It certainly doesn't happen every day that you are lucky enough to be able to have a chat with a personality who has contributed to making Motorsport great in Italy. We at Yawclub can only say we are honored to have had Leo Turrini at our microphones for a comparison on the current situation of Formula 1, with a focus onRed Bull hegemony and on Ferrari decline. It seems obvious to say it, but there will certainly be no shortage of anecdotes which have contributed to fueling the fire of passion that still burns within the soul of man.
Even before entering into the dialogue with Leo, and it cannot be otherwise, it is appropriate to frame the figure. Just as a good craftsman carves the wood of a frame to highlight the painting, it is necessary to provide a description that best outlines the image of the protagonist of this story, in order to contextualize and properly enjoy the dialogue that will follow.
Leonildo Turrini was born in 1960 in Sassuolo, immersed in the land of engines. He obtained a degree in law and launched himself into the world of journalism at a very young age, later writing for well-known newspapers such as The rest of the Carlino; The nation ed The day. Today he is a regular guest at Race Anatomy, being able to boast the role of commentator given his decades of experience on circuits all over the globe. Yes, because Leo has attended many live grand prix events. As we read in his book “Senna. Traveling with Ayrton“, Leo had the opportunity to follow almost 400 race weekends on the track. This number has inevitably grown in recent years. But to say that Leo's passion stops at four-wheelers is wrong.
The protagonist of the interview, in fact, is passionate about football, cycling and volleyball, denoting theattachment to competitive spirit in its purest form, and not just in that which smells of petrol and burnt tyres. Today he delights in talking about the premier class in his personal blog Deep red, in which the union between the Formula 1 of the past and the present lives together with the fans. In his professional career, he was fortunate enough to establish a friendship with those who made the history of Motorsport, one above all Ayrton Senna. In this chat we will try to best convey the magic experienced by those who still today put their heart and soul into talking about a sport out of the ordinary.
A look at Leo Turrini's past
I'd start with a question to break the ice a bit: where does your love for motors come from?
"This is a discussion very close to my roots. I I was born in Sassuolo, which is two kilometers as the crow flies from the Fiorano circuit and seven from Maranello. Plus, when I was a kid, in my neighborhood there was a boy about ten years older than me. He he worked as a mechanic in the Ferrari racing department. He was the idol of our neighborhood. At the time we didn't see much of Formula 1 on TV, so we waited for him to return from away games on Monday and went to ask him how it went.. He immediately gave me his love for engines".
"More, if you come from that area, the Ferrari atmosphere becomes part of you. The red is not just a brand as they say today, but it's a feeling, a source of pride, even for those who aren't passionate about racing and pistons. This was the merit of Enzo Ferrari, who with his work and ingenuity conveyed this feeling to everyone around him.".
The first time is never forgotten
Staying with your past: your journalistic career is amazing and full of anecdotes, is there one you are more attached to than others?
"It was something unforgettable for me the first time I set foot in Fiorano. It was special. I was sixteen years old and it was the summer of 1976, the year in which Lauda had the accident we all know. Word spread that Niki, forty days after the accident, he had returned to Fiorano to drive because he wanted to race the following Sunday in Monza. I don't know how I found out about it, but it happened".
"I took my bike and went to the circuit. I saw that all the journalists were at the entrance. Without hope I got in line, and shortly after Franco Gozzi, Drake's close collaborator, began selecting the journalists to let in. When it was my turn, he asked me who I was, and I told him I wrote for a local newspaper. He complimented me because he recognized me, so he let me in. I walked along the road that leads to the pits until I saw Lauda arrive. He was in really bad shape, but it was an indescribable moment".
Still about those years, is there anything you would like to say to your past self as he delved into the world of sports reporting?
"As I always say, I think I was lucky. I always wanted to be a journalist, my father was a bricklayer, my mother was a housewife, therefore I couldn't have help or support as often happens. If I could talk to myself back then I would tell him that he was lucky and that he had a great life. If in your life you manage to do what you are passionate about, it becomes a dream and money takes a back seat, more beautiful than that...".
A leap to the Formula 1 of the present
Coming a little to the present day, it is clear that Red Bull's hegemony does not seem destined to end any time soon. Do you think sport is suffering a bit?
"From a competitive point of view, any sport, if balance is lost, suffers image damage. Just think of Bayern Munich who have won for 11 seasons in a row. F1 probably experienced its greatest moment in history Abu Dhabi in 2021After all, a billion people saw it. Obvious is that given the current situation in which only one team wins, it is difficult to imagine that on August 27 people will give up the sea to watch the Dutch Grand Prix. However, all of this is part of the rules: if someone is better, it is right that they win".
