Hill: Ferrari still in need of 'a firm hand' to solve team's malaise

Damon Hill has questioned whether Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur is "the firm hand" the Italian outfit needs to pull it out of its perennial "malaise".

Ferrari's fans had high expectations for their favourite team ahead of this season, and indeed the Scuderia itself entered the year confident of giving Red Bull a real run for their money after its inability in 2022 to safeguard its early strength.

Red Bull's dominant form has seen the bulls pull out an already unassailable lead in just eight of the planned 23 races. Meanwhile Ferrari has slumped to fourth in the Constructors' standings behind both Mercedes and Aston Martin.

The teams' only podium appearance to date was in Baku with Charles Leclerc finishing in third place. The Scuderia introduced a significant upgrade package in Spain for its SF-23, but so far the jury is still regarding the efficiency of the changes.

"They need to have a good, long, hard look at themselves, or someone does," Hill told The Express.

"It just seems this is the malaise that they perennially suffer from. It’s like, you’re not sure who’s really in charge there.

"It’s such a potent force in the sport, it needs the firm hand of someone like a Ross Brawn or a Jean Todt to grab it and get everyone to march with them."

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Ferrari's consistent under-performance has raised questions over the future of Charles Leclerc who is contracted to the Scuderia until the end of 2024.

The Monegasque's contractual situation coupled with deals likely extending into the future at Red Bull, Mercedes and Aston Martin appear to leave the five-time Grand Prix winner with no other choice but to hold out for better times at Ferrari.

"What options are there? There aren’t any," Hill said, referring to Leclerc's plight.

"I suppose he could look at Aston Martin but I think Fernando’s got a two-year contract with them anyway.

"I think he’d probably step aside if they paid him enough money, but I don’t think he wants to give up a competitive drive."

Hill's Sky F1 colleague Martin Brundle warned that Vasseur isn't immune to falling victim to Ferrari's "revolving door" policy.

"He knows which way is up. It has been a revolving door there and he’s got to be careful he doesn’t get caught up in it," he said in Montreal.

Brundle believes Ferrari needs to boost its engineering department in Maranello with several F1 heavyweights. But identifying the latter amid a competitive market won't be easy.

"You’re trying to attract world-class aerodynamicists and technicians and designers, but Aston Martin ramped up massively and have been hiring; Audi, with Sauber, are hiring," said the former F1 driver.

"They’re at a premium these people, and they’re not easy to get hold of and to get out of long-standing, long-term contracts, and then to get them to move to Italy with their family."

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