A triumphant run to his third world title. Lewis Hamilton can only be satisfied with the results of 2015, a year in which he won ten races and took eleven pole positions to confirm his status as world champion. The British driver confirmed this at the press conference ahead of the final weekend of the season:
"2015 was the best year of my career and I think the best race was in Austin, when I achieved the mathematical certainty of the title. I have to thank my team, who have done an exceptional job throughout the season. Now I am happy to be in Abu Dhabi and I want to win the 44th race of my career".
At the end of the season, all that remains is the race in the United Arab Emirates, where the Mercedes driver has a good tradition.
"I have won twice, taken two pole positions and even won the title in the last race last year. It's one of those tracks where I can drive better, it suits my characteristics as an aggressive driver, there are lots of corners and yes, it brakes late. Also, there is always a big crowd and the weather is perfect. Will it be a duel with team-mate Rosberg? My opinion doesn't matter so much in this case, Nico and I will fight with the strategies that the team has chosen and whoever comes out on top will have chosen the best".
The British driver then goes on to talk about his possible presence at a Nascar race in the future:
"I think it's a very different world to F1, but there are things we can learn from them, like the show or the relationship with the fans, who can be much closer to the pits and see their heroes. It is a lot of fun and I hope to be able to take part in one of the races".
Finally, Hamilton commented on the constant addition of new circuits to the four-wheeled world championship circus.
"It's nice to go to different countries and spread the word about Formula One by building a following in other parts of the world. However, I think it's important to keep a balance between new and historic circuits, and it's important to stay at tracks with a lot of history, classics like Imola, because our sport is linked to traditions and they are also spectacular and beautiful tracks to drive on".
Kimi Raikkonen, on the other hand, isn't particularly happy with his season, but remains positive, convinced that Ferrari will continue to grow, as it has already done in the championship that is coming to an end.
"It was an average season, better than last year, but we are still far from the ideal championship. That is life and we will try to do better next year. It was a better year than 2014, now the goal is to finish ahead of everyone, Mercedes have been very strong in recent years, but we have hope of beating them next season. We'll have to wait for the first tests and then the first races, but a lot of work has been done at the factory, now we'll see if this work is positive, but we'll certainly have a strong package, then we'll have to see if it's strong enough to win the title".
For Raikkonen, second place in Bahrain was his best result of the season.
"That's true, but that doesn't mean we did a better job compared to the other weekends. These have not been easy years, but I have improved a lot compared to last year, even if we are not where we would like to be. Unfortunately I didn't finish 5 races and lost a lot of points, now I hope to fight for better positions next year. I'm sure we'll improve and next year will be a big challenge".
The Finn is confident because he believes the team is heading in the right direction:
"We have to keep working hard and I hope for all the guys who work at Ferrari that we can be stronger. It's no use making promises, we'll do our best and see what we can achieve next season".
Raikkonen also talks about the new circuits and what's new in the upcoming calendar.
"The new circuits are all very similar, I like the traditional ones, I prefer them".
Fernando Alonso also reflects on his disappointing year with McLaren, but the Spaniard has no regrets.
"It was a difficult year, we struggled a lot both in terms of pace and stability. After winning two championships and finishing second in five seasons, I needed a new project, it was a difficult season but I learned a lot and it was nice to work with McLaren-Honda, there is a Japanese culture in the team which I enjoyed a lot, now I am looking forward to next season which will definitely be better. I don't know where we can go next year, we have worked hard this season, we have been united in the difficult moments and we have continued to progress. Now I think the goal is to get back to where we belong, to fight again for the top, I don't know if for the championship, to win some races or for the podium, it is certainly a very demanding challenge, but everything that the team has done in the last few months, I have found it logical and positive, I am happy with our progress".
McLaren are penultimate in the Constructors' Championship on 27 points, with Sauber the closest, but Alonso fears it is too late to overtake them.
