The interest in being a factory team, that builds both engine and chassis, is the possibility to very closely integrate the two departments, as does Mercedes. What progress have you made in this regard?
Generally speaking, it is to make sure the chassis and engine teams communicate Ensure this collaboration is one of Bob Bell’s tasks. I’d say we are half-way there. We know we can do more, but there are several missions to accomplish, including the renovation of the Enstone factory, assuring the conception of the new car meets the new aerodynamic regulations, etc. Although we haven’t yet exploited all the potential of a ‘factory’ integration, we have come up with sophisticated solutions for the ERS, with the integration of different components in particular, as well as re-cooling and the air box. We chose not to separate the turbine from the compressor. It is a collection of things that, together, make this engine completely new. Last year’s engine was an evolution of the philosophy that dates back to 2014, and it reached the end of its development capacity. I am not divulging a secret in saying that with the transfer of engineers from one team to another, we knew exactly where we can make progress.
On the other hand, and it may seem to be only a detail, but we decided that some management functions should be shared between the two sites. We have just one financial director, one human resources director, one communications and marketing director and only one IT director for the chassis and engine departments. Along with Ferrari we are the only team to unite these functions, which is not the case at Mercedes. As for the finances, there is only one person responsible, with me, for the proper use of the grouped resources between the chassis and engine departments. If these functions are separated each could put their own interests first. This organisational choice is essential for us, insofar as we have to do better with less, as our resources are less than of those of the teams we are measuring ourselves.
You got to watch Nico Hülkenberg in action at Barcelona. What did he do to reinforce your choice to recruit him?
Nico brings great self-confidence and very precise judgement. He has very clear opinions concerning the direction to take in car development, which is what we are asking of him. Watching him in action will help Joylon [Palmer] raise his game, not just in terms of driving (because they are competitive, even though it is still early days), but in all respects.
Nico joins us with a different mind-set, that of the team he worked with for a long time, Force India, for whom I have great respect. In some aspects, this team is a model, although we can’t completely follow the same path. Their goal is the top 4, top 6, while ours is the world championship. I’ve asked Nico to tell us when he feels that we are straying from the simplicity and efficiency of a team like Force India. I am relying on him to tell us where we can make things easier and when we complicate matters.
