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2005 Pre-Season

2023-01-17 00:00

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#SecondPart, Fulvio Conti,

2005 Pre-Season

"It’s important, and pleasing, that the FIA, which is the political authority, FOM, which represents those who have organized F1 over the years, and F

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"It’s important, and pleasing, that the FIA, which is the political authority, FOM, which represents those who have organized F1 over the years, and Ferrari, the only team to have participated continuously in the World Championship since its inception, have sent a strong signal of stability for the future of F1. This agreement goes in the direction Ferrari hoped for".

 

While Ferrari secures its future, it seems that the moment for the rich Russians has arrived. After Roman Abramovich, the billionaire owner of Chelsea, another Russian, Alexander Shnaider, has entered Formula 1. Born in St. Petersburg, Shnaider emigrated first to Israel and then to Toronto, Canada. In the preceding months, he had announced the founding of a Formula 1 team. On Monday, January 24, 2005, accelerating his plans, the Russian businessman bought a majority stake in the Jordan team. Eddie Jordan will remain with the team for a while as the commercial director. Shnaider, 36 (a contemporary of Abramovich), believes that Formula 1 is a global communication platform. However, unlike his counterpart, he is not a megalomaniac. He bought an existing team because this decision allows him to save money (a new team must pay a $48 million deposit to join the World Championship and does not receive TV rights until it has competed for two seasons). The negotiations between the Russian tycoon and Eddie Jordan lasted a few weeks. Although the contract Ferrari signed with the FIA and Ecclestone until 2012 could have influenced the Irish constructor’s decision, considering the possibility of increasing his revenues, the deal was signed relatively quickly, at a price of around €50 million. Shnaider will run the cars prepared by Jordan, powered by Toyota engines, which will supply motors for a year. However, the Russian-Canadian magnate has already instructed engineer Gianpaolo Dallara, the most prestigious Italian racing car designer (apart from Ferrari), to develop a new car. 

 

This was not a difficult choice: the Parma-born engineer has an incredible track record. Most of the F3 cars racing on tracks worldwide are based on his designs; he also designs the IRL chassis used on American ovals and many other sportscars and prototypes. Moreover, Dallara, led by Beppe Lucchini, was already in F1 from 1988 to 1992. By acquiring Jordan, Shnaider gains additional advantages. He immediately gets a car to gain experience, can test the team he has built by appointing Trevor Carlin (one of the best managers, credited with launching Jenson Button) to lead the British operation, and is bringing in experienced technicians at the Silverstone headquarters. Shnaider has also hired Boris Yeltsin Jr., 23, the grandson of the former Russian president, to be the marketing director. Next steps: asking Ferrari for engines. The Maranello team has not yet renewed its contract with Sauber, which is negotiating with Mercedes and possibly Toyota. Dallara had already used Ferrari engines in his cars in 1992. The new car, designed in Varano de Melegari, should debut in the fall for testing and participate in the 2006 World Championship. Shnaider is prepared to invest $100 million annually in Formula 1 through his company, the Midland Group. Founded in 1994 with other financiers, Midland employs 50.000 people worldwide (from Eastern Europe, the Commonwealth, Turkey, China, and the Far East, with its headquarters on the island of Guernsey in the English Channel). The company’s interests range from construction (it is building a spectacular skyscraper with Donald Trump in Toronto) to tourism (hotels and restaurants) and shipping. The company is also ready to finance a Grand Prix in Moscow and one in Toronto. Meanwhile, on Thursday, January 20, 2005, the new McLaren-Mercedes MP4-20 car made its debut on the Barcelona circuit, with Kimi Raikkonen (who was caught drunk by a tabloid on Wednesday in a London lap-dance club, improvising a striptease) giving his first impressions: 

 

"The first impression is good".

 

His teammate, Colombian driver Juan Pablo Montoya, adds: 

 

"It looks incredible".

