Ferrari is reportedly circling around four high-profile Red Bull engineers in a bid to lure all or several of the latter to Maranello according to the Italian media.
Rumors of Ferrari head hunting top talent at Milton Keynes have been swirling since last year and could significantly impact Red Bull’s engineering department should the Scuderia’s poaching efforts prove successful.
Furthermore, the reports come amidst the continued political turmoil that has set in at Red Bull Racing.
It is believed that last year Ferrari attempted – unsuccessfully – to convince RBR technical director Pierre Wache to move to Italy.
While the Scuderia may still have its eye on the Frenchman, four prominent figures from Red Bull's technical team are now in Ferrari’s line of sight according to Italy’s Gazzetta.
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Enrico Balbo: Red Bull’s head of aerodynamics was reportedly first contacted by Ferrari at last year’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and his expertise could be a major boon to the Italian outfit’s efforts to close the aerodynamic gap to Red Bull.
David Morgan: Leading Red Bull's aero trackside performance team, Morgan has been with the Milton Keynes outfit since leaving Williams six years ago. His experience in translating theoretical aerodynamic concepts into real-world performance gains would be invaluable to Ferrari.
RBR Technical Director Pierre Wache (L) seen here in talks with Enrico Balbo, the team’s Head of Aerodynamics.
Ben Waterhouse: As Red Bull's head of performance engineering, Waterhouse possesses an intimate understanding of the inner workings of Red Bull’s dominant RB19 and RB20 designs. Bringing him on board would give Ferrari a significant advantage in its challeenge to replicate Red Bull's success.
Alessandro Germani: Also on Ferrari’s radar, Germani is a reported expert in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), a crucial field for simulating and optimizing aerodynamic performance. His knowledge of CFD software and its application in F1 car design could be a game-changer for Ferrari.
By poaching these key figures, Ferrari hopes to bridge the gap to Red Bull and challenge for the championship title, but the Milton Keynes-based outfit is unlikely to let its key technical personnel walk out the door without a fight.
Red Bull will likely counter with lucrative contracts and promises of a bright future with the team, making it a high-stakes game of chess between the two racing giants.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton will be attentive to developments as his future team attempts to reshape itself and improve with crucial technical staff acquisitions.
The upcoming personnel decisions at Ferrari could significantly impact his championship fight in 2025 and beyond.
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