While the signing of Frederic Vasseur to replace Mattia Binotto has been hailed by some as a positive move, not everyone is convinced Ferrari are better off having changed their team principal.
The change was an enforced one – officially, at least – by Binotto's decision to resign after four years in charge. While it was framed as being the Italian's decision, it is understood he chose to jump ship having lost the complete confidence of Ferrari executive chairman John Elkann.
Vasseur is perhaps a slightly-left field choice as his successor, but brings plenty of experience. The fact he speaks Italian, has experienced success in junior formulae and has a strong relationship with Charles Leclerc are all reasons for fans to be optimistic about his tenure.
Despite those positives, there are some who feel the change will prove costly to Ferrari. Ex-F1 racer Christian Danner is among that group and has expressed his belief that the Italian team's leaders made a mistake by not putting more trust in Binotto.
"There is a magic word in Formula 1, how to be successful, and that means continuity," the German told the AvD Motor & Sport magazine. "Even if things aren't going so well, it's better to analyse the problems, maybe to restructure them, but to continue working within a large structure."
Danner went on to added: "I fear that Mattia Binotto's departure will set Ferrari back three years." The recent history of the Italian team seems to support his point – the last three team principals, including Binotto, won nothing, while Stefano Domenicali and Jean Todt before them had longer tenures and more success.
And there are more examples elsewhere on the grid. Christian Horner is the most obvious – he has been Red Bull team principal since its formation in 2005 and, although there have been some lean spells, the team stuck with him and now he has guided the team back to the pinnacle of the sport once again.
While it remains to be seen how Vasseur fares in the job, Ferrari's track record with team bosses will have warned him that he is not guaranteed a long tenure. He was also told as much by Peter Sauber, founder and retired former owner of the team the Frenchman left for this new stage of his career.
"If you get an offer from Ferrari, you have to go," Sauber told Swiss newspaper Blick. "But if you know the history of Ferrari – back to the company founder Enzo – then you know that the team bosses usually have a short life. With the exception of Jean Todt, who ruled there for more than 12 years."
