Ferrari chairman on technical directive: "A team doesn't lose because of referees or rules"

Ferrari chairman on technical directive: “A team doesn’t lose because of referees or rules”. Ferrari chairman on technical directive.

In these four years of Ferrari presidency, the Tifosi are getting to know John Elkann, a manager totally dedicated to the family business and rarely in the spotlight. The Italian-American industrialist has made from discretion his trademark and in fact there are not many interviews with the Ferrari chairman. At the same time, he does not attend to many Formula 1 grand prix weekends.

Over the weekend in Monza, John Elkann spoke with the Italian daily newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport and expressed his confidence in the current structure of the team, making the choice to confirm the organization chart that allowed Ferrari to return to fighting for race wins in 2022 after two undoubtedly difficult seasons. The president of the Prancing Horse then also wanted to set a long-term goal, namely the victory of at least one drivers and constructors’ championship before 2026.

Regarding the current championship, which saw Ferrari gradually lose ground in the fight for the top of the standings, John Elkann added: “This year we have been competitive, as I predicted two years ago. And we have been able to turn this competitiveness into victories. We are finally back four times on the top step” – he said, pointing out an example of the team’s progress:” In 2020, 48% of our pit stops were under 3 seconds, for an average of 2.75. In the first 15 grands prix this year, 70% are under 3 seconds and the average is 2.6. This is a clear fact that shows the improvement of the team”.

But in the paddock, it is rumored that the anti-porpoising technical directive, which limits the flexibility of the flat floor, has damaged Ferrari’s pace (a theory that has always been denied by Mattia Binotto): “I don’t think a team wins or loses because of the referees or the rules. I think that in sport the strongest player wins on the field or on the track and the stronger the opponents, the greater the satisfaction of doing well and winning” – John Elkann concluded.