"I think it's unlikely to think about overtaking them, they have 9 points more and we've only scored three or four times this year, I think it's difficult but we'll do our best throughout the weekend, even if our minds are already focused on next year".
The Lotus arrives at the track late. Personnel and equipment only arrived at the circuit on Thursday morning, so the team had to skip the technical scrutineering. However, the FIA granted an exception and allowed the team to present its single-seaters on Friday morning. The team regularly took part in the race weekend. Following Felipe Massa's disqualification at the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix for having an incorrect tyre temperature, the FIA decided to change the regulations. From now on, a team engineer will be able to attend the grid checks carried out by the marshals in order to take the necessary measures to avoid penalties. Mercedes asked the FIA for clarification on the use of wind tunnels, fearing that other manufacturers could circumvent the 25 hours per week limit by working with other teams not registered in the championship. The commissioners make it clear that any new team entering Formula One will have to abide by the same rules that apply to teams competing in the World Championship. The FIA also clarified that no allegations have been made against Scuderia Ferrari in relation to its relationship with the newly formed Haas team. On Friday, 27 November 2015, Lewis Hamilton was fastest in the first free practice session in clear and sunny conditions, lapping in a time of 1'43"754, over a tenth of a second faster than teammate Rosberg in second. Rosberg had set a new sector best on his last fast run, but a mistake in the final part of the track cost him a chance at the best time.
Kimi Raikkonen was third fastest for Ferrari, ahead of Daniil Kvyat. Kvyat's Red Bull teammate Ricciardo switched back to his older specification Renault power unit, having been unhappy with the performance of his updated unit at the previous race in Brazil. He was seventh fastest in the session. For Lotus, Jolyon Palmer replaced Romain Grosjean but had to sit out most of the session with a water leak, completing just nine laps. In the second session on Friday afternoon, Nico Rosberg topped the timesheet with a time of 1'41"983, over a tenth of a second quicker than Hamilton. Third quickest was Sergio Pérez for Force India, although he was unable to run in the final twenty minutes of the session due to brake problems. Red Bull's Kvyat and Ricciardo were fourth and sixth respectively, while Fernando Alonso came within a second of Rosberg in ninth.
"Today is only Friday and I think we can still improve, in fact we have to improve. We're a little too far back, I wish there was less gap to the cars in front of us and more to those behind us".
Sebastian Vettel at the end of free practice in Abu Dhabi.
"Force India was surprisingly quick and so was Red Bull. In the first session I made some notes in my notebook, but it's just a to-do list for today and tomorrow...".
Red Bull is safe and stays in F1. In Abu Dhabi, on the final weekend of the season, with Mercedes seemingly unwilling to interrupt its dominance and Ferrari dreaming of a fourth victory in a revival for 2015, a catchphrase that had sparked a political war between Ecclestone, Mateschitz and Todt, who as FIA president did not like the abandonment of a major team (with Vettel, now at Ferrari, he won four world titles), to the point of proposing certain low-cost engines for use and consumption by all customer teams (proposal rejected by Mercedes and Ferrari), has come to an end. The case is closed, Red Bull is not withdrawing, it has found an agreement with a supplier for 2016. This was announced by team principal Christian Horner, although he did not reveal the name of the benefactor:
"We have reached an agreement to have an engine next year, we hope that everything will be confirmed in the next few days. But it will be a transitional year".
