Cesare Fiorio, a former Formula One sporting director for Ferrari, was born in Turin in 1939, with a visceral passion for engines, capable of working and winning in various categories of the motorsport world with a very respectable curriculum: from the beginning as a driver, then sporting director of Fiat and Lancia in rallies, later Ferrari sports director at the turn of the 80s and 90s, to then move on to Liger, Forti, Prost and Minardi, discovering and launching Fernando Alonso and then ending his motorsport adventure as a television commentator.
In short, a true legend of motorsport, for years “retired” in his farm in Ceglie Messapica between passion for agriculture and memories of his glorious career.
A character, as mentioned, of an absolute level who rarely grants interviews but who, when the occasion arises, deserves the utmost attention, as his comments are never ordinary, but rather full of ideas, as happened in the recent interview granted to the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera.
Asked about his arrival in Formula 1, as Ferrari team principal, after the rally adventure, Cesare Fiorio did not mince words to describe the joy and emotions that characterized his arrival in Maranello in the winter of 1989, where he would remain until 1991, with 9 races won and a world championship lost with Alain Prost in 1990.
“For me it was a target, a point of arrival, of which I am proud. In the previous 10 years, Ferrari had only won 3 races. Out of 36 GPs I won 9, a success every four races. And a world championship which we came so close to winning in the second year: if Senna hadn’t thrown Prost out at Suzuka, it would have been ours.” – he points out.
During his time with Scuderia Ferrari, Cesare Fiorio also tried to bring Ayrton Senna to Maranello, but without succeeding, despite a pre-contract signed. Many theories have developed on this, but Cesare Fiorio wanted to clarify:
“The negotiation with Senna was only known to me, him and the Ferrari board. Prost, was stirred up by a member of the company:” Do you know that the boss wants to hire Senna?”. He came to me and said:” As long as I am there, Ayrton won’t come”. Alain Prost invited this person to tell Romiti, and I realized that my time in Maranello was over. As for coexistence, I didn’t care if the drivers got along, they don’t have to love each other. Furthermore, I am convinced that Senna would have changed his destiny as a Ferrari driver, as well as mine … “.
After discussing about the period in which he was one of the protagonists of the Ferrari pit wall, the former Lancia manager talked about the current situation of the team, and current team principal Mattia Binotto, praising his skills as a technician, underlining however how much he had to learn and fill a role that was not his (Mattia Binotto has always worked as an engineer, not as a manager). Not only that, but according to Cesare Fiorio, the task that Mattia needs to focus on the moment is to make the team recover enthusiasm and determination, especially in capitalizing on the F1-75, the best car on the grid: “Binotto is an excellent engineer, but he had to learn a job that wasn’t his. Right now, Mattia’s task is to get Ferrari back to its early season glaze after a series of errors and failures. From my point of view, the car is the best in the championship ”. – he added.
After commenting on the present, Cesare Fiorio reflected on what everyone considers the golden age of Ferrari in Formula 1, the epic years of Michael Schumacher and Jean Todt, praising the merits of the French manager and also commenting on the abilities of Michael Schumacher: an amazing driver who never faced champions in his golden age.
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“Jean Todt’s real intuition was to hire Benetton’s winning staff. Michael Schumacher did not have to challenge a super opponent in those years and lost some world championships against normal opponents. When a very strong opponent arrived, Fernando Alonso, the Ferrari dream team disbanded. Todt would gone to the FIA, Schumi seemed to have finished with F1 but then came back and it was a mistake, because Rosberg won against him.”
Before ending the interview, Cesare Fiorio, who has won a lot in his life and in various categories, was asked the fateful million dollar question: how to win in Formula One? – “You win with intuitions, without them you go in tow, you always finish behind: the breaking point is the solution that others have not thought of” – he concluded.
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