Fifteen years have passed since the last Constructors’ Championship title was brought home by the Maranello team, even though Felipe Massa does not recall that final race in Brazil in 2008 with pleasure. Since then, Ferrari has come close to winning the title only twice, in 2010 and 2012 with Fernando Alonso, but once again lost in the final grand prix against the Sebastian Vettel-Red Bull combination.
Ferrari without a world title since 2008: John Elkann’s analysis
Asked about the matter in an interview with the BBC, Ferrari’s president John Elkann attempted to explain the reasons for the drought: “The reasons are always many, many, and they relate to every single aspect that matters.”
“I remember when I had to delve deeper into the matter. In 2020, we had a really negative season. One of the things that surprised me then is that, in reality, we performed worse in pit stops than our position in the championship.”
“It was an indicator of mentality because, in the end, to truly win, you have to be good at everything. It’s true that on the margins, if you don’t have a competitive car, the rest won’t make you win, but if you have this mentality, it’s difficult for you to win.”
Since the last title, there have already been four team principals who have failed the mission to bring the championship back to Maranello, with Frederic Vasseur inheriting the old Mattia Binotto management, which lasted from 2019 until December of last year.
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For John Elkann, however, the nationality of the individuals working for the Prancing Horse makes no difference: “The important thing is to have the best possible team. If you can have the best possible team and have women and men from different nationalities and backgrounds that allow you to do it, all the better.”
“Our identity is clearly defined as Italian, and the backbone of our organization is Italian. But this is in no way a detriment. On the contrary, it’s a foundation that can be complemented with very strong talents from different places.”
In 2024, Fred Vasseur is tasked with standing behind the first real project led by him and his team. The goal is to quickly erase a season that fell well below expectations, despite the growth in the second half of the championship, and to close the gap with Red Bull as much as possible.