All the signs are that Renault are helping Red Bull, who have often been accused of underperforming this year. There was a hiatus in the middle of the season, then Red Bull had to retreat without the help of Mercedes or Ferrari. Meanwhile, Renault has decided to return to F1 by buying Lotus, so it's easy to reach a compromise: there could be a Renault engine on Red Bull, but without a brand. On Saturday, 28 November 2015, Rosberg was again fastest in the third session with a time of 1'41"856. Hamilton was second quickest, almost three tenths slower, unable to get a clean lap to match his team-mate. On the slower soft tyres, one lap was hampered by traffic and another by Hamilton spinning after hitting the kerb in turn five. His attempt at a very fast lap on the supersoft tyres later in the session failed again when he was forced wide after repeating his mistake in turn five. Hamilton was just ahead of Sebastian Vettel, who finished third ahead of Pérez. Daniil Kvyat was unable to record a timed lap as his team worked to resolve an electrical problem. A few hours later, at the start of the first part of qualifying (Q1), Mercedes sent both their drivers out on the faster super-soft compound, while Ferrari stayed on the slower soft tyres. Although Ferrari eventually decided to send both their drivers out on the faster tyres towards the end of the session, Sebastian Vettel aborted his final flying lap, believing his time to be good enough to progress to the next round, only for Jenson Button to set a time that relegated Vettel to 16th on the grid and eliminated him from qualifying.
Vettel would later describe his di lui, and the team's assessment of it, as a small mistake with big consequences. Fernando Alonso, in the other McLaren, failed to make the cut after a puncture on his final lap denied him the chance of a quicker time, while Marcus Ericsson was held up by a technical problem and qualified 18th. Both Manor Marussia drivers finished at the bottom of the standings, with Will Stevens 1.137 seconds ahead of team-mate Roberto Merhi. Lewis Hamilton was fastest in Q2, two-tenths of a second ahead of team-mate Rosberg. In his final qualifying session with Lotus, Romain Grosjean experienced technical difficulties which forced him to return to the pits. Despite being sent out again, he was unable to set a time and retired in turn seven. His team-mate Pastor Maldonado also failed to qualify for Q3, as did Jenson Button, who missed out by two-tenths of a second. The other two drivers eliminated were Felipe Nasr for Sauber and Max Verstappen, who was unable to match the time of his team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr. The top ten drivers vied for pole position in Q3 and it was a battle between the two Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton was the first to set the fastest time, with Rosberg right behind him. A much better time in the third sector of the track allowed Rosberg to take his sixth consecutive pole position, almost four-tenths of a second ahead of his team-mate. Sergio Pérez was third for much of the session, but was overtaken by Kimi Raikkonen on the second run. They were followed on the third row by Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas. Following a gearbox change after qualifying, Romain Grosjean was demoted five places on the grid. Roberto Merhi and Will Stevens also received five-place penalties: Stevens for an electronic control unit change, Merhi for suspension modifications. Both will start from the back row of the grid. Sebastian Vettel took the blame:
"There were no problems, everything went according to plan, we went out on the supersofts, but we thought the ride on the softs was enough and decided to block the second attempt".
Even if the responsibility lies with the team, with someone in the garage (boss Arrivabene exonerates the driver, as he does with Adami, the track engineer) who saw fit to stop him, to tell him that it was enough and that he could save the tyres. There has never been a more nefarious suggestion, because Vettel immediately retired from the fight and will therefore start from the eighth row, on a track where he can hardly overtake and where he dreamed of winning. Arrivabene makes no excuses:
"A big mistake".
When you think about how good Ferrari were (Raikkonen finished third and is in contention for the podium) and what could have been with Sebastian Vettel.
"I think there's always the possibility of doing well, we have a fast car, even better in the race than in the lap. It will be more difficult to start from the back, but it could be a fun race. Today wasn't the best, but we'll see how the race goes, what the others will do".
On the second attempt, the German found Merhi's Marussia in his way, which slowed him down considerably, but he could have widened, overtaken and pushed again, avoiding being fooled by Maldonado for just 0.012 seconds. It does not matter that Raikkonen, with the same strategy as his companion (use the harder tyres and keep the soft ones), avoided the ordeal: Vettel will have to try to do what he failed to do with Alonso in 2010 (where he lost a world title by staying behind the Russian Petrov): turn a flat race into a whirlwind of overtaking.
"He's used to miracles, we need another one".
