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The transition from Ferrari-branded Formula E to Alfa Romeo-branded Formula 1 is on the horizon. Sergio Marchionne outlines ambitions and goals in the realms of sports, business, and the automotive world. In an interview, he emphasizes the need for Ferrari, now competitive in the Circus with Sebastian Vettel's triumph in Melbourne, to also participate in the electric car championship, Formula E. This championship features automotive giants like Audi, Renault, DS Citroën, and Jaguar, with BMW joining in 2018.
"We need to be involved in Formula E because electric via hybrid is becoming part of our future. Hybrid is crucial for Ferrari. Regulations may put pressure on us, but we have been able to achieve our goals in other ways".
Formula E, established in 2014 by the FIA led by Jean Todt, races on city circuits across five continents, from Monaco to Montreal, Buenos Aires to Berlin, and Paris to New York. All teams use the same chassis and battery, starting on an equal footing. The driver's skills and the car's power and efficiency make the difference. Noteworthy in Formula E is the fan boost, allowing fans to give their favorite drivers a power boost through online voting. After the success in the Circus, where the Maranello team won the first Grand Prix in Australia, Marchionne aims to invigorate Ferrari by participating in electric racing.
"The challenge is to benefit from hybrid not only in terms of emissions but also performance. We have already developed a hybrid supercar, and future Ferrari models will leverage this technology and electric power".
Another future goal for the FCA group involves the potential return of Alfa Romeo to Formula 1, as hinted by Marchionne in the past.
"Another goal is to see Alfa Romeo return to Formula 1 one day because I firmly believe that is where this brand should be. At this stage, I don't know how likely either of these things will happen. But the fact that we're talking about it is a good sign in itself".
In the context of future motorsport, a meeting in Paris on March 31, 2017, at the FIA headquarters, involves constructors discussing the power unit that will follow the hybrid system in Formula 1 until 2020. Alfa Romeo's Chief Technology Officer, Heinz Harald Wester, and Audi Volkswagen Group's president and Lamborghini CEO, Stefano Domenicali, are present. The meeting also includes Wolfgang Hatz. Marchionne comments on the shift in Formula 1's commercial leadership from Bernie Ecclestone's company to Liberty Media.
"First of all, we need to thank Bernie. He did an incredible job all these years, making Formula 1 one of the most popular sports globally. The new owners have already said they want more digital activities and push the entertainment side to attract a new audience. This can only make us happy, and we will continue to work with them and the FIA towards our common interest in making the sport a great success".
Confirming previous speculations, Antonio Giovinazzi will drive for Sauber in the upcoming Grand Prix in China after his impressive debut in Australia, replacing the still-recovering Pascal Wehrlein.
"My priority is to train intensively to ensure 100% performance as soon as possible, then I will be ready for my first race weekend with Sauber. Hopefully, this can happen in Bahrain, but if not, we will take the necessary time until the race in Russia".
It looks like a third Grand Prix is on the horizon for Giovinazzi. In that case, he would lose his rookie status and the opportunity to test for Ferrari. It's a situation that surely wouldn't worry the driver, as he would have the chance to prove himself in official races.
"Mercedes is the favorite for Sunday".
After two weeks of glory, Sebastian Vettel preaches calm ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, the second event of the World Championship. The season has just begun, and illusions, like easy enthusiasms after the victory in Melbourne, can cause irreparable damage. Called by the FIA to a (mandatory) press conference that interrupts the strange silence imposed by Ferrari's management, on Thursday, April 6, 2017, the German driver - leading the World Championship standings for the first time since 2013 - tries to lower expectations as much as possible.
"The victory in Melbourne was a nice reward for the work of all the Ferrari men who made many sacrifices. It worked as a bit of medicine. It was beautiful to return to Maranello and be celebrated in that way. But our approach to the season and the next race must not change. We feel comfortable with this car, but Mercedes starts as the favorite".
Sitting next to the Ferrari driver is Max Verstappen, the Red Bull talent who left the paddock in awe last year at Interlagos for his performance in the wet. This introduces the real theme of the weekend. Rain is expected on Sunday, and the prospect of a wet race is just what is needed to shake up the cards in this surprisingly impressive start to the season.
"I don't know if I can repeat last year. We were much more competitive than we are now. Now, we just have to suffer and work".
