Posted on 15th December 2014
It was announced this afternoon that former Sauber driver Esteban Gutierrez will become test and reserve driver for the Ferrari Formula 1 team next season.
Mexican racer Gutierrez was forced out of a race seat in F1 when Sauber decided to replace him and 2014 team-mate Adrian Sutil with Caterham’s Marcus Ericsson and Williams reserve driver Felipe Nasr for 2015.
Gutierrez will now have the opportunity to prolong his F1 career with the Scuderia, following two seasons racing with its engine customer team. In his interview with the media today, Gutierrez is delighted to have joined Ferrari and to his new role with the team. Gutierrez stated the following:-
'It is an honour to become part of the Scuderia Ferrari family, a team with such an exceptional history. It is the beginning of a new path for my future and I’m going to do my utmost to contribute to the achievement of the targets set by the Scuderia.
'I want to thank everybody for their belief in my potential; this will bring a great opportunity for me to develop further and get to the top in the near future.'
It is clear for all to see that Gutierrez is delighted to have joined the Ferrari team and is thankful for the opportunity too especially after his future looked so bleak after Sauber failed to retain him a race driver for next season after showing small signs of improvement from his rookie season in the sport last year.
As he rightly points out in his interview, he will have to meet the high standards of the Ferrari team during his time there and provide the adequate feedback to help the team improve the car on the track. But I do feel that he will do his best to achieve them and also help out the Ferrari team as much as he possibly can as soon as he starts his role within the team.
When the news of Gutierrez was announced, new Ferrari Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene said Gutierrez’s role would involve simulator work for the Scuderia. In his own interview with the media, Arrivabene is happy to have signed Gutierrez based on his experience in the sport. Arrivabene stated the following:-
'We are pleased to be able to offer this opportunity to Esteban who, although young, has plenty of experience relating to the new generation of Formula 1 cars. I am sure he will make an important contribution to the development work of the team in the simulator.
'Welcoming Esteban also means opening the gates of Ferrari to a driver from Mexico, a country where the Scuderia still has a lot of fans, just as was the case fifty years ago in the days of the Rodriguez brothers.'
It is clear that Ferrari welcoming another Mexico driver into the team and also into the team's history with securing the services of Gutierrez today will only as Arrivabene states help build and grow their fanbase in Mexico. Let us not forget that Mexico does return to the Formula One calendar next season and this news could work in Ferrari's favour especially when racing there next season and also could use Gutierrez as marketing in order to get the most of the situation too.
And that is partly one of the many factors why he has been signed for Ferrari in my opinion. I would agree with Arrivabene and believe that Gutierrez has been signed to the team because of the experience he will be bringing from his two years in the sport racing with Sauber and also his time as a reserve driver with the team too.
Even though to me Gutierrez has not shown enough of an improvement this season in regards to his performances on the track, given the fact that Sauber haven't given him a competitive enough car to do so, I can understand why Ferrari have signed him because of his experience in the sport. This could prove very handy for Ferrari as they alongside Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel work towards fighting for championships and victories as quickly as possible.
However, I do feel that money once again has also been another key factor to Gutierrez joining Ferrari. As we all know, Gutierrez brings with him a lot of sponsorship through his association with Telmex and Carlos Slim Jr and this association will not only help Ferrari and their budget (not that they need it) but also could bring a new sponsorship and marketing campaign and audience to the team that could bring them rewards now and in the distant future.
But the news of Gutierrez being confirmed as Ferrari's test and reserve driver starting from next season has confused a lot of fans especially on Twitter. Even though I have argued that Gutierrez could become a test and reserve driver next season due to the experience he has under his belt, I didn't expect him to go to Ferrari at all, but anything can happen in Formula One and this time it's happened!
But Gutierrez has done enough to convince Ferrari to sign him up and provide him with another opportunity to utilise all his experience within Formula One so far and develop even further as driver. This could then prove to be an advantage that Ferrari need and also the chance for Gutierrez to show what he can do on the track once again and also help them move forward up the grid as quickly as they possibly can.
It is clear that both parties are happy with this deal starting next season but many like myself are wondering why he has been signed for Ferrari? Is it his talent and experience? Is it his speed or is it his money? I believe it is his experience that has convinced Ferrari to sign the young Mexican and not his talent. As Gutierrez has shown small glimpses of promise in his two years racing in Formula One but enough to be in the position he is now.
But I also do feel that his sponsorship and all the exclusivity and possibilities it opens up for both parties has played a part in this too. With the prospect of Gutierrez adding more money to their budget alongside the marketing and advertising opportunities to tap into the Mexican market before the Grand Prix next season, maybe it was an offer that Ferrari couldn't afford to refuse given the economic climate we are currently in.
But no matter what you think, Gutierrez has been given another chance to show what he can in a Formula One car in the most prestigious team on the grid; Ferrari. And for him; there are no excuses anymore; he has to deliver to the standard that is expected of him; no matter how much money he brings as Ferrari will not think twice of closing the door and terminating his contract as this season has showed given the departure of Stefano Domenicali, Luca di Montezemolo and recently Marco Mattiacci.
