Ferrari, Serra’s first “real” year
The arrival of Loïc Serra at the end of 2024 as Ferrari’s technical director was welcomed by the Scuderia fans, who a few months earlier had seen Enrico Cardile leave for Aston Martin. The Frenchman, considered a “tire wizard” in light of his nearly thirty years of experience with Michelin and Mercedes, was the first major signing of the Frederic Vasseur era alongside Lewis Hamilton. He was able to work already on the SF-25 project, which had however already been set before he crossed the gates of Maranello, contributing to improving the team’s organization and operational approach.
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Vasseur himself highlighted Serra’s contribution already last season, in a context that certainly did not favor him considering a less competitive car, designed and built by other technical figures. So 2026 will be Serra’s first “real” year, described by the team principal as a true racer, capable of seeking performance in every aspect of the car and pushing the team to look for innovative solutions without fear of making mistakes.
Vasseur’s words
“When you join an F1 team you need a couple of months,” Vasseur explained in an interview with The-Race. “It’s difficult to take care of a project when you haven’t followed it from the start, when decisions have already been made, all while you have other projects underway. The situation was not easy, but Loïc managed to focus on operations. And I think that was important for us.”
“Sometimes we did a great job last year at the end of the season, in terms of management. And it was the best preparation for this year. Loïc has great racing experience, on track, but also in operations, thanks to his past at Michelin,” he added. “I think this is a step forward for us. He is a true racer, chasing the last fractions of a second everywhere. It was a great boost for the team.”
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