That was Arrivabene's verdict. A miracle that Rosberg will not be able to pull off for the sixth pole in a row. Hamilton takes the qualifying result badly:
"The new cars for 2016 make it easier, I'm in a free fall and I have to get it right".
Not to give up the throne he has held for two years and not to risk a depression like Alonso, who also suffered a puncture. Dennis, the McLaren team principal, is pushing for him to take a sabbatical:
"It's a hypothesis".
It would save 32,000,000 euros. The Spaniard replied:
"In 2016? Of course I will be there. Ready to compete with the best".
On Sunday 29 November 2015, at the start of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Hamilton slowly pulled away but was able to keep both Pérez and Raikkonen behind him, while Rosberg retained the lead. Further back, Fernando Alonso made contact with Felipe Nasr and then crashed into Pastor Maldonado, who retired. Alonso had to pit for a new front wing and was later given a drive-through penalty which dropped him to the back of the field. Meanwhile, Nico Hulkenberg and Sebastian Vettel made up places and were fifth and twelfth respectively after the first lap. Valtteri Bottas, on the other hand, dropped back to tenth. Rosberg soon opened up a lead of over a second, denying Hamilton the chance to use DRS for an overtaking manoeuvre. By lap 5, both Kvyat and Nasr had come into the pits for the harder compound tyre, followed by Ricciardo, Massa and Pérez one lap later. On the seventh lap, both Hülkenberg and Sainz Jr. made pit stops. While Hülkenberg managed to stay ahead of Massa, Sainz's stop was unfortunate as he lost time due to a tyre change problem. Two laps later, Valtteri Bottas pitted and was sent out into the path of Button, damaging his front wing, which he had to replace on the following lap. He also received a five-second penalty to be served at his next scheduled stop. The leaders pitted for new tyres on laps ten and eleven, with the order now being Rosberg ahead of Vettel, who had not yet stopped, Hamilton and Raikkonen. Romain Grosjean, who like Vettel had started on the harder tyres, moved up to sixth. On lap 13, Felipe Massa passed Marcus Ericsson for ninth and a lap later, Hamilton took advantage of a mistake by Vettel to overtake him and regain second place. Vettel lost another position when he allowed Raikkonen to pass him on lap 16 with the two on different strategies.
Meanwhile, Rosberg had built up a lead of around six seconds over Hamilton. On lap 19, Carlos Sainz Jr. allowed teammate Max Verstappen to pass him as Alonso made his third pit stop of the race, leaving him in last position. Two laps later, Verstappen was forced to pit when his brakes locked and he suffered a flat spot on his tyres. He came out in 15th position. Vettel made his first pit stop on lap 24 and came out in sixth place, ahead of compatriot Nico Hulkenberg. At the same time, Hamilton began to close the gap to Rosberg at the front, reducing it to less than two seconds by lap 29. With his team-mate closing in, Rosberg made a pit stop on lap 32, followed by Raikkonen, whose delayed stop cost him around four seconds. Sergio Pérez began to close the gap on the two Ferrari drivers in front of him after an early pit stop. Vettel reacted on lap 41 by switching to the super-soft tyres and came out of the pits in sixth, behind both Pérez and Ricciardo. A lap later, Hamilton made his second and final pit stop after asking his team if it would be possible to finish the race without stopping again. He emerged twelve seconds behind Rosberg and immediately began to chip away at his advantage. Further down the field, Max Verstappen overtook Nasr and Button to move up to twelfth on laps 44 and 46 respectively. However, he was deemed to have forced Button wide and was given a five-second penalty to be added to his finishing time. On lap 53, Romain Grosjean moved up to the final points position of tenth by overtaking Carlos Sainz Jr. in turn eight. One lap later, he overtook Daniil Kvyat into ninth. At the front, Hamilton was unable to catch his team-mate, who took the chequered flag for his sixth victory of the season.
