Clear set to become driver coach for Ferrari juniors
Ferrari looks set to expand Jock Clear’s role as a Formula 1 driver coach to include its other juniors, including Mick Schumacher.
Clear, who famously engineered Jacques Villeneuve to the 1997 world title for Williams, has played a senior trackside engineering role at Ferrari since he joined the team in 2015.
From the start of 2019, Clear has been a driver coach for Charles Leclerc, acting as a useful interface between the Monegasque and the engineers as they adapted to working with each other.
Following recent discussions, Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has revealed that Clear’s role could widen so he helps Ferrari’s other junior drivers – including Schumacher at Haas and F2 race winner Robert Shwartzman
“Jock Clear is a great person and great professional, and has been in Ferrari many years,” said Binotto.
“We had some chats with Jock in the past weeks and we would like to develop him even more as a driver coach, not only for Charles but looking ahead at the future to our own young driver line-up we have got at the Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA).
“Next year we've got Mick in Haas starting his experience in F1, but we've got still young drivers competing in F2 - like for example Robert Shwartzman. And there is Callum Ilott, who will be our test driver next year, will do simulator, and will do free practices.
“So the role of Jock will be to assist all these drivers to develop themselves as drivers, and try to exploit the most of their potential.”
Binotto said that the driver coach role was an important one in terms of helping evaluate on-track performances and find areas where improvements can be made.
“He supports the drivers in order to perform and drive to their best,” added Binotto. “He looks at their lines, looks at the way they are braking through the corner, accelerating, and managing tyres.
“They are there to support the race engineers, performance engineers and drivers, to make sure that the driver is developing well.”
Schumacher is stepping up to Haas next season off the back of his title-winning campaign in F2. He joined the Ferrari Driver Academy at the start of 2019.
Share Or Save This Story
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
Charles Leclerc and Pecco Bagnaia: From kings to princes
Sainz blasts "most unfair penalty ever", seeks stewards' explanation
Calado: "Difficult" for WEC Hypercar newcomers "to win straight off"
Jeffrey Earnhardt announces he will be racing NASCAR with 'competitive equipment' in 2027
George Russell forced to "rewire his brain" amid Kimi Antonelli struggles, says David Coulthard
George Russell's theory on his big hope for F1 2027 – and Kimi Antonelli's reply
Max Verstappen's blunt reaction to F1's Monaco GP sprint race: "No emotion attached to it"
Top 10 F1 results changed by backmarkers – the clashes
Ten years of Baku: Can F1 2026 bring back the fear factor?
Great debate: Which circuit should host the F1 2026 finale if the calendar has to change?
Italy’s next F1 world champion?
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments