If Ferrari want to challenge at the front again, they must consider opening a technology base in England, according to former Benetton team manager Flavio Briatore.
His comments come as two highly regarded British engineers have turned down job offers at the Italian team in the space of a week.
Adrian Newey – who Ferrari reportedly offered a £18 million ($30m) annual salary – has chosen to remain at Red Bull albeit in a reduced capacity, whilst Mercedes engine boss Andy Cowell turned an employment offer down too.
Briatore believes location is a huge factor in getting the right people on board and Ferrari simply cannot lure them to Italy.
“Ferrari this year is in deep crisis and has lost the chance to recover,” he told Radio Mix24.
“Ferrari is paying for its location – Maranello is definitely not the centre of the [F1] world, it’s England.
“In my opinion, Ferrari must have a base in the UK, where all of the technology of F1 is concentrated,” he added.
“I think that for Ferrari, it will take a major restructuring of the team.
“We know exactly who are the best ones, and it is difficult to get them to Italy.”
