Loic Serra explains why Ferrari is a top team very different from Mercedes
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He moves through the departments, exchanging ideas and opinions. He seeks to get to know the people, not limiting himself to conversing only with the top line of technicians. Loic Serra arrived in Maranello on October 1st after a long courtship by Fred Vasseur and wanted to deeply explore the world of the Maranello team, finding “…a world very different from Mercedes,” where he had been accustomed for fourteen years. A 52-year-old Frenchman, but with a Sardinian grandfather and a mother from Montebelluna, he is the technical director of the Scuderia.
He arrived at the Sporting Management after the 677 had already been defined, but he didn't hesitate to offer all the experience he gained with the Star and previously at Michelin, where he developed a deep knowledge of tires. At Brackley, he was responsible for the vehicle and then for performance, contributing to Mercedes' chain of successes during the hybrid era.
“In Maranello, I had to learn to know people and roles, because they don't always match those I was used to in my previous teams,” Loic Serra said in a discussion with the Italian daily newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport during the traditional Maranello Christmas lunch. “Moreover, the priorities on which the car's development is focused also change. The growth margins are continuous. I am working on the 2025 car, and then the work will proceed in parallel with the 2026 project, which will involve all the departments.”
Unlike Fred Vasseur and Jerome D'Ambrosio, who chose Bologna as their base, Serra preferred Modena to be closer to the factory. The French engineer moved his entire family, wife and five children, to Italy with the awareness of putting down roots to ensure continuity in a season that Ferrari finished second in the Constructors' World Championship.
President John Elkann expects the Scuderia to perform better next year, implying that the only goal will be to aim for both World Championships, drivers and constructors. It's an important responsibility that the technical director approaches with conviction and calm: the 677, which will debut on track at Fiorano on February 19, is a car that “doesn't have 1% of the parts of the SF-24,” Fred Vasseur admitted, validating our forecasts that it will be a completely new F1 to try and hit the big target right away, taking advantage of the arrival of Lewis Hamilton.
“When I signed, over a year ago,” Serra said, “I didn't know that Lewis would come. I'm absolutely sure he will be as fast as in his best years. The biggest mistake you can make is to underestimate Hamilton, who has an extraordinary ability to feel the car and what's missing to go faster.”
Ferrari has redesigned the technical area by placing Serra in charge and offering him a role he has never held but seems to have already interpreted perfectly. The close collaboration with Diego Tondi (head of aerodynamics) and Enrico Gualtieri (director of the engine area) will be crucial in starting the study of the red car for 2026 from the beginning of January when the new agile car regulations will come into effect. It should be noted that the 677 will not impact the 2025 budget except for development plans, as the project was launched with great insight, making use of the financial availability from 2024.
Maranello has decided to focus on a completely new car instead of responding to the temptation of many who are thinking only of an evolved version of the 2024 car. And this could be the political choice that makes a significant difference in the upcoming championship…
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