F1 Rumor: Ferrari Attempts to Poach Red Bull Engineers to Close the Pace Gap

After taking away Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes, Ferrari is now keen on taking advantage of the chaotic situation within their rival team, Red Bull Racing, to strengthen their engineering talent. Despite the progress seen in their SF-24 car during the recent Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Ferrari still has ground to cover to catch up with Red Bull. Reports suggest that the Scuderia is eyeing a quartet of engineers who have been instrumental in the success of Red Bull’s RB20 car, which has been dominating the track lately.

Frederic Vasseur, the team boss at Ferrari, is closely monitoring the situation within Red Bull. He’s watching developments surrounding Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, with keen interest. And this is something that’s not new to Formula 1 either. Other teams like McLaren and Aston Martin have pulled off similar coups in the past. It’s like a game of chess, with teams trying to outsmart each other off the track as much as on it.

Ferrari has set its sight on four key engineers at Red Bull

One might think, why all this fuss over engineers? Well, these are the folks who make the magic happen behind the scenes. They’re the ones tinkering with the car, trying to figure out how to make it faster, sleeker, and more competitive. And with the early success of the RB20, Ferrari’s strategy makes a lot of sense. Let’s take a closer look at who they’ve got their sights set on.

According to a recent report from Crash.net, first up, we’ve got Enrico Balbo, who’s the head of aerodynamics at Red Bull. As per the report, Ferrari reached out to him during last year’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Balbo’s Italian roots might be a pull for Ferrari, but whether he’ll make the jump is still up in the air. The second person is David Morgan, who leads the aero trackside performance team at Red Bull. He’s been with the Milton Keynes-based outfit for six years since leaving Williams.

Ben Waterhouse is another key figure Ferrari has its eye on. As the head of performance engineering at Red Bull, he’s got a deep understanding of what makes their car tick. If Ferrari manages to take him away, it could be a big win for the Italian team. And last but not least, there’s Alessandro Germani, who’s reportedly an expert in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). It’s a skill set that could be a valuable addition to Ferrari’s aerodynamics team.

READ MORE: Toto Wolff’s Relationship With Frederic Vasseur Is Getting “Rough” Despite Being Friends for a Long Time

What’s interesting is that Vasseur’s not aiming high. He’s keeping his sights a bit lower, going after the engineers who are just a tier below the big names like Adrian Newey and Pierre Wache.

Why is Ferrari not going straight for Adrian Newey or Pierre Wache?

If Ferrari is keen on adding to their technical pool, it would make sense to go straight for the top personnel like Newey or Wache. So why not? Well, it turns out the top-tier folks usually have to take a long break before they can switch teams. So, Vasseur figures it’s smarter to grab the talent that can make an immediate impact without all the waiting around.

What’s more is that the involvement of Ferrari’s president, John Elkann, adds weight to these strategic moves. Elkann’s presence at the Red Bull Hospitality during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix suggested a deeper interest in the dynamics between Ferrari and Red Bull.

Do you think Ferrari will be able to give these talented engineers an offer they can’t refuse? Share your insights in the comments down below.