Why Ferrari would hit the jackpot with Aldo Costa
It has been rumoured that current Mercedes technical advisor Aldo Costa might be close to a Ferrari return. But would it really mean for him, the Maranello-based team and F1 itself?
The German GP might become a crucial occasion for Ferrari, as previously rumoured. As team principal Mattia Binotto decided to split his technical director into three specialised figures, more speculation surrounded the Maranello-based outift.
Among the most clamorous names that made an appearance on this week’s headlines, Aldo Costa popped up, being pictured close to a Ferrari return following an 8-year stint at Mercedes. The Italian stepped down from his prominent role along with Mark Ellis within the technical department at Brackley one years ago, passing the torch to John Owen and Loic Serra. Hence, Costa undertook an advisory role to support Mercedes’ technical apparate while spending more time with his family in Italy.
Halfway through the 2019 season, Mattia Binotto appears to have enlisted Aldo Costa as part of his organisational restructuring. As Autobild.de reports, the two are getting along well and Costa’s partial exit from the Mercedes technical department could make sense in the wake of the rumours that have been circulating this week.
Such a massive return at Maranello would inevitably remind us of the 2008-2011 years, when he was bearing the role of technical director at Ferrari. What would it mean for the team to have one of their former pivotal pawns back? The mediatic impact of the comeback itself would tear the house down, but what would make it even more memorable is the association with the figures of Mattia Binotto and Charles Leclerc, the icons embodying the post-Marchionne and Arrivabene era. The striking combination between past, present and future would be depicted as an invincible formula.
The unfinished business between Costa and Ferrari, after his dramatic exit back in 2011 would find fulfillment after a rather long relationship with their rivals. Such a disruptive move would imply injecting sheer expertise and a rich flow of information from Ferrari’s direct rivals into the Maranello headquarter, which would almost equal building a flawless car if we look at the bigger picture. Mattia Binotto is setting up a silent long-term revolution targeting the 2021 regulation change, whose preparations are ongoing. In fact, all teams are doing their homework in advance, adopting different strategies.
It is an innovation matter, mostly based on catching up on information and securing the right figure to grant stability before the 2021 rules become completely defined and official. Renault has to be the team that has been working on it the hardest and the longest, as they started investing on 2021 as the Lotus brand was absorbed by the French manufacturer. The acquisition of Marcin Budkowski from the FIA is just a mere example of how they started battening down the hatches, and coincidentially Ferrari hired Laurent Mekies shortly after.
In conclusion, not only would Aldo Costa’s return to Ferrari produce a significant mediatic impact on F1, but it would also stand for a relevant boost in terms of resources and information for Ferrari itself.
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