In Mauro Forghieri’s time, there wasn’t a virtual world or a pandemic as Ferrari presented its F1 cars. The Italian mechanical is best known for his work as a Formula One racing car designer with Scuderia Ferrari during the 1960s and 1970s. He is credited for introducing the first designed rear wings to Formula One at the 1968 Belgian Grand Prix and designing the first transversal automatic gear, also known as T gear.
Back then the presence of Enzo Ferrari next to each car was enough. And once the reporters and photographers were cleared of the field, the car entered the track and started its testing sessions. Today it is obviously very different, but as it sometimes happened in the Maranello era in the presence of the founder, there is a point in common with certain years: now Ferrari is looking for a rematch after a disappointing season.
“Normally when you make a mistake you tend to react. In history, the best teams have always had a comeback after a bad year. Ferrari has the means and men to redeem itself, but I don’t know if the team has somebody who knows how to command and lead. Today it is essential to have someone who knows how to do it, who knows how to choose men and put them in the right place.”- Mauro Forghieri said in an interview for Italian daily newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, referring to last year and the near future.
The Ferrari drivers are Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, the latter replacing Sebastian Vettel, while the Monegasque had replaced Kimi Raikkonen. Young and rampant, with the Spaniard being recognized as a pivot of McLaren growth: “You need to have fast drivers, without them as an engineer you are not pushed to a daring design and it takes away the desire to innovate. Today drivers have more responsibility than in my time, then it was enough for them to go fast; while now they must have an advanced automotive culture. They must be able to condition the project, to direct the development.” – acknowledged the engineer from Modena, born in 1935.
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