Kimi Raikkonen completed the podium, followed by Vettel, Pérez and Ricciardo. In another showdown, Nico Rosberg relegated Lewis Hamilton to second place: the German, who started from pole position, made no mistakes and kept Lewis at a safe distance with fast laps, freshly crowned world champion but humiliated at the end of the season. An important moral blow, because this is about team dominance. It's true that Mercedes don't want to be the first driver in the team, but if one driver wins the championship early, the other is likely to be relegated to the role of follower. But no: Rosberg pulled out his claws in this end of the championship and showed a rare speed. Hamilton therefore had to settle for second place (a minimal result with a Mercedes under his butt), while applause went to Raikkonen, who put Ferrari on the podium. In short, Rosberg triumphed at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Mercedes completed the double and ended a record year in style. In the final race of the season, the German celebrated a third consecutive victory and sixth of the season, taking a small measure of revenge on his team-mate Lewis Hamilton. The Englishman, who has already been crowned world champion, had to settle for second place, which is still worth its weight in gold for his team. Mercedes, the dominant team this season, have other records to celebrate: 16 victories as in 2014, 12 doubles (one more than a year ago) and 32 season podiums (31 in 2014).
"It was a very tough weekend, Austin was the low point of the year, but I reacted with great strength and I'm delighted with how it went. We are at the end of the season, but if it was up to me I would start again tomorrow, I don't even need to go on holiday".
Nico Rosberg was ecstatic after his victory in Abu Dhabi, his third in a row and sixth of the season.
"It's always difficult to race against Hamilton, who does a fantastic job, he's one of the best drivers out there, but it's also a better feeling to win against such a strong opponent. I fight for these battles and look forward to more".
With his mind already on 2016, Rosberg knows that Ferrari will be a threat:
"But we'll try not to get too close to them and maintain this form to start next year in the best possible way".
Second in Abu Dhabi but with his third world title on the board, Lewis Hamilton pays tribute to his team.
"It has been a fantastic season, I am happy and I have to take my hat off to this team, they have done a fantastic job with the car, they have gone beyond expectations. We have shown that Mercedes is the best team in the world and I am proud to be a part of it".
Ferrari were able to console themselves with another podium finish, thanks to an excellent third place from Kimi Raikkonen, and the good comeback of Sebastian Vettel from fifteenth on the grid to fourth overall.
"I am very happy, it has been a wonderful year for all the Ferrari guys, the road has been uphill and step by step they have got back on their feet".
These were the words of Ferrari Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene, who thanked his team for the results achieved this season:
"Thanks to everyone, next year will be even more difficult, but in the meantime let's enjoy it. Our goal is to regain the Mercedes and stay ahead of them. Thank you all".
Sebastian Vettel is pleased with his fourth place finish in Abu Dhabi, especially considering he started fifteenth due to a strategy mistake in Q1 qualifying.
"Obviously, starting from the back, I had some difficulty overtaking, but in the end the speed was there and third and fourth was the best I could do. Kimi and I had pretty similar behaviour and made the most of it. When I was in front of him, I let him pass to push harder, but the Mercedes were faster".
Vettel adds.
"We know we have to work for next year, but for now we're thinking about having a good toast and having fun here and in Maranello, where I'll be attending my first Christmas dinner. It will be my first time. It's been a good season. I'm happy to have joined this team and to be here. I hope the winter will be short. For now, I repeat, we have to celebrate the work that everyone has done, both on the track and in Maranello. We are proud of ourselves, of this season, which has given us great momentum and brought a lot of smiles back to the team. People are happy and we are looking forward to next year. I think it's pretty simple to know that we have to overtake Mercedes next year. We have learnt a lot from this year. We were good at getting closer. Now the break gives us the chance to improve. We have to focus on ourselves and hope to be stronger next year".
Third in Abu Dhabi, Kimi Raikkonen tries to look on the bright side, while acknowledging Ferrari's inferiority to Mercedes.
