Mattiacci: Too early to predict Ferrari reshuffle's effect on F1

Luca di Montezemolo stepped down as Ferrari president following the Italian Grand Prix earlier this month, replaced by the CEO of the Scuderia's parent company Fiat, Sergio Marchionne.

Mattiacci, who himself was the first of several senior management changes at Ferrari earlier this season, said he would work closely with his new boss to bring Ferrari back to the front of the F1 grid.

"It's still too early to say how it will work," Mattiacci said.

"From my point of view, I have been extremely lucky because I've been working with an amazing, iconic manager in Montezemolo, and now with Mr Marchionne.

"It's important to learn, important to discuss important topics.

"Everybody is aiming to bring Ferrari back to the top."

Mattiacci said Ferrari's improved qualifying form during last weekend's Singapore GP, where Fernando Alonso managed to get within a quarter of a second of Lewis Hamilton's polesitting Mercedes, suggested Ferrari was making progress with the development of the F14 T.

"We have seen quite a big improvement from the car," Mattiacci added.

"We were almost on the same pace as Red Bull.

"However, the goal is to win, not to catch up with the others."

RAIKKONEN BACKS CHANGES

Alonso backed the recent management changes at Ferrari ahead of the Singapore GP, and his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen echoed Alonso's hopes that Marchionne would boost the team's fortunes.

Raikkonen said: "Ferrari is not an easy place to be when the results are not good, but I think we have a great group of people and we've been improving a lot this year and for coming years, making sure things are in the right place to keep progressing to where we should be.

"I think they're good changes and they will pay off in the future."