While Ferrari has undoubtedly been the protagonist of this early season, Red Bull has been the big disappointment: in the paddock, the Renault engine that supplies Dietrich Mateschitz's team is estimated to be about 50 horsepower behind.
"In France, they are working to reach the performance of Mercedes and Ferrari. But for now, we are not at their level".
With the difficulties of Red Bull, the greatest danger for Ferrari is represented by Hamilton. The Briton appeared quite determined to put the Australian weekend behind him.
"Hopefully, it won't all be decided by strategy, overtaking in pit stops. I want to battle on the track: I live for that".
A statement that carries the flavor of a jab at Ferrari, or perhaps directly at Mercedes, which denied him the opportunity to measure himself against Vettel.
"My favorite type of competition is go-karting; they are still by far the best races because they are always wheel-to-wheel from start to finish. I'm eager to have a duel against a four-time World Champion".
Antonio Giovinazzi will also be in China, behind the wheel of the Sauber for the second time, replacing the unwell Wehrlein.
"Scoring a point in the Chinese Grand Prix would change my career. It will be a completely different weekend. There might be rain. Having experience on a wet track will be challenging, but I will do my best".
When it comes to his future, the Italian driver stays grounded:
"I am the third driver for Ferrari. In China, I will be able to drive again, and I will have more time to prepare for the race. I need to gain a lot of experience, but it's too early this year to think about the next season".
In the golden years of Ferrari, during Michael Schumacher's record-breaking era, the Anglo-Saxon press openly accused the FIA of helping Ferrari (the acronym was mockingly modified to Ferrari International Assistance). As the dominance shifted first to the Anglo-Austrians of Red Bull and then to the Anglo-Germans of Mercedes, the controversies subsided. But now that the Maranello team seems to be back in a winning position, the paddock is once again talking about alleged assistance. Helmut Marko, the personal consultant of Dietrich Mateschitz, the owner of Red Bull Racing, is the one voicing and substantiating the accusations.
"The FIA has succumbed to pressure from Ferrari and has adopted a rather peculiar procedure towards Mercedes and Red Bull".
Marko's speech revolves around the infamous topic of intelligent suspensions. Both Red Bull and Mercedes had built their cars around a suspension concept that read the track, adjusting the setup according to the circuit's characteristics. In winter, during the design phase, Ferrari, well-informed, had asked the FIA for clarification on this matter. In F1, it's a way to either prompt the Federation to ban or to get the green light to copy. Following Ferrari's request, the FIA set a very clear barrier:
"If a suspension lowers at a certain speed and returns to the original position at a different speed, there's something wrong. If the team can't explain how this happens, they won't be allowed to use the device".
Charlie Whiting said this before the Australian Grand Prix, emphasizing that suspensions must be designed to perform only their intended task. Both Red Bull and Mercedes had to overhaul everything, resulting in a significant loss of on-track performance. As seen. Now, let's open a small parenthesis about the internal dynamics of F1. The most cunning have always seen Whiting as the executor, at the FIA, of the wishes of the commercial branch, in other words: Bernie Ecclestone's long arm, who occasionally needed to give a helping hand to this or that team. Whether they were speculations or not, it is a fact that coinciding with Ecclestone's departure, Jean Todt added two young and ambitious engineers to Whiting: Marcin Budkowski and Laurent Mekies. Much of their work is reflected in the decision to issue a verdict as clear as that on suspensions. It is, in fact, against them that Red Bull's arrows are aimed.
"It was really peculiar. Ferrari bombarded the FIA with requests and questions. They exerted enormous pressure. And the FIA ended up shifting the burden of proof. They didn't tell us we're illegal, but we have to prove that we're legal".
However, Marko omits to mention that this was not possible. This is being discussed on Friday, May 7th in Shanghai, as bad weather forces the race direction to cancel the second free practice session. The race direction makes the decision after noting that the problem is not so much the wet asphalt but the patches of fog hovering over the area, making it problematic in case of an accident to lift the rescue helicopter into the air and, above all, land it safely at the designated hospital in Shanghai. In the shortened first session, only ten cars started or completed the installation lap before the red flag was displayed. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) was the fastest, confirming once again his comfort in wet conditions. Second fastest was Felipe Massa, third Lance Stroll. Ferrari, as well as Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes, stayed in the pits. While waiting for the definitive stop, the drivers passed the time by filming and photographing the grandstands along the main straight, filled with spectators. Hamilton was among the most active in gathering material to enrich his social media. Sebastian Vettel was sorry, especially for not giving the fans the chance to enjoy the show.
