"Something is obviously wrong at Ferrari," says former team boss

Former Ferrari sporting director Cesare Fiorio believes current team principal Mattia Binotto has an uphill task ahead of him to unearth the reasons behind their decline in performances. The former Maranello boss feels there is something wrong with the team that needs to be addressed.

Speaking to Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport, Fiorio said:

“Basically, you have to concede Mattia Binotto has made Ferrari a team that can win every race. Binotto was a great engineer, first as an engine specialist, then as technical director, but his job today is very different. Something is obviously wrong at Ferrari, mistakes are made. Binotto has to get to the bottom of it – that’s his biggest challenge now.”

Acknowledging the need to take definitive measures to find the root cause of their mistakes, Fiorio suggested that Binotto had a tough task ahead of him. According to the former Scuderia chief, the Italian team's principal needs to find solutions to their problems. Reflecting upon the Prancing Horse's performance in 2000s, Fiorio felt it was a different era as their car was extremely dominant.

Looking out for Binotto’s problems in the team, Fiorio said:

“Mattia now has to find solutions so that the team works better. In today’s Formula 1, everything has to work almost perfectly to win. That was different at Ferrari in the days of [Jean] Todt and [Michael] Schumacher. Ferrari sometimes had such a blatantly superior car that one or the other mistake could be concealed. That’s no longer possible today.”

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Former Ferrari boss feels the team has a great driver line-up

Cesare Fiorio believes the Scuderia's driver line-up comprising of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc is good enough to win them the constructors’ championship.

The Italian felt that the drivers could not be blamed for the team’s mistakes and that both drivers had exceptional skillsets to compete for titles. He also felt that the race support back at the Prancing Horse's factory should not precede the pit wall in terms of decision-making during a race.

Commenting on the drivers in the Maranello-based squad, Fiorio said:

“The drivers are not to blame. Ferrari have two great drivers. For me, both are among the top five in Formula 1. Leclerc is unbelievably fast in qualifying, and Sainz is a fabulous racer. Both are good enough to win the Constructors’ Championship for Ferrari. I would never change anything about the driver line-up.”

Suggesting the need for more prompt decision-making by the pit wall during a race, Fiorio said:

“I think modern facilities like a remote command center are absurd. This room in the racing car factory, where specialists are supposed to support the team on-site, only makes everything more complicated. Decisions made in a matter of seconds that make the difference between victory and defeat must be based on the instinct and experience of the professionals on the ground, not on tens of thousands of calculations. But, on the other hand, there is never a lack of know-it-alls who are sitting comfortably on the sofa at home and who are not under the pressure on the racetrack.”

Fiorio was the sporting director at the Prancing Horse outfit from 1989 to 1991 and later worked with Ligier and Minardi. The Italian resigned from Minardi in mid-2000 after a disagreement with the team owner. With Maranello throwing away valuable points in the current championship, it appears to be a familiar situation the Italian has witnessed in his era in the sport.