Ferrari F1 team late with 2015 car but believes it will catch up
Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne believes his team has a chance to make up for a late start to its 2015 car thanks to the FIA's Formula 1 engine freeze ruling
With the governing body accepting Ferrari's stance that F1's technical regulations failed to dictate when engine changes had to be homologated, the Italian outfit can now introduce updates to its power unit when it wants.
It is that boost, allied to the dramatic overhaul that Marchionne has overseen at Maranello in recent months, that has left him optimistic that progress will come before the end of the campaign
"We're starting the season a bit late because the design of the new car was started late," said Marchionne, speaking at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit.
"But we don't have to freeze the engine by the first race, so it will be a very interesting season.
"I think the car will get better as we go through the year."
Marchionne also believes that in new team principal Maurizio Arrivabene and technical director James Allison, Ferrari has exactly what it needs to move forward.
"We have a new guy, a team principal, who has been involved in racing a long part of his professional life - Maurizio Arrivabene. And he's busy now.
"We've got a technical guy, Allison, who's taking over the technical side of the business. So we've got the team."
CHANGE ESSENTIAL
Marchionne also believes that he had to act and make big changes at Ferrari on the back of what he called a 'disastrous' 2014 campaign that risked damaging the image of its road car business.
Speaking about why previous Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo left, Marchionne said: "It was time for a change.
"I think Luca has done a great job of leading that business for 23 years, but we hadn't won an F1 championship since 2008.
"We had a disaster of a season in 2014, and I think organisations tend to get lazy. So it was time to bring about some change.
"On the road car side, [the business] is doing tremendously well, but at the heart of the success of Ferrari is what it does on the Formula 1 track.
"And if it doesn't get that right, if it doesn't fight properly, then I think it will ultimately impact on brand. So we had to intervene."
Previous article
FIA considering F1 engine rules changes after Honda meeting
Next article
Why uncertainty surrounds Formula 1
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Teams | Ferrari |
| Author | Jonathan Noble |
What Mercedes must do to keep its F1 title challenge on track
Mercedes may find itself leading the drivers' and constructors' standings after Lewis Hamilton's victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix, but it is well-aware that it came against the odds, with Red Bull clearly ahead on pace. Here's what the Brackley team must do to avoid its crown slipping
Why Tsunoda can become Japan’s greatest F1 talent
While Japan's fever for motor racing is well-documented, the country has yet to produce a Formula 1 superstar – but that could be about to change, says BEN EDWARDS
Why the demise of F1's hypocritical spending habit is cause for celebration
For too long, F1's richest teams have justified being able to spend as much as they want because that's the way they've always conducted their business. STUART CODLING says that's no reason not to kick a bad habit
The double whammy that is defining Vettel’s F1 fate
It's been a tough start to Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin F1 career, with a lack of pre-season testing mileage followed by an incident-packed Bahrain GP. But two key underlying factors mean a turnaround is not guaranteed
The diva that stole a march on F1’s wide-bodied opposition
In 2017 new F1 technical regulations were supposed to add drama - and peg Mercedes back. STUART CODLING looks at the car which, while troubled, set the stage for the wide-bodied Formula 1 era
The themes to watch in F1’s Imola return
Three weeks is a long time in Formula 1, but in the reshaped start to the 2021 season the teams head to Imola to pick things up after the frenetic Bahrain opener. Here's what to look out for and the developments to follow at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
The 'new' F1 drivers who need to improve at Imola
After a pandemic-hit winter of seat-swapping, F1 kicked off its season with several new faces in town, other drivers adapting to new environments, and one making a much-anticipated comeback. BEN ANDERSON looks at who made the most of their opportunity and who needs to try harder…
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says NIGEL ROEBUCK