"Too bad for today, especially for the people who came here to watch, but what can we do? In these days, there have been many fans and many messages from people who have expressed their joy for the result in Australia. Let's see what we can do tomorrow and hope to have the right setup, otherwise it will be difficult. We are confident we can do it. And tomorrow the weather will be better".
Kimi Raikkonen adds:
"Today we didn't learn anything: after the installation lap, we wanted to go back on track, but the session was interrupted. It's a shame, but it's the same for everyone; we can't change the weather, and sometimes things go this way. It wasn't an ideal day, but even if we had driven today, it would have been in wet conditions, and tomorrow it won't rain. So, we wait to see what the weather will be like tomorrow and how things will go".
The upcoming race on October 1st at Sepang will be the last Formula 1 Grand Prix in Malaysia. The organizers, informed by the local government in November 2016 that they would no longer receive funding, reached an agreement with Liberty Media to terminate the contract after this year's race. The high costs and poor ticket sales forced Malaysia to step back 18 years after hosting its first Grand Prix. The new ownership, however, minimizes the loss. Sean Bratches, managing director of the circus, says:
"We will have 21 great races on the calendar next season with the addition of the French and German Grands Prix".
On Saturday, April 8, 2017, during the third and final practice session, Ferrari's two drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen, set the fastest times. The Finnish driver follows in second place, just 0.053 seconds behind. The Mercedes drivers follow closely, focusing heavily on studying the different tires to use in the race. Valtteri Bottas, in third, completes most of the session without the T-wing, which flew off the car at full speed. The Anglo-German team decides not to replace it to allow the driver to complete as many laps as possible. A few hours later, the qualifying session takes place without rain. In the early minutes of the first phase, Romain Grosjean, victim of a puncture, spins at the last corner, narrowly avoiding the trackside wall. The car is safe, and the Frenchman can return to the pits. Max Verstappen suffers more severe technical problems and fails to set valid lap times. Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel sets the fastest time, placing himself ahead of the two Mercedes, before Kimi Räikkönen intervenes between the two Anglo-German drivers. In the final moments of the session, Antonio Giovinazzi, fighting for access to the next phase, goes off the track and crashes violently into the barriers. The session is red-flagged and not resumed. Eliminated are Stoffel Vandoorne, Romain Grosjean (penalized by the Italian's incident, as he was about to complete a lap that could have allowed him to enter the second phase), Max Verstappen, Jolyon Palmer, and Esteban Ocon.
The second phase resumes after a fifteen-minute interruption needed for track marshals to clean the track after Giovinazzi's accident. The Italian driver of Sauber cannot participate in Q2 as his car is not repairable. In the second phase, Ferrari and Mercedes drivers fight for the top four positions, while other drivers are more than a second behind. Hamilton decides not to complete the entire second phase, while the two Italian team drivers also try in the final minutes of Q2 to test the tires for the decisive phase for pole position. The last moments of the session allow Nico Hülkenberg to move up among those qualifying for Q3, while Carlos Sainz Jr., Kevin Magnussen, Fernando Alonso, and the two Sauber drivers are eliminated. In Q3, Lewis Hamilton sets the fastest time, preceding Valtteri Bottas by 0.3 seconds and Kimi Räikkönen by 0.7 seconds. After his first attempt, Sebastian Vettel is second, 0.2 seconds behind the British driver. With the second and final attempt, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas improve their times, as does Sebastian Vettel, who manages to overtake the Finnish Mercedes driver by 0.001 seconds. The first two rows are the same as those in the Australian Grand Prix. Ricciardo is fifth, 1.5 seconds behind the pole sitter. Lewis Hamilton secures his sixth consecutive pole position, the sixty-third in total.