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A Formula 1 with Ferrari and smaller teams revived from minor motorsport series, or an alternative championship with other major manufacturers, but without Maranello’s cars. That is the current standoff in a world where alliances, scenarios, proposals, and regulations change as frequently as the moon’s phases. The meeting in London on Friday, January 28, 2005, called by the FIA (with all teams invited, with the agenda focused on rules from 2008 onwards), boiled down to a cordial face-to-face meeting between Jean Todt and Ross Brawn from Ferrari, and Max Mosley and Charlie Whiting from the FIA. The others went home as a sign of the rift. The split had occurred in the previous days when Ferrari announced that it had reached an agreement with Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA to stay in Formula 1 until 2012, under terms that differ greatly from the Concorde Agreement—the secretive deal that governs rights and duties in Formula 1. Reports suggest that Ferrari will receive $120 million out of a total of $280 million, with the remaining sum divided among nine other teams, in unequal parts. The proposal was rejected by the rest of the world. As a countermeasure, the manufacturers’ association, which had been trying to transplant Formula 1 into the GPWC starting in 2008, after losing Ferrari, reached out to Honda and Toyota, which joined Daimler-Chrysler (Mercedes), Renault, and BMW—all concerned about Ferrari’s dominant position. The five-man group has the power to create a championship: ten cars, plus engine supplies for another ten. They will never do it, but they will threaten it until they get a fair slice of the pie. The absence of the nine teams was not a surprise: in a letter sent on January 25, 2005, they had already announced that they would wait for the results of a market research study before addressing the issues of Formula 1. The meeting was postponed until the end of April. The proposal presented in October to reduce costs included limiting tests to 30 days during the season. Ferrari’s response was blunt:

 

"No, we are the only top team developing Bridgestone tires. We have two private tracks. We don’t accept these kinds of restrictions".

 

Two months ago, the Maranello team launched a counterproposal: 15.000 kilometers of testing per team on a single track, plus 15.000 for each tire supplier. The estimated savings for Ferrari: $3 million. And in the meantime, Jean Todt brings a plan to London that, with everyone’s agreement, could become operational by 2006. There are just 36 days left until the start of the World Championship, and the testing issue remains unresolved. The anti-Ferrari front cracks: BAR-Honda is ready to break away from the pact if Ferrari does not agree. Ferrari Management's Comment:

 

"For the past three months, we’ve been repeating that we won’t agree. We wonder what economic benefits teams like Jordan and Minardi, who don’t even do thirty days of testing, have".

 

For the future, Max Mosley proposes a salary cap, inspired by sports like NBA basketball (but how will he monitor the tax returns of people who’ve moved to Monte Carlo, not exactly for the weather), or the introduction of age limits (Schumacher is the oldest driver in F1...). He rules out splits:

 

"Some may want to sulk, but in 2008 they will all be here".

 

Fortunately, Formula 1, in the sporting sense, moves forward. In Barcelona, Michael Schumacher gets his first feel of the F2004-M, the car he will use for the first four races of the World Championship, and sets the second-fastest time, behind test driver Luca Badoer, who was driving the standard F2004. Third fastest was McLaren's Juan Pablo Montoya, 0.5 seconds behind. New faces are also on the way. One of them is 28-year-old Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan, who is set to join the new Jordan team owned by Russian businessman Alex Schnaider. He would be the first Indian driver in Formula 1. Karthikeyan, born in Madras, had previously served as a test driver for Jordan, Minardi, and Jaguar. To obtain a superlicense from the FIA, he must complete at least 300 kilometers of testing. 

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He, too - describing himself on his website as the fastest Indian in the world - is optimistic:

 

"I’ve already raced against people like Jenson Button and Takuma Sato and beat them".

 

Of course, these were in lower-tier categories. Schnaider chose him because they have known each other for a long time, and because his company, Midland, has extensive interests in India. However, Karthikeyan is not the first Asian driver in F1, apart from the Japanese. In the 1950s, Thai Prince Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh, known as Prince Bira, became famous for competing in several Grand Prix races with Maserati cars produced in Modena. Switching topics, Flavio Briatore enjoys a challenge as much as he enjoys a provocation. It was he who, in 1991, hired a talented German youngster named Michael Schumacher at Benetton, winning two world titles with him in 1994 and 1995. Now he’s trying again.

 

"I joined Renault in 2001. I promised that in 2005 we would fight for the World Championship".

 

After firing Jarno Trulli for lack of grit, the Italian manager hired another driver, Giancarlo Fisichella, to partner Fernando Alonso, the late-blooming prodigy. At Christmas, he invited both drivers to his villa in Malindi. Under the Kenyan sun, he forced them into continuous competitive challenges: football, beach volleyball, running, even Scopone (an Italian card game), as long as there was a contest.

