F1 team boss explains how silly season really works

It’s not only drivers who are coveted and could potentially change teams ahead🦋 of the 2024 F1 season.
Crucial staff members and engineers are also approached to𒊎 swap teams in the hope that their expertise can add performance to next year’s car.
“When we talk about F1 people thi༒nk that problems🐼 can be solved in a week,” Vasseur explained to .
“But it is like sailing on a very large🍌 ship and establishing a change of▨ course: it is not immediate.
“Today the personnel market in the GPs is like that of football players, the top 50 technicians have contracts of th꧃ree years and more.
“To take the🎀m away you have to wait for [their contracts] to expire or pay hefty penalties or negotiate so that they are released ahead of time. In short, it's complicated.
“Wi💖th an aggravating circumstance for us compared to the British teams: since the teams there are close, if you hire someone ওhe can keep the same house, the same school for his children and the same lifestyle.
“For an engineer to come here, however, 🍌we must first convince him, then his wife and the following week the children..."
Laurent Mekies is a high-profile depa⭕rture from Ferrari, he has left to become AlphaT🧜auri’s new team principal.

It is expected that he will begin his new job on January🅰 1, 2024, after a period of gardening leave - which is fairly standard practice in the F1 pad﷽dock.
Similarly, Ferrari have recruited Mercedes’ performance director Loic Serra and hope to negotiate an early ꦇstart date so he can get to work quickly.
"We have hired about 25 people, but we are look🏅ing for more,” Vasseur꧟ explained.
“None are already working at the Scuderia. We have signed a leading name [Loic Serra], which should start on 1 January 2025 but we are trying to [bring forward the 𓂃time].
🎶“How can I convince Toto Wolff to release him sooner? I'll 🍰try when we're on the boat together!
“However, as happened with M꧙ekies, sometimes you have people who leave Ferrari, situations cross and you can negotiate on dates. ♔;
“Let's say that this soon became the main part of my work at Ferrari. You have to create good relationships and convince people to move.&nb🌳sp;
“The first ones you take are the most difficuꦐl🌌t, then the others seeing them follow suit.”

James was a sports journღalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1🐷.