Ferrari has reportedly poached employees from Red Bull and Mercedes for the F1 2022 project

According to Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport, Ferrari has poached employees from the Red Bull and Mercedes F1 teams for its design and aerodynamics departments. The Maranello-based team had enlisted the services of Rory Byrne as super advisor, along with their existing aerodynamics team, which they have had since 2017.

Reporting on the poached talent pool, the Italian publication said:

“The backbone of the design and aerodynamics department has remained the same as it was in the famous 2017, with David Sanchez leading the department and in turn reporting to Enrico Cardile, who is in charge of the single-seater project. The stability was desired by Binotto in the belief that the same men could still do well (the aggressive approach was born then). But there was no shortage of reinforcements: engineers from Red Bull and also from Mercedes.”

Poaching personnel from opposing teams is a common practice in the sport. The Italian team may have poached Red Bull and Mercedes staff to oversee their 2022 operations, according to reports. Ferrari’s aerodynamics team was known for designing some of the most balanced chassis on the grid. With the new aerodynamic regulations applicable for 2022, the Prancing Horse squad is said to have concentrated vehemently on the new cars.

The Italian publication’s report stated the involvement of former engineer Byrne:

“Very few of the engineers present on F1 teams today have ever worked on ‘ground effect’ cars. At Ferrari you have super advisor Rory Byrne who brings the experience of the 80s, but the limits that can be reached with today’s development are unexplored.”

The South African enjoyed a glorious career with the Scarlet team alongside Ross Brawn and Jean Todt during the Michael Schumacher years. Byrne is just one of the few old names to have returned to Scuderia to help return the team to its former glory.

Jean Todt signed up for Ferrari for the 2022 season

According to veteran journalist Joe Saward, Jean Todt will return to his former team after being succeeded as FIA President by Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The British Formula 1 author wrote on his blog that the Frenchman will oversee the Maranello-based squad in a similar super-adviser role to his former colleague Rory Byrne.

Dream team since Ferrari in the Schumacher era:

Paolo Martinelli: Chief of Engines
Ross Brawn: Technical Director
Jean Todt: Team leader
Rory Byrne: Chief Designer

#F1 #Ferrari

Ferrari dream team in the Schumacher era: Paolo Martinelli: engine boss Ross Brawn: technical director Jean Todt: team boss Rory Byrne: chief designer #F1 #Ferrari https://t.co/7jxJwNZbqg

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Todt was responsible for making Ferrari a dominant force in Formula 1, where the team enjoyed its golden years, winning five titles with Michael Schumacher. In recent years, team mismanagement and structural organizational issues at Scuderia have reflected in their ability to be competitive on track.

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