Maurizio Arrivabene: Ferrari’s Past Leader Weighs in on Hamilton, Newey, and F1’s Top Drivers
Former Ferrari Team Principal offers a candid assessment of the Scuderia's strategic decisions and the sport's leading talents.
Maurizio Arrivabene led Ferrari from November 2014, serving as team principal for five years. He oversaw the Scuderia during Sebastian Vettel’s tenure, aiming to restore the team to Formula 1’s pinnacle. Mattia Binotto replaced him in 2019.
Maurizio Arrivabene maintains strong ties to prominent Italian institutions, including Philip Morris, Ferrari, and Juventus. His professional career saw him deeply involved with these national icons. Arrivabene, a keen follower of Formula 1, continues to observe Ferrari’s progress and offers his perspective on their current standing.
Hamilton is Not the Problem
Maurizio Arrivabene views Lewis Hamilton’s signing as a strategic misstep, not due to the driver’s capabilities. He believes the timing of the acquisition was ill-advised.
“Lewis is not finished,” Arrivabene stated, emphasizing Hamilton’s continued competitiveness. He argued that a team should only sign a driver of Hamilton’s caliber if they can provide a competitive car. “He needs the right equipment to perform at his best,” Arrivabene added. “If you don’t have it, don’t sign him. This is not a criticism; it’s common sense.”
This year, Lewis Hamilton has shown a comparatively weaker performance. He lagged behind Charles Leclerc in qualifying, accumulated 86 fewer championship points, and secured no podium finishes while Leclerc achieved seven.
Ferrari Should Not Have Lost Newey
Maurizio Arrivabene believes Ferrari made another significant error by failing to secure Adrian Newey. “Absolutely, yes. He was indispensable,” affirmed the former Juventus CEO.
The British engineer, Adrian Newey, joined Aston Martin after leaving Red Bull. Lawrence Stroll convinced him of Aston Martin’s potential, showcasing the new Silverstone Technology Campus and the team’s substantial investment. Stroll also offered Newey an equity stake in the team. For more on Newey’s impact, see this Formula 1 engineering insights article.
Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen
Maurizio Arrivabene also assessed the performance of two prominent drivers on the grid. He briefly overlapped with Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, having left the Scuderia in January 2019.
“I adore him. I brought him to Ferrari in 2019,” Arrivabene recalled. “He is a great driver and consistently proves it. Personally, I have no doubt: he will become a world champion someday. I hope it’s with Ferrari, but I don’t know. He will certainly win the championship; I have no doubt.”
Arrivabene, like many others in Formula 1, considers Max Verstappen the grid’s true ace. He even compared Verstappen to another Ferrari legend. “He is a phenomenon,” Arrivabene stated. “A single-seater has 50,000 components. He manages to extract the maximum from every detail.”
“He is Michael Schumacher’s heir,” the Italian concluded. “He possesses the same strength, the same sense of leadership. He knows how to inspire those who work with him.”
Source: Quotidiano.net. Photos: Scuderia Ferrari.
