Sergio Marchionne comments on Maurizio Arrivabene and his future with Ferrari. Ferrari president talks about the future of the Scuderia.

Italian-Canadian executive and current Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne has played down speculation that team boss Maurizio Arrivabene could leave the Maranello team at the end of the 2017 Formula One season. Reports have suggested that Maurizio Arrivabene could take the blame for the Italian side’s collapsed 2017 title chances, with technical boss Mattia Binotto to succeed him. However, president Sergio Marchionne said in Austin:

“We have improved as a team with the set of people we have. We have a little bit of trouble, but last year if you’d told me we’d come here in 2017 fighting for the title I would have laughed. But for the most part of the season we have been a credible competitor to Mercedes. It is a recognition of how the team works, so let’s not now go and talk about changes. We created continuity with the renewal of Kimi and Seb, and for now I don’t want to say anything else except that continuity is essential.” – Sergio Marchionne explained, as reported by the Italian media on Monday.

However, another rumour is that with Kimi Raikkonen signed on for only one more year, Scuderia Ferrari are strongly taking into consideration the possibility of Daniel Ricciardo becoming a worthy successor to the Finn: “I watch all of them.” – Sergio Marchionne is quoted as saying by La Gazzetta dello Sport when asked specifically about Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo – “We will also have to see where we put Leclerc, Giovinazzi.” As for how Ferrari’s season collapsed so suddenly in the recent tour of Asian races, Sergio Marchionne answered: “Honestly it started in Monza. It is difficult, but from Monza onwards we understood what happened and it will not be repeated. I have spoken to Arrivabene and [Sebastian] Vettel here and they are focused and still believe in us. They need support, because the chance to recover from here is less than 50%. But saying this, Ferrari cannot surrender.” – Sergio Marchionne concluded.

The 2017 Formula One season continues with the Mexican Grand Prix, which will be held on 29 October at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. The race will mark the nineteenth running of the Mexican Grand Prix, and the seventeenth time that the race has been run as a World Championship event since the inaugural season in 1950.