 

"Giancarlo almost always won, despite being older. I wanted there to be a spirit of competition and friendship between the two. Mission accomplished".

 

While Flavio Briatore was training the drivers for battle, at the factories in Enstone (England) and Viry-Châtillon (France), the chassis and engine of the R25 were being built. On Tuesday, February 1, 2005, the official presentation took place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo, but the engineers were so fast that they managed to put the car on the track the week before, in Valencia. The drivers were unanimous in their judgment after a series of comparative tests on the track:

 

"It’s easier to drive and more powerful than the R24, even though the engine has to last two Grands Prix".

 

Briatore added:

 

"We hope the others didn’t work as well as we did".

 

Starting Wednesday, February 2, 2005, at Valencia, the top teams will begin their testing and we will get a first idea of what could happen on Sunday, March 6, 2005, in Melbourne at the season’s first race. At the R25 launch event, Flavio Briatore looked sharp: a blue jacket matching his sunglasses, black pants, and shoes with an unforgettable slogan. 2005 is his final year under contract with Renault. Will he stay?

 

"I’ve been in this business for sixteen years, I’ve already given a lot".

 

And if it is his final year, it must be an exit in his style. Perhaps with a victory, maybe with an Italian driver, to show that the Italian soul of F1 is not just from Maranello. The goal is to improve on last year’s third place ("the team that finished ahead of us used a particular part that is now illegal, even though the regulations haven’t changed"), win a few races, always be on the podium, and keep Schumacher under pressure. Fisichella supports the boss’s aspirations:

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"For the first time in my career, I’m starting the season with an ambitious team. I’m 32, this is an opportunity I can’t waste. I want to win".

 

So far, he has won only once, in a race so chaotic that race officials initially awarded the victory to Raikkonen, with Fisichella's success recognized a week later. Briatore reassures him:

 

"You’ll finish first again, and this time everyone will notice".

 

Highly respected by his peers, Fisichella has paid for past marketing missteps that led him to prioritize lucrative contracts over competitive teams.

 

"It was Flavio who wanted me, and I hope to reward his choice. He contacted me at the French Grand Prix (the one where Trulli made an error that cost him a podium finish), then invited me to his house before Silverstone. The contract was ready to sign. The new rules? They could benefit me, because I have a smooth driving style that saves tires. Let’s hope they slow Ferrari down. Everything looks promising: the presentation in Monte Carlo, a track I love, where I finished second and Renault won last year; then the first impressions of driving. I’m stating the obvious, but if the morning shows the day…".

 

He doesn't admit it, but he hopes talent will weigh more than in the past. Especially in the final 10-15 laps, with worn tires (which can no longer be replaced during the race), we will see who is truly skilled. Fernando Alonso is keeping a close watch:

 

"The team is growing, now it’s time to show what we’re worth".

 

Then he winks at Ferrari:

 

"Besides being every driver’s dream, it’s a team I like. For a Spaniard, Italians are better than the English".

 

Max Mosley, the president of the FIA, attended the R25 launch. Flavio Briatore remarked:

 

"It’s proof that he’s not just a friend of Ferrari".

 

In recent days, Mosley had met with Ferrari’s team principal, Jean Todt, in a meeting attended by only one of the ten teams currently in F1.

 

"We need to stop talking about rules, people are getting bored. If we leave the power to the engineers, we’ll keep spending more. It’s the managers who need to decide. I’ll organize a meeting in April, two days to discuss things, and you’ll see we’ll manage to reinvent a more spectacular and less expensive F1".

 

And what about the agreement Ferrari reached with Ecclestone to get more money right away?

 

"It seems they needed it urgently. The others can take their time to discuss it".