"Everything went well today, everything went smoothly and the car was very drivable, but we're still not strong enough to beat them, even though we did our best. We had a better start to the season, but it hasn't been an ideal year and sometimes it goes like this. The speed was always there, but some mistakes and some problems meant that the final result was often not positive".
Maurizio Arrivabene has no regrets and gives the team top marks for 2015, saying:
"We climbed a mountain, we reached the top with the strength of the group, it is a pity that someone finished the climb before us. But our growth has been impressive: we had a significant gap to Mercedes, which we have almost eliminated".
The first step. But Arrivabene has no intention of stopping now:
"You have to reach them and then overcome them. In 2016, we simply have to win. That is the declared objective, that is what President Marchionne is asking for, he is always close to us, urging us to do our best, but we cannot betray him. The difference between a good season and an excellent season is simple: it will only be exceptional if Ferrari brings the world championship back to Maranello".
A mission that Vettel hopes to achieve soon. The German has no regrets about Saturday's huge qualifying mistake:
"It's over. Fourth place is the best you can do, with overtaking and strategies, better to think about next year. I've never seen a team improve so much in just a few months, Ferrari has been a miracle. Now, with a winning winter, we have to complete it: the last step is the most difficult, but I believe in it".
He is convinced, Raikkonen hopeful, Arrivabene determined, Mercedes cautious, which lost a political battle in Abu Dhabi, with the judges rejecting the request for clarification against unknown persons (but the recipient was Ferrari and the collaboration with the American Haas, competing since 2016), on technical assistance to future teams that can circumvent the rules (limited hours in the wind tunnel) and create an advantage. The judges ruled that Ferrari had not committed any offences, but that from now on the teams that had applied to enter the championship would have to behave like future competitors once they had been registered. A double blow for Maranello: it has exploited the loophole in the regulations and now no one else will be able to do the same. Mercedes is drawing up plans, freezing positions on the track with strategy (Hamilton would have liked to differentiate himself from Rosberg to overtake him, but they didn't let him) and raising its guard for 2016:
"Ferrari are a threat, but we are always the strongest. It will be the same in 2016".
After a triumphant 2015 and with a view to the next world championship, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff sets the record straight, fed up with the climate in the Anglo-German team due to too many conflicts between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg:
"If the relationship between our drivers doesn't improve, we'll have to make a change. That is the only weak link in our team. It's not easy to manage a driver who is always disgruntled within the team. It is a situation that has to be stopped. Three years ago we decided to have two riders of the same level in order to speed up the growth of the team. But we have to rethink the whole situation and see if this is the right set-up for Mercedes. If situations arise that are not in line with the spirit and philosophy of the team, then we will have to change something for the future and make different decisions".
Nico Rosberg, in particular, is under threat, not only because of Lewis Hamilton's more convincing results, but also because the Briton has just signed a contract extension until 2018, while the Son of Art's contract expires at the end of 2016:
"We have a lot of work to do before next season. The team is stronger than ever, but to win you need unity and the difficult relationship between the riders is a weakness that we need to work on, just as there was sometimes a lack of proper communication between the riders and the team. This is another aspect that we need to correct".
Bad, ruthless, unpleasant and therefore feared. We are talking about Ferrari. More precisely, the new Ferrari of Sergio Marchionne and Maurizio Arrivabene. After twelve months of maintenance, the transformation can be considered complete, the shiny, political, quiet years of Luca Montezemolo are finally behind us, we have moved on to the diktats and vetoes with which the new president is terrorising not only Maranello but the whole paddock. Whether the change is for the better or for the worse, only time will tell. For now, we can only observe that the image of Ferrari is completely different today. The case of the spy story, denounced by Mercedes, is very significant, over and above the real (unlikely) advantages on the track that it brought to the Maranello team. Ferrari has denied hiring the engineer who stole the data from Stuttgart, and it seems certain that not a single piece of information reached Maranello. However, the nervousness with which Mercedes has put Ferrari on the spot is still evident:
"He could potentially have benefited".
