Ferrari F1 replacement announced ahead of Imola

Charles Leclerc squints as he looks at a screen in the Ferrari pit garage — Photo: © IMAGO

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Ferrari F1 replacement announced ahead of Imola

Ferrari have made a key change ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Thursday 9 May 2024 20:30 Updated: 17:21

Ferrari have announced a key change within their team ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

The Scuderia have enjoyed multiple podium finishes this season, establishing themselves as the second best team on the grid.

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They have also added seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton to their line-up for 2025, displacing current incumbent Carlos Sainz.

Sainz, however, has been impressive in his final season for the team, producing a spectacular win at the Australian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari in 2025

Carlos Sainz has produced Ferrari's only race win this season

Why are Ferrari making changes?

Ferrari have recently enjoyed stability under Fred Vasseur’s stewardship, making fewer strategy blunders, and believing they can compete with Red Bull this season.

Despite these positives Ferrari plan to change their line-up heading into Imola.

Charles Leclerc’s current race engineer Xavi Marcos has been moved out of the role, and will be replaced by Bryan Bozzi.

The official Ferrari statement read: "Organisational update: Ferrari announces that, as of Monday 13 May, Xavi Marcos will bring his valuable experience gained as a race engineer with the Formula 1 team to the development of other important company programmes."

It is unclear why these changes have been made, with the statement only suggesting Marcos will work elsewhere in the team.

Charles Leclerc will have a new race engineer in Imola

However, Leclerc and Marcos have had a fraught relationship over team radio in the past few seasons, often struggling to communicate with one another.

During the 2023 US GP, Leclerc revealed that he had “punched [his] steering wheel and helmet” in frustration at hearing a Marcos call relating to track limits following his pole position lap.

Instead, Marcos had been referring to Max Verstappen’s track limit violation.

Whether or not there has been a breakdown in Leclerc and Marcos’ relationship is unconfirmed.

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Carlos Sainz Australian Grand Prix Emilia Romagna Grand Prix