At the end of qualifying, Jolyon Palmer and Romain Grosjean are penalized with the loss of five positions on the starting grid and three points on the Super License for not respecting yellow flags in Q1, while Antonio Giovinazzi suffers the same penalty for a gearbox replacement. The second pole of the season goes once again to Lewis Hamilton. But the news coming loud and clear from Shanghai is that Ferrari's victory in Melbourne was not a one-time occurrence, the result of luck or a strategic mistake by Mercedes. The truth is that Ferrari has recovered almost all the disadvantage it had compared to Mercedes, allowing Sebastian Vettel to impressively approach the performance of the reigning World Champions. If Lewis Hamilton set a time of 1'31"678, Sebastian Vettel stopped just 0.184 seconds behind the British driver. The data is even more surprising considering that in Australia, on a shorter circuit, the gap was almost 0.3 seconds. Behind the top two, Valtteri Bottas delivers an excellent performance, becoming increasingly comfortable with the car that once belonged to Nico Rosberg. Beyond the times, it's essential to discuss how this result has matured. Mercedes, dealing with an inexplicable lack of correlation between simulator data and on-track data, especially regarding the consumption of rear tires, fought against itself all day. The drivers and the track engineers always seemed to struggle, experimenting with aerodynamics at the end of free practice in a more haphazard and empirical way than usual. On the other hand, the Ferrari team appeared confident from the start, always finding the right timing whenever the drivers pushed the accelerator. And it's this calmness that seems to be the best quality of a group that, after seasons of total confusion, has suddenly found itself. It's been years since we've seen qualifying battles like these (between two different teams). The balance that has been created between the top two cars is an adrenaline shot for the entire circus, and the first to benefit are the drivers themselves. Lewis Hamilton says:
"It's been years since I've been waiting for a qualifying like this where the result was decided at the last corner. Ferrari seems really fast".
Sebastian Vettel adds:
"I had fun too, but if I had been a bit faster, I would have had even more fun. How important this second place is, we'll see tomorrow. Maybe at the end of Q3, I was a bit cowardly; I should have pushed more".
Rain is expected for the race:
"Ferrari has proven to be strong in every condition. We can still improve here".
Vettel's capture of the front row today is an excellent starting point for the race. Heavy rain is expected, and this will shuffle the deck significantly. From this perspective, it's a shame that one of the anticipated protagonists in every wet race, Max Verstappen, has been relegated to starting from the penultimate position due to Antonio Giovinazzi's incident in Q1. As for Giovinazzi, he made exactly the mistake he didn't want to make:
"It was a fairly positive qualifying until that corner; I was improving my fast lap, already in Q2, pushing to improve even more, but I touched the synthetic grass on the exit with the rear wheel and couldn't control the car."
The Italian is fifteenth and couldn't fight to get close to the top ten:
"I apologize to the team for the mistake; tomorrow I hope it's a better day. But as I said in Melbourne and at the beginning of the weekend, I'm here to learn; it happens to all drivers to make mistakes, the important thing is to learn from them, I hope to do better tomorrow".
Bottas, the second Mercedes driver, narrowly missed the second position:
"A thousandth is nothing; too bad, Vettel managed to get between us. Too bad, but the race is tomorrow, we start from the first and third positions, and it's not bad".
The Finn doesn't hide his hope for rain:
"With unpredictable weather, anything can happen. Hamilton was strong, but we expected a battle on the track, and I believe it will happen again tomorrow. The car has been set up very well in a short time, and it's fantastic; we'll see what happens tomorrow".
Niki Lauda is straightforward.
"The secret of Ferrari? A Swiss guy making Italians work".
This characteristic is emphasized a bit more when he talks about Ferrari. It started in 1974 when asked what he found in Maranello:
"A big mess".
A diagnosis he repeated a couple of eras later in 2009. It was post-Schumacher, and Ferrari had lost direction:
"There are too many Italians in the team".
It was a sentence worsened by the reasoning:
"Ross Brawn, who was English, was the ideal bridge between the Italians with their spaghetti culture and Schumacher with his German efficiency. But now Ross is no longer there".
In 2014, he was even harsher:
"In Maranello, they made a shit car".
Which, as he politely noted, didn't improve in 2015:
"If they keep making only spaghetti…”.
But now it seems the spaghetti is over.
"Yes, indeed. Vettel is there, challenging. Yesterday I bet 10 euros with Toto Wolff on his pole. And this confirms what was seen during the tests and in Melbourne: Ferrari this year is a big threat to Mercedes".