A few weeks earlier, another sign of life had arrived from Ferrari. A trick in the style of Briatore or, if you prefer, Ross Brawn. He still had stuff he hadn't seen for years. It turned out that Ferrari's technical director, James Allison, had surprised everyone by taking advantage of the partnership with the Haas team (who, having just entered F1, had no limits on their use of the wind tunnel) and making money, at least that's what the technicians said, of up to half a second per lap thanks to the - borderline - use of the US wind tunnel. But the real blow came at the end of October, when Marchionne decided to use his notorious veto to block a proposal from Jean Todt regarding the 2017 engines.
"It goes against Ferrari's interests".
Marchionne explains. Who has shown that he has very quickly understood the true nature of F1, a non-sport where whoever is in charge wins. It's not that Montezemolo didn't know (he won a lot), it's just that he tried to lead by playing on the side. At a certain point, however, he was no longer able to do so and the power went back into the hands of Bernie Ecclestone and the British, who never gave it back to him. Marchionne decided to take a more direct approach. He banged his fist on the table and has since become the main enemy of F1 power. Its structure is now a wall against a wall: on one side, as the English sites write, the Ferrari of the cardigan-wearing assassin, with Marchionne in perfect solitude; on the other, a cartel led by the highlander Bernie Ecclestone and composed of the FIA president Jean Todt, the black eminence Max Mosley and the boss of Red Bull, Dietrich Mateschitz.
"The right of veto is like a gun, you have to use it carefully".
Todt complains ominously that he has had this right for years and therefore knows how much it weighs. But the problem is that Marchionne now holds that gun. And, in Ecclestone's words, you either disarm or lose someone like that. To break the Mercedes-Ferrari dualism in the name of the future of F1. This is Bernie Ecclestone's mission, as he puts it, and he has unleashed a sword in a blistering attack on the two top teams who are allegedly taking steps to prevent the FIA from introducing rules that would penalise them.
"We are trying to save F1, while Ferrari and Mercedes are trying to save their interests".
says the patron of the circus, criticising without too many words the behaviour of the two teams and their attempts to prevent changes to the regulations that are not going in the direction they had hoped. Among other things, the Boss refers to a legal letter written by Ferrari in which the Maranello team argues that the FIA did not have the right to give Ecclestone a mandate to change the rules. The reference is to last week's decision by the FIA World Council, which met in Paris, to give Jean Todt and Ecclestone the power to make recommendations and decisions on a number of pressing issues in Formula One, including governance, power units and cost reduction.
"The only thing we can do is to ignore what Ferrari has said and continue to respond: You have a choice: you can leave or you can go to arbitration and see what the referees think. I think if we had gone to arbitration we would have won easily".
Ecclestone's comments are the latest stage in an increasingly bitter battle for power and control in the four-wheeled circus that is the World Championship. According to the British executive, the influence of the Anglo-German team and that of Maranello as engine suppliers to more than half the grid means that these two teams alone have complete control of the F1 Commission, the body which proposes legislative reforms to Formula One to the World Council. Bernie Ecclestone then argues that when Mercedes F1 Team Principal Toto Wolff raises his hand and says that Christmas Day will soon be 26 December, everyone agrees. And the same goes for Ferrari.
"There are a number of things we could and should be doing to get F1 back on track. We are in show business and we are there to entertain the public, not to put on a show for Mercedes or Ferrari to show and sell their cars".
From Ferrari's point of view, based on the letter referred to by Ecclestone, which refers to an email to clarify the positions already expressed at the World Council, the Maranello team simply wants to ensure that the governance principles established by Ecclestone and the FIA and agreed with the other parties continue to be upheld. As far as the power of the two teams in the F1 Commission is concerned, Ferrari calls Ecclestone's thesis questionable and then ironises:
"As far as Ferrari is concerned, Christmas will continue to fall on 25 December this year and in the future".
