How Ferrari's mistreatment of Allison still haunts their F1 talent search

Respected Italian F1 journalist Leo Turrini believes Ferrari's past handling of the departure of senior engineer James Allison has created lasting damage to the team's ability to recruit top foreign talent.

Turrini argues Ferrari's actions have left a "stigma" that makes engineers hesitant to join the squad.

Allison's history with Ferrari

Allison first joined Ferrari in 2000 for five years before later moving to Renault. He then returned to Ferrari in 2013 as technical chief.

However, he abruptly left the team in August 2016 following the tragic death of his wife in March that year.

Ferrari initially granted Allison's request to work remotely from England to support his three children.

The circumstances of Allison's 2016 exit

With Ferrari struggling competitively in 2016, then-Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne demanded Allison return to the factory, refusing to grant him more time in England.

Allison subsequently departed for Mercedes, where he has been instrumental in their ensuing success.

Turrini laments Ferrari's handling of the situation as "a sad story" and "a mistake" that proved damaging. He argues Ferrari failed to properly support Allison during a profound personal tragedy.

The "Stigma" left behind

According to Turrini, Ferrari's treatment of Allison left a lasting "stigma" that deters top foreign engineers from joining the team today.

He claims, "Quite a few foreign technicians hesitate in the face of Ferrari proposals because they know the Scuderia’s recent history."

New Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur aims to attract talent from rival teams to rebuild Ferrari.

However, the team must still overcome reputational damage from past actions like those involving Allison.

Vasseur recognizes convincing the "first ones" to join is the hardest part.

Successfully recruiting top engineers remains critical to reviving Ferrari's competitiveness.