AR3-GP wrote: ↑12 Oct 2024, 21:22
This Hamilton mission was pushed on Vasseur and Leclerc by those above them. Everyone has to "say the right thing" to keep the peace at Ferrari.
Binotto actually created a sandbox for Leclerc and would have kept Sainz. It is those who have succeeded Binotto who are now creating obstacles, missions, and directives that are not in Leclerc's interest but you won't see people accuse them of hating Leclerc like they did to Binotto.
For Leclerc, all he can do now is make the most of it. Beat Hamilton and gain some reputation points and hope Ferrari stops shopping for more outsiders after Hamilton leaves. It should be Bearman next. Not another "decree" for an outsider.
So much truth in your post. Bueno.
All the niceties will stop if Ferrari brings a championship contending car and both drivers think Ferrari will side with them to take it. Disaster if that happens.
If they go with supporting Lewis, they alienate CL and he walks because Ferrari sided with an outsider who waltzed in because upper management felt it was a good idea to bring in a sour has-been.
The decision to sign Lewis had NOTHING to do with team unity and what’s best for Charles as the tenured Ferrari driver — it was done entirely for greed and wanting to capitalize on successes built by another team. How sad is that. Smh. That kinda thing is why Ferrari keeps losing. Bonehead upper management BS. They think only in terms of bottom line, not team unity and cohesion. It’s a disease Ferrari has suffered since before Luca screwed Schumacher into leaving Ferrari too early, and they haven’t fully recovered since. 2007 drivers championship was because Fred and Lewis took points off each other all season and opened the championship to the driver of a lesser car. Same will happen with Charles and Lewis as what happened with Fred and Lewis. Great for us fans, but bad for Ferrari.
If they choose to support Charles, ultra melancholy Lewis will meltdown being forced to help CL win the championship. He can’t eat that much humble pie. He’s too prideful.
Ferrari have shot themselves in the foot with this one. Big time. It’s not going to go well if they are contenders. If they aren’t contenders, I think Charles and Lewis get along ok as there’s no glory for first loser and lower finishing positions, and neither will care if they can’t contend for the championship.
Really looking forward to 2025. It will be epic.
Watching F1 since 1986.
