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How Ferrari has always abused its power

Another decade, another person in charge, another Ferrari quit threat. Ferrari's a special entity, but with that has come a history of trying to manipulate Formula 1

"Commendatore, have you got a minute?"

"I have all the time in the world, since I am-a retiring from racing!" Even 60 years ago, when Peter Ustinov recorded 'The Grand Prix of Gibraltar', this was a cliche of the sport. Whenever something didn't sit well with Enzo Ferrari, his invariable response was to threaten to quit.

Now, in 2017, the current Ferrari chairman, Sergio Marchionne, is making similar noises, and whereas no-one ever took Enzo's pronouncements seriously, this might be a different matter. Autocracy is common to both men, but while - as ever - I find inconceivable Ferrari's disappearance from Formula 1, Marchionne approaches the sport from a very different place.

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