James Allison’s departure from Ferrari is a big blow according to Ferrari engineer Jock Clear. Speaking at a recent press conference, Clear said that it will take a long time for Ferrari to recover.
Allison left the team after the tragic death of wife Rebecca in March from bacterial meningitis and has come to the decision to step down and spend time with his family.
Allison’s replacement Mattia Binotto has a different skill set and brings a different dynamic to the team, which could change the technical outfit.
“I don’t think there is any suggestion that Mattia is going to immediately step into the kind of role James was doing,” said Clear, who joined Ferrari earlier this year as head of race activities. “Very different background.”
“Obviously you’re not going to find losing someone like James Allison – someone of his calibre is not going to go unnoticed.
“The team is going to have to work pretty hard to support everybody and cover those gaps,” Clear admitted. “In that respect Mattia is going to need help from everybody. We’re going to have to pull together.
“But the fact is Ferrari has to move forward and we have to make the most of this situation as it is, and I know everybody is committed to pulling together and covering any of those areas where James was very, very strong,
“He will be missed, but that’s the challenge for us.” he added.
