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Originally on Autosport, [img]http://b3.hoopchina.com.cn/images/logo2013/v1/hp_logo_racing.png[/img] wrote:The winds of change at Ferrari
The need for change at Ferrari has been manifest in the latter part of 2014. ANTHONY ROWLINSON attended the Italian's squad annual Christmas media briefing to hear about the new bosses' plans to make the team a winner again
The cold cut of a Modenese winter morning snaps the senses at the gates of Ferrari's Fiorano circuit. December in Maranello is always cold, often snowy, though this year the clouds and fog of the previous night have cleared, to leave behind a fierce-crisp day.
The frisson is in sharp contrast to the warmth of the welcome awaiting Formula 1 media inside the Fiorano 'pit garage', converted for the day into a press conference hall. Here's Piero Lardi Ferrari, sharp-suited in pin-stripes, somewhat surreally greeting the assembled throng with avuncular bonhomie. He looks so much like his dad it's impossible not to double-take.
There's new team principal Maurizio Arrivabene, known to many from his former role as a senior marketing exec for Ferrari's tobacco sponsor Philip Morris. Dressed in bright orange cashmere he seems comfortable on familiar ground, if a little apprehensive at the prospect of facing a barrage of questions from 100-or-so hacks, in this first public engagement of his new role.
And everywhere is Enzo: in a giant black-and-white portrait, hanging from a far garage wall, overseeing proceedings with that austere gaze, his presence unspoken though constantly acknowledged by the simple fact of the occasion taking place.
This venue of legends, approached on the Via Gilles Villeneuve, could hardly be a more appropriate location to introduce the Scuderia's new senior management team to the world's press. It reeks 'Ferrari'.
Through the decades since Fiorano was built in 1972, every Ferrari general has grown intimately acquainted with this ribbon of privately owned asphalt. Most recently Sebastian Vettel had his first taste of life in scarlet during a day here spent testing an ex-Fernando Alonso F2012.
Today it's the turn of chairman-since-September Sergio Marchionne and Arrivabene to take their place in the hall of fame, outlining to the assembled press - mostly Italian, with a smattering of Germans, a handful of Brits (AUTOSPORT is the only UK specialist media) - a vision of the future for their lustrous, though lately tarnished, F1 jewel.
"Teamwork" is emphasised, as is the importance of "working together" and "self-belief".
The shift in tone from a similar gathering one year ago is marked. In December 2013, ex-chairman Luca di Montezemolo held court to a table of 20 non-Italian media over lunch, before hosting a similar function, over dinner, for his compatriots.
His mood that day was quiet, personal, largely serious, though shot through with sharp stabs of humour and those assembled were left in no doubt as to who was in charge, whose train set this was, despite the presence of then F1 team principal Stefano Domenicali.
Except that it wasn't really Luca's train set, after all, as he and we were to find out in the aftermath of a disastrous 2014 Italian Grand Prix.
On the Tuesday post-race weekend, Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and therefore di Montezemolo's boss, made it clear that the F1 team's performance had slipped to an unacceptably poor level and that Ferrari's inability to win was damaging its value as a global brand: i.e. losing wasn't helping Ferrari shift road cars.
His comments bore only one interpretation: Montezemolo was about to be 'exited' and that duly came to pass a day later. Luca's September 10 departure ended a 23-year run at Ferrari's highest levels.
What was not anticipated was the raft of senior changes that followed. Marco Mattiacci, who now has to be viewed as no more than a caretaker manager, lasted only eight months as team boss before his replacement by Arrivabene, 57; Alonso, of course, gone; Pat Fry gone, Nikolas Tombazis gone, Hirohide Hamashima gone too, with others less prominent also departed. As Marchionne noted with likely unintended comedy during his press Q&A: "This is a huge experiment within our 'continuity concept.'"
Yet the mood, and need, for change is manifest. Ferrari's 2014 was its worst F1 season since 1993, netting only two podium finishes and a distant fourth in the constructors' championship.
Something had to give and while the Maranello Christmas message was one of 'we're working with what we've got', further notable signings shouldn't be ruled out. Adrian Newey and Mercedes' engine-meister Andrew Cowell would already be working in red had negotiations last year concluded differently...
Arrivabene, whose name translates loosely as 'welcome' is immediately a more approachable figure than was Mattiacci and it seems likely, given his marketing background, that he'll be a media-savvy operator.
If nothing else this will buy him goodwill and time with the notoriously rapacious Italian media corps. And sagely, it seems he'll park all technical matters at the door of James Allison, now unequivocally in charge of Ferrari's F1 'car' operations.
It's surely no coincidence that the Scuderia appears to have adopted a structure similar to that employed by the two most recently successful F1 squads, Mercedes and Red Bull Racing: ie a front man and 'politics guy' to handle the ever-murkier machinations of the F1 paddock (see also, Toto Wolff, Christian Horner), twinned with a 'nuts and bolts guy' to make the car go faster (see also Paddy Lowe, Newey).
Initial impressions are of a collegiate, unstuffy and sharp-witted individual, aware of the magnitude of the task ahead of him, though not overawed by it.
Those who know Arrivabene speak of an intelligent operator who's "hard as nails" in his business dealings, according to one observer. "He's not a man who tolerates mistakes," said AUTOSPORT's source.
