F1 gardening leave: teams discussing idea of eliminating or reducing it

09/09/2024 08:48 AM

There's a joke circulating in the paddock since the beginning of the season: England has never had such well-kept gardens! They are talking about 'gardening leave,' that is, the notice period with a work ban introduced in contracts between teams and employees to protect the intellectual property of a team. In the case of figures with a strategic role, teams over the years have significantly increased the 'stop' period imposed in the event of resignations, reaching up to twelve months.

The system was accepted because it protected those who feared losing staff, but over the last two seasons, a downside has emerged that risks questioning a procedure once considered established.

In the last thirty months, eight of the ten Formula 1 teams have hired a new team principal, and it is standard practice that a new name at the helm wants to make changes to the team's organization. This results in recruitment campaigns that, in the vast majority of cases, aim to recruit technicians and managers from other teams.

This has been evident since the beginning of 2023, with a series of personnel moves (mainly technical) leading to hundreds of resignation letters. "If we put together everyone who's in gardening leave, we'd form the eleventh team!" was the comment among insiders, but that’s not the problem.

Last winter, Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur highlighted the difficulties encountered by those wanting to make their own mark on a team. "When you realize you have a gap to fill with hires, you know that a new employee will have to wait twelve months before joining the team. After this period, they can start coming to the office, and their contribution will actually be visible only on the following year's project. So from the moment you need someone to the time you see results linked to their work, it takes two to three years." – the French manager pointed out.

The problem, pointed out at the time by Frederic Vasseur, is now a headache for most teams, and when an issue becomes common, the desire to find a solution grows. It's no surprise that in recent weeks, there has been a rumor that some are considering proposing a gentleman’s agreement, an agreement between teams to (greatly) reduce the gardening leave period. There are several points under discussion.

Does such a long stop still make sense today given the evolution of work methodologies? During the lockdown period, there was a strong push to enhance systems that allow remote work, and Formula 1 (as is its nature) stands out for its speed and efficiency when adopting new technology. Remote working solved many problems, inadvertently creating a new one. Who today can check if a professional during gardening leave is comfortably working from home?

Years ago, being physically present was essential for a technician to support a department, today being in contact with colleagues remains a 'plus,' but it is no longer an indispensable condition.

Hence the reflection on the necessity of imposing such long gardening leave periods, only to be unable to supervise, risking putting those who want to respect contractual clauses in difficulty compared to those who have no qualms about turning on a computer and working from home. All this, paradoxically, also affects the budget cap of the former team, as the agreement includes payment until the end of the set notice period.

Finally, some see gardening leave as a brake on the overall development of the Formula 1 world. The free circulation of personnel without too many restrictions has always been the main way for the exchange of information, also promoting a certain balance of values on the field.

Today this process seems to be slowed by an overly long period, considering the tight pace at which a Formula 1 team operates. Does it really make sense to continue insisting on the fear of losing personnel when the next day the same team would have the opposite problem when going on the market?

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