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Flavio Briatore has never admitted to being superstitious. However, before once again leaving Formula 1 for other business ventures, the Renault General Manager would certainly like to complete his project. Two victories with Michael Schumacher, and one with Fernando Alonso or Giancarlo Fisichella. It doesn’t matter which of the two drivers, as long as there’s a win, which the French manufacturer is almost desperately aiming for, investing a huge amount of resources, both technical and financial. The Italian manager, however, being shrewd, doesn't go too far with his predictions. He dreams and says that we’ll see, because all the ingredients are there for a win. In fact, Renault has built a great team. With the engine, except for the very last years, they’ve almost always performed excellently. The chassis is produced in England by mostly British technicians, at Enstone, the beautiful factory that was built by Benetton and has since been extensively updated, including the intensive use of the wind tunnel. Even the driver pairing is incredibly strong: they haven’t won much so far, but if they have, as it seems, a competitive car, it will be difficult to beat them. All eyes are on Ferrari, but Renault's team will also have to be wary of the ambitions of others, led by McLaren-Mercedes and BMW-Williams. Everyone is aiming for the title, and that’s when the road gets uphill. The world championship helmet is the dream of many drivers. Let’s name a few: Raikkonen, Montoya, Webber, and Button, to name the top ones. In fact, to be honest, no driver enters F1 without aiming for the number one spot at the end of the championship. Even those who are driving less competitive cars still hope for an upset. 

 

The hope of beating Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, and Ferrari is almost obligatory - otherwise, they wouldn’t even bother trying. Some also rely on statistics: Ferrari can’t keep winning forever. So why not position themselves as potential successors? After all, Flavio Briatore is a great player and knows how to play the cards he’s dealt. He won’t hesitate even if it means pitting Giancarlo against Fernando, both fighting for the seat. A great challenge: the Italian driver is tough, fast, experienced, and has good endurance, while the Spanish driver, perhaps a little intoxicated by success, may have lost some humility, but he is still one of the best, combative, determined, and ruthless. But Ferrari, in addition to its qualities, has one more weapon. Having been in F1 forever, it could afford to lose, while still trying to continue its incredible streak of triumphs. Other constructors, on the other hand, are a bit in trouble. Another defeat would have significant consequences for their future. Renault, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes, Honda: the challenge is on. On Tuesday, February 8, 2005, after a quick visit to the Sport Management office, with no major revelations, a fleeting glimpse of the F2004M chassis being shipped to Australia and some engine test benches, one of which was still running late in the evening, Jean Todt shows up just after 9:00 p.m. It's his usual time: a desk in the morning for product matters, and another in the afternoon for F1. The dual role of Ferrari's General Manager, especially in these times, is not easy. But the French manager shows no signs of stress. He is determined and focused, as always. Jean Todt, what's going on in F1? Why does it seem like Ferrari is isolated? You signed an agreement with Ecclestone and the FIA, yet other manufacturers are not on board yet.

 

"A lot has been written and said these days. We haven’t betrayed anyone. On July 27th last year, we attended a meeting of the GPWC, the organization representing the majority of the manufacturers in the World Championship. We didn’t exclude ourselves, but we made it clear that we would begin negotiations with the other side. Everything is written down in the minutes of that day".

 

What did you say?

 

"We said that if there was an opportunity to solve the problems, we would take it. That’s how it went: Ecclestone opened the door to us, agreeing to redistribute the Formula 1 revenues differently. We had many reasons to accept. First: by continuing to work with professionals from the automotive world, we would present a better image of our sport. Second: if we had continued to negotiate with the GPWC until the end of 2007, we would have had to wait three years to improve our financial situation. Third: even the smaller teams, particularly those facing financial difficulties, would be able to increase their revenue starting in 2005". 

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So he adds:

 

"Recently, several teams have been sold because expenses were too high, and income was insufficient. Ferrari's budget is covered 75% by sponsorships, licensing, and merchandising, while the remaining portion is covered by profits from car sales. If we wanted to stay in F1 after 2007 without burdening our shareholders, we needed to reach an agreement that would have an immediate impact on our income".

 

But three manufacturers - BMW, Mercedes, and Renault - along with Honda and Toyota, are not willing to sign the agreement.

 

"I don’t understand this. It’s said that they are suspicious of favoritism from the FIA towards Ferrari. This is not true - there is no collusion. On certain issues, we are not in sync with the FIA's position, and on others, our beliefs are completely different. Let’s not joke: two years ago, we accepted the change in qualifying rules, which didn’t help us at all. The changes in aerodynamics didn’t favor a team that had found effective solutions. As for the engine, ours has been the most reliable, so why should we accept extending its life for two more Grand Prix? Just because we also want to - and must, for necessity - reduce costs?"

 

Have you ever thought about leaving F1?