Do you think there is something that can be done to revive the competition without necessarily having to wait for the regulatory change?
"First of all, I believe that we have reached a point that was not foreseen by many at the beginning of the year. Already after the first grand prix Russell bet that Red Bull would have won them all. In winter you couldn't imagine the total absence of competition. What can be done is trivial: competitors must work better. I I am against changing technical and sporting rules in order to create an artificial balance. I never appreciated it. They are better and it is right that they enjoy the fruits of their labor".
We mentioned Max and Lewis earlier. In your book "Seine. Traveling with Ayrton" you wrote that in the DNA of champions lies the ability to understand before anyone else who their successor will be. Don't you think that what happened between Max and Lewis is a bit of a remake of what we saw between Schumi and Magic?
"In my opinion, yes. Of course I'm not in Lewis' brain, but I've noticed that a great champion is always the first to sense the approach of something that will put him in difficulty. Prost immediately saw Senna as his successor. Ayrton realized that Schumi would be the biggest threat for him. I think it was the same for Lewis. Hamilton is a veteran, and he had all the tools to grasp Max's talent before others. Lewis also recently said it in an interview, declaring how Max has all the qualities to break his records".
Leo Turrini's considerations in red
Coming to the sore point for the fans, I would move on to Ferrari starting from the drivers. How is it possible that the situation was more stable with a competitive car, compared to this year where we should find more cohesion to get back on top?
"I think the two collaborate. It's not a problem of lack of cooperation. They have every interest in pooling their driving experience and sensitivity. It's normal for everyone to want to stay in front of their partner. It's a paradox, but it becomes important when you don't have the car to fight, since all you have left is to show that you are better than those who drive the same car as you.".
"Sainz and Leclerc are competing for internal supremacy, even more so because they can't think about the world championship, nor about winning any races. From the point of view of cooperation with the team they are perfectly loyal, then it is normal for there to be a dualism on the track between them".
Speaking of the team principal. The decline of the red is evident, and it seems clear to me that Vasseur is working under the radar and in the long term, we recently had the news of thepurchase of 25 new engineers. How do you judge Frederic's work?
"I think it's too early. Any top manager must have time to make his own choices. We're not even in September. Maybe in a year we will be able to give him an opinion by seeing changes, purchases, results. This year Vasseur is in an almost impossible situation for anyone: he arrived with the car already ready, the team already created by Binotto, and the drivers already under contract. I would have said the same thing if he had arrived and he had won seven grands prix in a row. We need to talk about it again in a year. He seems very convinced and motivated to me".
Speaking of the upper floors
Regarding the top management of the little horse, do you think there is something they can do but haven't done yet to revive the team's fortunes?
"I am very critical of John Elkann. Everyone has their own story, and he never had a passion for racing, and there's nothing wrong with that. From him I wish, given that he has decided to be the main shareholder of Ferrari, demonstrated awareness that racing is the DNA of this company. His duty is to do everything in his power to make Ferrari a protagonist. Not necessarily winning, but at least fighting".
"I add that John has one merit: having wanted the red to return to Le Mans, winning. I hope he understands that he must also put the same attention on Formula 1. He has been president for five years, and I don't think he would like to be remembered as a "loser", when talking about racing".
I would close with a technical question. We heard about the arrival of Loic Serra from Mercedes, an expert tire and suspension technician. Do you think it could be the keystone of the Scuderia given that it is lacking in those specific fields?
"I am convinced that in recent months Vasseur has understood what Ferrari's design limits are. If it's true that they took Serra, and I say "if" because in these cases we always have to wait for the official announcement, I think it would be a good buy. Naturally one person alone is not enough, a structure must be created. I remember that Montezemolo's dream team was a group, just think of Brawn, Byrne and many others. Many figures who worked very well together. I don't believe in the "one man show". Even if Adrian Newey arrived, he alone couldn't change everything despite being a genius".
"È It is essential to hire very competent and competitive people and insert them properly. I underline that at Ferrari there is no need to send people away. See the cases of Costa, Allison, Tortora, Sassi... all people who then went on to do very well elsewhere. Instead, we need to integrate the structure by bringing in people from outside with the knowledge that is lacking internally. And I think that's exactly what Vasseur is doing".