Whose merit do you think it is?
"They are technical merits, undoubtedly, so Binotto's".
Doesn't this contradict your theory that Italians only create chaos?
"No, not at all. Italians consider Binotto Italian. Instead, he's Swiss. And it shows. Ferrari works because there's a Swiss guy who has organized the Italians, making them work, allowing them to express creativity and ideas. Making each one responsible for their work but putting them together in the right way".
More important, Binotto or Arrivabene?
"Binotto is the technician, Arrivabene the boss. The key figure is Binotto, undoubtedly. At least seen from the outside. More than an engineer, he's a manager. Someone who gives freedom to individual designers and ultimately tells them which direction to go to do a perfect job".
In the role of the Swiss, until last year, there was James Allison, who is now with Mercedes, and he is English like Ross Brawn. Why couldn't he do the same?
"I don't know what happened between Marchionne and James. I can only say that I'm very happy to have him with us".
Talking with Allison about Ferrari's resurgence, did he seem surprised?
"We didn't talk about it. The truth is, we noticed it already during testing. We expected a strong Red Bull, but instead, we found Ferrari. The Red Bull at the moment is not going anywhere".
Can we say that Mercedes is ahead in qualifying while Ferrari has a better race pace?
"I think Ferrari is as good as Mercedes in qualifying, while in the race, it might even be faster. I have the impression that Ferrari performs better in hot conditions, and we perform better in the cold".
In the end, what will make the difference?
"The speed of the teams in developing the cars. To win, you have to do more, earlier, and better".
This balance is perfect for the spectacle in F1. Don't you think?
"Yes, it's good, but I don't give a damn about the sport: I want to win every race. And now it has become more complicated".
On Sunday, April 9, 2017, the start of the Chinese Grand Prix took place on a wet track. All drivers, except Carlos Sainz Jr., opted for intermediate wet tires. At the end of the formation lap, Jolyon Palmer headed straight to the pits to switch to dry tires. At the start, Lewis Hamilton took the lead, followed by Sebastian Vettel, Valtteri Bottas, and Kimi Räikkönen, who was dueling with Daniel Ricciardo. Lance Stroll ended up in the gravel, pushed by a Force India, leading to the imposition of the Virtual Safety Car. Many drivers took advantage of the situation to change tires. The two Mercedes, as well as Räikkönen and Ricciardo, remained on the track. Later, Antonio Giovinazzi crashed into the barrier after the last turn, following a long run by his teammate, Marcus Ericsson, in the same corner. In this case, the race direction decided to deploy the Safety Car, and cars paraded through the pit lane. Many took the opportunity to change tires during the race neutralization. On lap 8, the race resumed with Lewis Hamilton leading Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, who had started 16th. The following positions were occupied by the two Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen, then Carlos Sainz Jr., Fernando Alonso, Sergio Pérez, and Kevin Magnussen. Bottas was in eleventh place after a spin. On lap 11, Max Verstappen overtook Daniel Ricciardo, while the Australian managed to defend himself against Kimi Räikkönen in the following laps, who was experiencing engine problems. The situation remained unchanged until lap 20 when Sebastian Vettel overtook his teammate and, two laps later, also passed Daniel Ricciardo. The German continued his comeback on lap 28, taking advantage of a mistake by Max Verstappen, moving up to second place. Verstappen went to the pits with a damaged tire, dropping to sixth place, behind Valtteri Bottas as well.
