface. The team has a new leader and it is quite clear that his job is to get results quickly. It is important to him that there are people in his immediate environment who trust him completely. Sanchez was not included in this list. Point.

And now for more serious stuff.

Did it make sense to fire the head of the division responsible for the creation of the 2023 car? If the company’s president and CEO lost faith in Binotto a long time ago, why did they wait so long? What prevented them from taking action beforehand?

I continue.

Did it make sense to sack Sanchez after one Grand Prix, even though he worked with the team on tests in the same Bahrain where his dialogue with Charles Leclerc was filmed for television? After all, even then it became clear that things were not going as they should in many areas (jokingly I note that the communication with Charles in front of television cameras seems to be a bad omen, because that was also the case with Binotto).

Q: Who will now be responsible for finalizing the aerodynamics of the SF-23? Or no one at all?

I can understand fans because I’m a fan myself. I personally know people who literally ran after me a year ago asking me to convey their apologies to Binotto. And just a few months later they also demanded Mattia’s resignation and today they accuse him of all mortal sins.

Well, the fan can pay for this, because he is not responsible for anything. It seems to him that he could lead a race team. Even I have these thoughts sometimes. We involuntarily give vent to emotions, and emotions are contrary to common sense.

But I’m just afraid that Maranello is doing the wrong thing because now it would probably be necessary to restrain such impulses. This is not the time for confrontation.

Finally, I would like to remind you that David Sanchez, with all his strengths and weaknesses, leaves the team when he already has a contract with a future employer in his pocket. So it was with Aldo Costa, with James Ellison, with Lorenzo Sassi. You can of course assume that this is a coincidence.