Bernie Ecclestone also argues that Mercedes, due to their dominant position in the world championship, do not want to change the rules regarding the power unit and that Ferrari seem to follow them. Furthermore, according to Ecclestone, Mercedes would have been of great help to Ferrari with their engine design. For the Maranello team, this is a bizarre thesis:
"For us, Mercedes is and always has been an opponent to beat and we believe they feel the same about Ferrari".
Ecclestone says he wants to present a much simpler engine that could be sold to customer teams for as little as €7.000.000, while the cost of an existing engine for a customer team now ranges from €18.000.000 to €23.000.000.
"It is incredible how the Alfa Romeo brand remains in people's hearts. It is for this reason that we are thinking of its return, as our competitor, to racing, to Formula 1".
Sergio Marchionne, on the sidelines of the exchange of greetings with F1 journalists, does not talk about Bernie Ecclestone and his statements, but rather dwells on future projects.
"It is important that Alfa Romeo returns. It will be another competitor".
But Marchionne is also provocative:
"Ferrari leaving F1 is a possible but very unlikely hypothesis. If they don't want us, we'll leave".
The president of the Maranello factory said this during the conference on the new rules and the issue of supplying engines to small teams.
"If they want to turn F1 into Nascar, they can do without us".
Not in agreement with Red Bull?
"It would have been dangerous for Ferrari's competitiveness".
The Ferrari President then takes stock of the recently concluded World Championship:
"2015 was a great season. The team was there, the car was there, we could have done more. But I think we made a few mistakes in some races, but basically I'm very happy. Considering where we started at the beginning of the season, which is the real benchmark".
The opponent to beat, again in 2016, is Mercedes:
"It doesn't make sense to do the maths in December and say how good we are now. You have to live in fear until the first race, in Australia, when you'll know if we've caught up with Mercedes or overtaken them".
President Sergio Marchionne and Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene admit that, with all due respect to the others, their positive fear is still Mercedes. Marchionne does not even spare the former Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso:
"After five years in Maranello, Fernando Alonso has become less of a Ferrari fan than Sebastian Vettel was from the start. Sebastian impressed me a lot at the dinner last Saturday, when he spoke in Italian in front of 1200 people. He was incredibly accomplished. He has a great heart and a great bond with the team. Every day he becomes more and more of a Ferrari fan".
Recharge your batteries to start the New Year with the right energy to bring Ferrari back to the level it deserves. This is the common goal of the two Ferrari drivers who, before leaving for the Christmas holidays, took stock of the year and shared their expectations for the coming season.
"In 2016 we want to be competitive with Mercedes, so I can't go into details and reveal our secrets...".
President Marchionne has said that Ferrari must be competitive again in 2016 and the German driver agrees:
"We certainly need to improve in many areas, such as aerodynamics and the engine, but I think this season's results have shown that we are on the right track. Now we just have to focus on ourselves".
Vettel finished his first season with Ferrari with thirteen podium finishes (a new record for a Ferrari rookie), including three wins in Malaysia, Hungary and Singapore.
"I would say the results have surprised me the most. I honestly didn't expect a season like this, we've been fast".
Now for some relaxation:
"The winter break is really short. After months in hotels, I think I will spend a lot of time at home, relaxing and spending time with my family and friends".
Kimi Raikkonen will also use the break to recharge his batteries before preparing for the 2016 season:
"A year ends and people expect more and more from what is to come. More than the team did this year, which was good. But every season is different, people change. The atmosphere in the team has been very good compared to the past. And then at Christmas everyone is happier because they can enjoy a few days off. There is a nice, relaxed atmosphere. It's clear that we want to win. It won't be easy because a lot of other teams have the same idea, but we have to give 100% to bring the title back to Maranello. We'll see what happens, for now we can only wait for the winter tests and the first race".
Raikkonen concludes with his holiday plans:
"At this time you want to be with your family. Unfortunately there aren't many days, we start again in January. I'm going to take some time for myself to relax and be ready for 2016".