On lap 33, Max Verstappen overtook Valtteri Bottas, moving up to fifth place. In the following laps, all other drivers made their pit stops. Max Verstappen gained another position at the expense of Daniel Ricciardo. On lap 40, Kimi Räikkönen also made a pit stop, rejoining the track behind the Red Bull Racing cars of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo, and Carlos Sainz Jr. The Finn passed the Spaniard during the next lap. On lap 44, Valtteri Bottas overtook Carlos Sainz Jr. and moved up to sixth place. Lewis Hamilton wins the Chinese Grand Prix, securing his third Grand Slam with pole position, fastest lap, victory, and leading the race from start to finish. Hamilton also notches his 106th career podium, tying with Alain Prost in the all-time standings. Moreover, the British driver joins Sebastian Vettel at the top of the World Championship standings, sending a clear message to everyone. Despite the relatively comfortable margin (almost 7 seconds) with which Hamilton won in Shanghai, it doesn't tell the whole story of the technical difference between Mercedes and Ferrari or between the two drivers. Vettel's race was heavily influenced by luck. His aggressive move at the start, attempting an early pit stop to potentially challenge Hamilton, was nullified by two consecutive Safety Cars (the first virtual, the second physical, caused by Giovinazzi crashing his Sauber into the wall on the straight). In the end, the situation turned against Sebastian, forcing him to restart the race in sixth position with no tire advantage. Despite this disadvantage, Vettel managed to climb back up the ranks, not too slowly, and seriously threaten Hamilton's Mercedes. Unlike the previous year when Mercedes was accustomed to pulling away easily, this time, ten laps from the end, Hamilton's engineer from the Mercedes pit issued a warning to the three-time World Champion:
"Pick up the pace, or they'll catch us".
Hamilton's response?
"What the hell happened? They were twelve seconds behind".
Scenes and words that perfectly describe the miracle achieved by Ferrari, which managed to bridge the seemingly insurmountable gap from last year through masterful winter work. The Ferrari today appears as a completely different machine from what we were accustomed to seeing. Vettel is perfectly at ease, bringing tranquility to the entire environment, which makes fewer mistakes and seems more inclined to creativity, as evidenced by the two early pit stops tried during the race.
Kimi Räikkönen, on the other hand, seems less comfortable with this car. The Finn continues to have races completely different from those of his teammate. Today, for example, he finished 48 seconds behind Hamilton, in fifth place. It's a pity because, considering Bottas's poor performance, sixth on Mercedes, he could have given the team a day at the top of the Constructors' Championship (but in the end, Mercedes leads by one point). The gloomy day in Shanghai also told another story: while overtaking difficulties due to the new regulations are a theme, it's not so dramatic. In fact, there are two championships being contested, one between Ferrari and Mercedes (read: Vettel and Hamilton) and one among all the others, with Red Bull still not in the picture. Speaking of Red Bull, it was amusing to consider that as long as the weather conditions are difficult (and the cars don't need much engine power), Ricciardo and Verstappen can be strong (meaning the chassis is good, the engine not so much). Particularly Verstappen: in wet conditions, he's the best around. Starting sixteenth, after just one lap, he was seventh. Midway through the race, he was third, a position he maintained until the end thanks to a consistently on-the-edge driving style (memorable overtakes on Ricciardo and Räikkönen) and a very aggressive strategy. Ricciardo also did well, after enduring the aggression of his teammate and Vettel, he managed to regain composure. Towards the end, he almost returned the favor to Verstappen. All things considered, for the Milton Keynes team, a podium and a fourth place at this stage of the season are an unexpected haul. Sebastian Vettel couldn't replicate his success, finishing second behind Lewis Hamilton in the Chinese Grand Prix. The German driver still thanked his engineers, as usual in Italian:
"Thanks guys, we did a great job".
And indeed, Ferrari did a good job, considering the great speed of the German. The four-time World Champion couldn't fight for the top step of the podium due to a controversial start to the race:
"My start was positive, but I wasn't happy with the degradation of the intermediates. I took the risk of an early tire change, and the second safety car took away my advantage".
Indeed, Giovinazzi's incident gifted a pit stop to Hamilton, relegating the German behind the slower Räikkönen and Ricciardo.
"The group slowed me down, but then I had a lot of fun, the race was exciting. I'm happy with the overtakes I made. Finally, the duel with Hamilton. I was setting the fastest lap, and he always responded".
The overtaking move on Ricciardo in turn 5 was a real gem:
"At that moment, my goal was to catch up with Lewis; I was angry. Battling with Ricciardo was a lot of fun. He closed the inside line, so I delayed my braking. He squeezed me until the end, but I held firm in the contact. Maybe I lost the race in the pit lane, but there's nothing we can do about it. Sometimes it goes like that; the important thing is to have fun. It was a great race. Sometimes Lewis was doing faster laps, other times me. I think Mercedes deserved to win today, and that's always the case when someone crosses the finish line first. The Safety Car prevented us from gaining momentum, but second place is a good recovery. The pace was good until the end; we'll wait for next week".
