Former engine boss at Mercedes, Andy Cowell, turned down an approach from Ferrari according to the Italian edition of Motorsport.com.
The Briton stepped down from the role he had held since 2013 at the start of July, though remains at the High Performance Powertrains factory in Brixworth in an advisory position on a future project.
His contribution in making Mercedes the dominant team it has been throughout the hybrid era can’t be underestimated, particularly given the power advanage the German manufacturer has often held.
And that’s why the Scuderia made an ultimately unsuccessful bid to sign Cowell to, as the report states, “restructure the power unit department” at Maranello.
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This revelation comes as Ferrari have gone from having the best engine on the grid last year to the worst after an FIA technical investigation, and subsequent directives, stopped various tricks the team had been using.
As a result, the Italian team’s competitiveness has tanked, slipping back into the midfield pack with McLaren, Renault and Racing Point in 2020.
This has now also led to an overhaul of the technical department to try and solve the deep-rooted problems that have held Ferrari back for years.
Commenting on the engine situation though, former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo recently acknowledged he was unaware how much the company would struggle with the current power units.
“I was president of Ferrari when it was decided to switch to hybrid [in 2014]. I accepted it because the green turning point in the industry was also a necessity for racing,” he told respected insider Leo Turrini.
“But I underestimated the Italian procrastination, also Ferrari, in this area of technology – precisely the hybrid – which was not part of our cultural background, was not part of our motoring culture.”
A pretty bold admission.