 

"Yes, together with President Montezemolo, we also considered this possibility. We could have raced in other categories or championships, like in the USA, our best market. But with the agreement, Ferrari has secured participation in the World Championship at least until 2012. And F1 has secured the presence of Ferrari…".

 

Returning to the problems, the issue of in-season testing remains unresolved.

 

"We had studied a solution that seemed valid and efficient. The proposal to reduce testing to thirty days is limited. Only four or five teams could take advantage of this rule. Another three or four teams have never done so many testing days. For them, the savings are negligible. Let’s not forget that a resourceful team like McLaren, according to the regulations, being fifth in 2004, will be able to field three cars in Friday tests. To limit costs, we need to reduce mileage, not testing days. We’ve calculated that by limiting ourselves to 30,000 kilometers during the season, we will save 2.7 million euros and around fifteen staff members in the test team".

 

What other measures could increase savings?

 

"There are many areas to work on. For example, the durability of certain car components, from engines to other parts. Why not make the gearboxes last for four races without changing them? Today, F1 cars carry 70-80 kg of ballast. We could simply require designers to make cars lighter. Every kilo saved comes at a high cost. Then we could build common parts for everyone and avoid using special materials. None of this would diminish the technical value of F1, because research would still be necessary to remain competitive".

 

It’s said that electronics is one of the major expenses for teams.

 

"Of course. For many teams, this cost is covered by the engine suppliers. However, if we used standard systems, we would have multiple benefits. For example, we could ban traction control and other highly sophisticated programs, and we could all be on the same level".

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There are many topics to discuss in the coming months. Can we also talk about the World Championship starting in Australia?

 

"As always, it’s difficult to make predictions. Ferrari, our people, Schumacher, Barrichello, we’re all focused on staying at the top. However, there are many unknowns, from tires to engines. We have an advantage over the others: stability. We’re loyal to our suppliers, and we work together to keep winning. Will we succeed? I’ll tell you at the end of the season".

 

Women stay, smoke goes, alcohol increases. Formula 1 spares no effort: it adapts to market moods and the demands of legislators, as numerous as the stages of a World Championship that spans from Europe to Australia, from Japan to the United States. Cigarettes are getting a bad reputation: in early August, the European ban will come into effect, signed by the FIA starting in 2006. And the teams, who earn fortunes from tobacco sponsors, are taking cover, perhaps switching from one vice to another. Out with tobacco, in with Bacchus (for Venus, the only problem is in Bahrain, where trackside girls are required to wear modest local costumes). McLaren drops West and replaces it with Johnnie Walker, the famous Scotch whisky. And they already have a good spokesperson: the icy Kimi Räikkönen, who, under the influence of alcohol (we imagine whisky, with hindsight), performed an impromptu striptease at a lap dance club. Reprimanded by his bosses, the Finnish driver was publicly rehabilitated by Flavio Briatore, the Renault boss, who appreciated his youthful spontaneity. In the first thirteen races of the season, the logo of the blondes will still appear on the English cars. The new brand will debut on Sunday, August 21, 2005, at the new Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul, a country more famous in the collective imagination for cigarette consumption than for distilled spirits. Alcohol advertising has the advantage of being more widely accepted around the world, at least for now: the only ban is in France (perhaps Bahrain still hasn’t noticed the changes taking place). The task for commercial communication experts is to reconcile the concept of hard liquor with that of safe driving. Johnnie Walker has announced it will allocate $4.000.000 annually (in addition to the $19.000.000 given to McLaren) to responsible drinking programs during the Grand Prix. Charles Allen, the marketing director of the Scottish company, states:

 

"The point of contact between Johnnie Walker and the F1 audience lies in the excitement caused by car racing, the control and judgment necessary to succeed in this highly competitive sport. Together with McLaren, we have the opportunity to motivate an audience between the ages of 25 and 35, who are the main consumers of both Formula 1 and whisky".

 

Ron Dennis is also excited:

 

"It’s a great time, we’ll win together".