And Sergio Marchionne, the president of Ferrari, comments:
"Maybe Räikkönen was missing? Yes. I talked to Maurizio Arrivabene; maybe it's time for them to sit down and have a discussion... Today it seemed like he had other commitments; he was busy doing something else, I didn't understand. Perhaps Kimi was tired".
And adds:
"Obviously, he wasn't at his best, and we saw that. After the 'chain' of two Red Bulls and two Ferraris was formed, when Vettel got free, he moved forward much more aggressively. Can Ferrari compete on par with Mercedes? It's already doing that now. If there hadn't been a safety car, it wouldn't have gone like this. The decision to change tires was right; the rest didn't go as it should have. But we came second, we're one point behind in the constructors, Vettel and Hamilton are tied in points, after two races, it's not bad. Is Sebastian happier? If he's happy, we're all happy. Wasn't it better to order Räikkönen to let Vettel pass? It wasn't the right thing, and I don't think it was considered; the conditions weren't there".
Ferrari finds confirmation after the weekend in China, and the team principal, Maurizio Arrivabene, can be satisfied with Sebastian Vettel's second place:
"On a track and in conditions totally different from those we found in Melbourne, today we showed that the car is there. Sebastian had a great race, although the safety car immediately after his first tire change certainly didn't help a result that perhaps, without that episode, could have been even better. Now the whole team is already focused on the next race in Bahrain".
The Briton enjoys his 54th career victory:
"It was incredible; the crowd here is truly amazing. Today was tough; I went out with the intermediates because it wasn't possible to drive with slicks, even though there were still wet patches. Sebastian and this guy here - pointing to Verstappen - always fight until the end".
The success was also favored by a particularly lucky Safety Car for Lewis:
"Vettel was recovering a lot, without the safety car, he would have been much closer".
Hamilton and Vettel are now tied in the standings:
"It will be one of the most balanced championships ever. Ferrari has done a fantastic job, and both of us can push hard. We exchanged fast laps one after the other".
The credit also goes to the new cars:
"The cars are more beautiful and more fun to drive".
From sixteenth to third, in Shanghai, one of the great protagonists was Max Verstappen:
"It was nice to pass nine cars in the first lap".
In the final laps, the podium was at risk, thanks to the recovery of teammate Daniel Ricciardo:
"I was anxious towards the end because I wanted a clear track, but instead, there was a lapped car".
Kimi Räikkönen, despite finishing fifth ahead of Bottas, seemed to struggle throughout the race:
"I had many issues. Not one thing in particular. The car was better when the tires were fresh, and overall, I believe we could have achieved a better result, but that's how it went. Would changing to the soft tires earlier have helped? I think it should have been done earlier, but evidently, we had to see how things played out. It's always easy to say after the race. It wasn't a very competitive race for me".
Niki Lauda said that Ferrari is back to winning because now there's a Swiss in charge who knows how to make Italians work (referring to Mattia Binotto, the technical director, born in Lausanne but naturalized Italian). Marchionne raises his eyebrows, pauses, and is about to say something. Then he reconsiders.
"It's better if I don't speak. Otherwise, I'll send him a couple of insults. I don't feel like insulting a friend".
In the vast and empty paddock of Shanghai, a group of journalists surrounds Sergio Marchionne. The president of Ferrari, finally comforted by the success in Melbourne and the second place in China, has decided to break Ferrari's media silence.
Tell the truth, did you not expect to be this far ahead?
"We're happy, no doubt. We've made enormous progress since 2016, and now we move forward. But always with our feet on the ground: the car needs to be developed, it needs improvement, but there's a precise plan, and the guys are working on it".
Do you consider it your victory?
"No, it's the team's victory. The car was built by the group of guys promoted in August. In seven months, they did all this, chassis, engine, everything: a tremendous job. It confirms that the idea we had this summer worked".
The championship seems to be decided on the car's developments, historically a weak point for you.
"Yes, in recent years, the team seemed to tire a bit in developing the car. But this year will be different. There's a program that's progressing well. We just need some time".
Some argue that the performance improvement is the result of better work in testing and simulators.
"Don't underestimate the team's ideas. What we tested in the labs and simulators came from the guys' brains".
