Sergio Marchionne on Alfa Romeo Sauber tie-up and Ferrari F1 future. The Ferrari boss believes however that Formula One engines and their engineering must remain a differentiator.

Italian-Canadian executive who is currently the Chairman of CNH Industrial, the CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the Chairman and CEO of Ferrari and also Chairman of Maserati, Sergio Marchionne, maintained his position on Formula 1’s future engine regulations and reiterated yesterday in Italy the company’s possible retreat from the sport.

Speaking at Saturday’s official presentation of the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team, the Ferrari chairman took nothing back from what he said last month, insisting that Ferrari’s thrat to leave F1 was a “serious” one: “The dialogue has started and will continue to evolve,” Sergio Marchionne said – “We have time until 2020 to find a solution which benefits Ferrari. The threat of Ferrari leaving Formula One is serious. The agreement with Sauber expires in 2020-2021, right when Ferrari could leave. We have to find a solution which is good for the sport but we also have to be clear on the things we can’t back down on.” – the Italian-Canadian executive explained.

Sergio Marchionne’s main bone of contention with the prospective 2021 engine rules is the inclusion of standardised parts as a means of dropping the cost of the sport’s future power unit.

The Ferrari boss believes however that Formula One engines and their engineering must remain a differentiator, insisting the manufacturer would pull out of F1 rather than “play NASCAR globally”.