 

The cars sponsored by tobacco have dwindled to four: Ferrari, Renault, BAR, and Jordan (which has changed ownership and ran in tests without any advertising logos). Williams was the last to quit smoking, moving from the poison of cigarettes to the antidote of a product for nicotine addiction, which will no longer appear this year. Instead, there will be the logo of an American beer strategically placed near the cockpits of Heidfeld and Webber. A small wine producer is also sponsoring Minardi, which doesn’t receive money but bottles to offer to guests. Once upon a time, even milk had a sponsor in Formula 1: Parmalat financially supported Brabham in the late 1970s and early 1980s. And during the same period, a funeral agency’s logo appeared for a few races on a Merzario. Times have changed. The only constant remains Venus. And Ferrari, which on Friday, February 25, 2005, presented its new car:

 

"It’s the best Ferrari ever built".

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Says Ross Brawn, technical director of Formula 1’s dream team.

 

"For now".

 

The latest Formula 1 car produced in Maranello is called the F2005 and will face a tough challenge: first, because from the heir of a dynasty of successful and sometimes invincible cars, new laurels are expected; second, because the rivals have been on track for a month and are running fast, especially Renault and McLaren. Unveiled at 11:12 a.m. in Maranello’s new logistics building, the F2005 is not yet ready for its grand debut. The drivers caress it, pose for the customary photos, get emotional (Schumacher: "I can’t wait to try it") and get sentimental (Barrichello: "I was with it for two hours, it was almost a prayer"). Then they head for Australia, where on Sunday, March 6, 2005, the World Championship will begin, and the F2004M, the old car adapted to the 2005 regulations, will hit the track. The new car will continue to be tested at Fiorano, Mugello, and Barcelona, in preparation for the required mileage and to pass the tough quality tests imposed by the Maranello team’s technicians, who continue to say:

 

"It will debut at the latest at the Spanish Grand Prix".

 

That is, Sunday, May 8, 2005, in the fifth race of the season. But be careful: by saying at the latest, Ferrari’s general director, Jean Todt, implies that under certain conditions (if the F2004M disappoints, if the F2005 turns out to be a bomb from the first laps), the debut could be earlier. It wouldn’t be easy: under the new rules, an engine must last for two consecutive races. Changing the car in the fourth Grand Prix (i.e., San Marino, in Imola) would mean replacing the engine and losing ten positions on the starting grid. The alternative would be Sunday, April 3, 2005, in Bahrain. Too early. The changes: many wings to keep the Ferrari glued to the asphalt, first of all. The engineers have let their imaginations run wild and invented everything to recover the aerodynamic load lost due to the new regulations: the horns-shaped exhausts, the suspensions, even the gearbox, have been designed to exploit air pressure. Another change: the project is by engineer Aldo Costa. He’s the first Italian to design a car for Scuderia Ferrari in twenty years. The last was Mauro Forghieri, in 1984, with the 126 C4. Says Ross Brawn:

 

"Rory Byrne has taken on a almost paternal role during this transition phase".

 

And finally: the F2005’s testing will be overseen by test drivers Luca Badoer and Marc Gene. It has never happened before that Michael Schumacher gave up his jus primae noctis on the car, and indeed, when asked how he felt, the German driver uses the metaphors of a jilted lover:

 

"I fell in love immediately. If it were up to me, I’d take it to Melbourne, but obviously, that’s not possible".

 

He says this in Italian, just like in Italian, without a written text, is his speech in front of about 400 people and the subsequent interviews. Revolutionary. Rubens Barrichello, who recalls a meeting with the Pope a month ago ("He blessed the photo of my family, that image is the most precious thing I have at home"), describes the car with more familiar imagery:

 

"I saw it being assembled, I saw it being born. I thought about the energy, the time, the work of those who made it. And I stayed with it for two hours. It was almost a moment of prayer and hope".

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Everyone is happy and moved, but meanwhile, the competitors have been on track with their new cars for a while and are posting record-breaking times. Jean Todt explains the strategy for this year, as in 2002 and 2003:

 

"It’s a calculated decision. The season is long, and there will be time to catch up. The assessments will be made at the end".

 

Speaking of assessments: Ferrari has broken the constructors’ front and renewed its agreement with Bernie Ecclestone and Formula 1 until 2012. And now the rivals accuse them: why does Ferrari get more money than the others? Jean Todt explains again:

 

"It’s like in the making of a film. The stars have a higher fee than the other actors. And Ferrari is the star of Formula 1. I understand it may be frustrating for some: it’s been a few years since we’ve let anyone win".


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