Having two drivers with expiring contracts could be a source of internal instability?
"Not at all. We'll resolve that too".
However, Raikkonen made mistakes in two races.
"Indeed, today Kimi seemed to have other commitments. I spoke with Maurizio (Arrivabene, ed.), maybe it's time for me to sit down with him and talk. He seemed to be doing something else on the track".
Did you consider team orders when Vettel was behind Räikkönen, acting as a roadblock in the pursuit of Hamilton?
"It wouldn't have been the right thing to do; the conditions weren't right for such an order".
Has the machine been built around Vettel?
"No, I rule that out".
Have you had the definitive confirmation that Ferrari is there: will you fight on equal terms with Mercedes?
"If it weren't for the safety car, it wouldn't have gone this way. The strategy was right. That it ended this way is a bit disappointing... That said, we finished second, we are one point behind in the constructors' standings, and tied among the drivers. Not bad".
In 2019, you will leave FCA. Will you stay at Ferrari?
"Let's talk about something else".
Alfa Romeo in Formula E?
"Formula E is a good idea for many, I can see other brands fitting in well, even Maserati".
Have you had the opportunity to talk to the Americans from Liberty Media, the new owners of F1?
"Yes. With the arrival of Ross Brawn, we will do things right. It takes some time, they are learning too. F1 is not easy".
Will you buy shares of Liberty Media?
"We have also met with Toto Wolff to assess if it's worth it. Obviously, the opportunity is there. If it makes financial sense, we will do it".
Ferrari and Mercedes are very close; are you tempted to allocate more budget for developments?
"Don't worry, we're already doing it".
The man causing a quarrel, once again, between Niki Lauda and Ferrari is called Mattia Binotto, and he's an engineer. The Swiss who managed to make the Italians work, as mentioned by Niki Lauda on Saturday night, infuriating Sergio Marchionne, is him.
"Italians only know how to make spaghetti".
This is Lauda's usual mantra to mock his former employers, and it crashed this year against the Gina, the name Vettel gave to the SF70H, the red car that is causing a lot of concerns for Mercedes. And that was born, to put it in Marchionne's words, from the ideas and brains of an all-Italian team: the chassis was taken care of by Simone Resta, the engine by Lorenzo Sassi, and the aerodynamics by Enrico Cardile. Coordinating everything, indeed, Binotto. And it's him that Lauda, maliciously pointing out that he's Swiss and therefore his assumption about Italians remains valid, has brought into the spotlight. Actually, he missed the mark because while the technical director was born in Lausanne (in 1969), it's also true that in terms of culture and tradition, Mattia - who has been working in Maranello since 1995 - is decidedly Italian. His family comes from Reggio Emilia. And it's from there that Engineer Binotto inherited his passion for F1: from his grandfather Gianfranco, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 91.
"He was a big fan of Ferrari. I still remember Sundays in front of the TV watching the races. And I begged him not to get too agitated in front of the kids..."
Mr. Luigino is very proud of his son, understandably. When Mattia was in elementary school, the school said he had attention and concentration problems. The family, puzzled, out of scruple consulted an expert.
"Your son is more than fine: it's the teacher who is terribly boring".
Looking at Binotto's career, there's no doubt about who was right. Since he joined the Ferrari test team in 1995, he has climbed every ladder, finally gaining the esteem and absolute trust of Marchionne. After the troubled relationship with Allison (English designer now with Mercedes), there was a need to bring some calm to a frightened and unclear environment. And Binotto succeeded perfectly. If the car is performing, it's because everyone who contributed to the project has given and is giving their best. And in a season that will be decided, race after race, on the developments of the car, it's an ideal condition. And that's why Lauda's exit should not be underestimated. Because, read carefully, it resembles a small sabotage. Whose goal was not to offend the Italians but to put Binotto in the spotlight. Niki is an old fox and knows well that ego can be a nuclear weapon, if used well: in a competitive environment like Maranello's, success can be a problem, and in the paddock, many have already started to wonder how long it will take before envy and jealousy begin to revolve around Binotto. Worried, Mrs. Marta had said when she heard about her son's promotion:
"Mattia is a great worker, but his chair is very uncomfortable now".
And we know that for certain things, moms have an infallible instinct.