Winter is a very busy and intense period for all Formula 1 teams, as the preparations for next season are made and the development process of the racing cars is carefully organized. Each and every detail can make a huge difference in a sport where a tenth of a second is of crucial importance and Scuderia Ferrari is working harder than ever to achieve F1 success in 2017, according to president Sergio Marchionne. Expectations are very high for the Italiam team after the Scuderia’s winless and disappointing season from last year: “The car seems to be going well, the engine is running great on the bench, but everything is still a work in progress”. – Ferrari Chairman and CEO told Italian national sports Corriere dello Sport.
“At Christmas the guys had only two days of vacation. They have been working round the clock and the work they are doing at the factory is enormous, the engine, aerodynamics, with all new rules.” – Sergio Marchionne added. The Italian Canadian confirmed that initial data gathered from the simulator indicates that Scuderia Ferrari is heading in the right direction with the development of the 2017 Formula 1 car, yet this time he did not want to make any bold statements regarding the possibility of fighting for wins and titles as he did before the start of the 2016 season, which in hindsight he admits was not the best approach: “Now is not the time to fall for that, let’s see what success we have when we get the car on the track and the lights go out.” When asked if the Scuderia should hope that Mercedes will not produce such a competitive car considering the the major regulations changes, he added: “We are wrong if we think like this. Maybe you don’t like them, but they’re good. It all depends on us, we need to focus on what we need to do to beat them.”
Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne also confirmed his plans to retire after 2018. The 64-year-old took control of Fiat over a decade ago, but his ascendance at Ferrari has been more recent as a result of Luca di Montezemolo’s departure in 2014. Marchionne intends to step down from early 2019, as reported by Corriere dello Sport.
