Ferrari Hires Fenestraz as Simulator Driver

Fenestraz said he began working at Maranello in July after a six-month period of inactivity tied to confidentiality obligations from Mercedes, where he had spent three years in the simulator. He described the role as “quite crucial,” involving weekly trips to Ferrari’s factory in Europe and tests focused on chassis and virtual systems. That background is exactly what Ferrari wanted: Fenestraz also spent time in Formula E with Nissan, where energy management and hybrid-system discipline are highly transferable skills in today’s power-unit era.

The timing is notable for Ferrari investors and sponsors alike because the company’s F1 program remains one of its most visible brand engines. On-track success supports licensing, merchandising and global marketing, while prolonged underperformance can drag on sentiment around the racing business even if the effect on Ferrari N.V.’s wider financials is indirect. The stock has been volatile, with the shares closing at $402.34 on Sept. 9, below a recent peak of $436.54 in August, while technical readings show the price still above the 200-day moving average but weakening after a pullback from overbought levels.

Fenestraz’s hope of a real-car test also speaks to Ferrari’s broader operational culture. He said such a run was not possible under his Mercedes contract, but the odds are higher now and a formal plan points to early 2027. That would be meaningful not only for the driver’s career but for Ferrari’s development pipeline, which depends on preparing reserve and simulator talent that can step into car tests, feedback loops and potentially race duties if needed.

For Mercedes, the loss is less about one driver and more about a competitor poaching a specialist who helped develop its current package. For Ferrari, the upside is access to a technically literate racer who has worked on both ends of the sport’s energy-management divide. In an era when marginal gains decide championships, that kind of crossover expertise can matter as much as outright pace.

The next catalyst is whether Fenestraz’s Maranello role turns into an official test programme. If it does, it would validate Ferrari’s bet on simulator-driven development and keep the team’s personnel battle with Mercedes as intense off track as it is on it.