The pressure and “obligation” to win the Formula 1 title is the biggest obstacle in front of Ferrari, says its former driver Felipe Massa.
The Brazilian spent eight seasons at the Maranello squad and won 11 grands prix and retired from the series at the end of 2017.
Massa acknowledged Ferrari’s efforts in producing title challenging cars in the last two seasons. But since the time Jean Todt left the team, it has been a difficult time for the Italian team, he admitted.
Starting 2019, Mattia Binotto has been named as the replacement for Maurizio Arrivabene, making him the fourth team boss since Todt’s departure.
The Brazilian said: “A lot of things happen in a difficult way inside Ferrari in terms of pressure,”
“They feel this a lot. The inside of the team was always like this. There was a time that they felt less because they had more results, in the time of Jean Todt.
“Jean was a guy who had great leadership in every area of the team. He could put an area working together with the other ones without any pressure. After this, things happened in a very different way.
“Ferrari now is always feeling the pressure and the obligation to win, and this is a problem.”
Massa has backed Binotto to handle that pressure better than Arrivabene did.
As the chief engineer and tech chief, Binotto had done a great job. But the new promotion is his first attempt at team management.
Massa said: “Binotto is a calm guy. He is a guy that has the capacity to work in a calmer way and maybe absorb less of this pressure that you have in Ferrari than Arrivabene.
“But it is a new moment for him. He was never a team principal before.
“We have to see how he will work because it is an important change. He became the boss but will be on the technical side as well. Speaking the truth, this can be good.
“I wish the best to him because I know him since I joined Ferrari.”
After its multiple ‘mistakes’ in 2018, Ferrari is coming to the new season with a new driver Charles Leclerc who replaced the ever dependable replaces Kimi Raikkonen.
Massa said: “The team have a competitive technical structure and very good drivers.
“For me, what Ferrari is doing with Leclerc is very good. This kid can be a super champion in the future. And I hope and cheer that this can be in a near future.”
