Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto claims today’s team is similarly placed to that which worked with Michael Schumacher in the late 1990s.
Despite a much more competitive two years with Maurizio Arrivabene at the helm and Binotto as technical director, alleged disagreements between the pair saw the Swiss take over both roles for 2019.
The result has been a step back with a car that has lacked the aero performance to accompany their engine advantage and that has allowed Mercedes to dominate the first six races.
Speaking to Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport, however, Binotto explained how he was asking the Tifosi to accept some short-term pain for eventual gain.
“I prefer the comparison with the 1996/1997 Ferrari, a growing team, with solid foundations,” he said of those behind him at Maranello.
“We too are a young team in the roles and there is so much hunger. I see many similarities with them because of the vision, the desire to work, passion and talent that I find.
“I too am sorry for the beginning of the season, but we must continue to believe in the team,” Binotto added.
“I know we are asking a lot of our fans, who deserve great joys, but today more than ever we need their patience and their support.”
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Asked about the changes he has made since becoming team boss, Mattia revealed he had shifted away from what Ferrari has done previously.
“Since January we have reorganised. There is no longer the famous classical horizontal structure,” he said.
“We have identified four or five figures that have become my points of reference in the various areas. I am useful for filtering information and thinking about the future.
“2021 is around the corner with new regulations, cars that could be radically different and the budget cap that will force us to review certain production processes.”
According to PlanetF1, who quoted Motorsport.com, Laurent Mekies will oversee trackside operations, Enrico Cardile will be focused on the chassis, David Sanchez on aerodynamics and Enrico Gualtieri the engine, all reporting to Binotto himself.