Also in his favour is a reportedly close relationship with Bernie Ecclestone, developed in his role as sponsors' representative on the Formula One Commission. This allegiance is likely to prove all the more valuable given Ecclestone's recent re-appointment as CEO of Formula One Management.
Arrivabene's "thorough understanding not just of Ferrari but also of the governance mechanisms and requirements of the sport," was, according to Marchionne, a decisive factor in his appointment.
So in Ferrari's moment of self-proclaimed change, an understanding of the old F1 way of getting things done clearly remains a vital asset.
As for 62-year-old Marchionne, a car industry guy to the core, his reputation as a cost-cutting fixer of basket-cases - firstly Fiat group, more recently Chrysler - precedes him. A watching world waits to see what he can achieve with Italy's most emblematic sporting dynasty.
After the agony of defeat, success will be sweet!On [img]https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRwNJDN1k_86UWlNAAenSJSw5xDUznizS3Oq5h0WSkaNRoH535gvHR8Bms[/img], Staff wrote:Marchionne: “2015, the year of recovery”
Maranello, 22 December – This morning at Ferrari’s base in Maranello there was a press conference and end-of-year lunch. President Sergio Marchionne and Managing Director and the Scuderia’s Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene spoke to Formula 1 journalists from Italy and abroad before meeting up with them for lunch and to share Christmas wishes.
After a thought to Jules Bianchi, Sergio Marchionne kicked off proceedings by saluting those present, stressing: “I will try not to talk about 2014 because it has been a year to forget. So instead let’s talk about the future; we will look towards 2015 with some optimism.” Replying to one of the first questions, Marchionne confirmed: “2015 will be a year of reconstruction. In the last few days we have made some sharp decisions on the make-up of the team and we know exactly who the key people are for development. We have taken away all the baggage of uncertainty which harmed the start of the work on the 2015 project.”
For his part, Maurizio Arrivabene said: “I bring experience that has matured in my last company, the fact of knowing how to motivate people and to get the best out of them. In the company I’ve seen plenty of will to get things done: I am here to give the people my trust and to streamline the team. We won’t get anywhere individually, we have to work as a group.”
The subject then turned to Sebastian Vettel, the spirit of his arrival and what he can expect of 2015. President Marchionne replied: “I don’t think he’s naïve, he knows our level of performance but this is the power of Ferrari: it manages to attract people even just based on its potential. Our job for 2015 is to set this potential free. Vettel’s big gamble is ours too, to reconstruct the team and to make it grow. The work we have undertaken alongside Maurizio is to give guarantees to this team, to bring about clear decisions and to have faith in the people who make up the team.”
Speaking of Sebastian, Arrivabene added: “Vettel brings with him the experience of winning, he has his four world titles and the enthusiasm to work together. He certainly wants to make the Scuderia grow alongside us. Having said that, even though drivers may be luxury employees they are still employees and they must work together with others. I think Sebastian is well equipped for the job that awaits him. He gets on very well with Kimi and this is a positive element, even if I hope that they won’t get on quite so well on the track, because the rule must remain that your team-mate is your main opponent.”
There was also time to talk about the future of Formula 1, a debate in which Scuderia Ferrari is always involved: “There is a problem over the appeal of the races,” said Arrivabene. “We must keep working to give people spectacle and emotions. We must work to bring Formula 1 closer to the fans, otherwise we risk ending up racing on our own in empty circuits. We must know how to get the most out of the tools used by the new generation, which is how to attract young people and create the chances for fans to interact more with the stars of our sport. The Thursday of a Grand Prix weekend could, for example, be better exploited.”
2015 will be a year of reconstruction and recovery for the Scuderia, and to convey this idea Arrivabene set a minimum target: to win at least two Grands Prix. President Marchionne concluded with these words: “I can guarantee the team is putting in a phenomenal effort. We have people here who are giving their absolute best and they have my full support. The important thing for us now is to give them courage and all the resources necessary to move forward and make the Scuderia grow.”
After the agony of defeat, success will be sweet!On [img]https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRsmGXnHAFLW30hCgrdsDW22UGyngnWkVZb8NSuWAs8Qnb9VdcsyfvEEn5G[/img], Steven De Groote wrote:Jock Clear joins Ferrari after Mercedes spell
Well known trackside engineer Jock Clear has joined Scuderia Ferrari, ending his job at Senior Performance Engineer that he fulfilled in recent years with the Mercedes AMG F1 Team.
Ferrari have announced that Clear has been signed as a direct replacement for Pat Fry who was ousted last week.
Clear is well experienced in Formula One and has worked as a race engineer at Williams F1 for David Coulthard and Jacques Villeneuve, with whom he secured the drivers' title in 1997. He subsequently followed Villeneuve to BAR before moving on to Mercedes in 2010 where he now ends his spell, having working with Lewis Hamilton since the beginning of 2013.
While the contract is signed, Ferrari's team principal Maurizio Arrivabene confirmed at a press conference today that they are working with Mercedes to "secure his services as soon as possible".
After the agony of defeat, success will be sweet!On [img]https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQmY70YHeNHVNOk68MlmZNFMGm2OGndgy2BBVNZMSkOgAvfeM0mF-G9H_w[/img], Admin wrote:Enzo Ferrari's son backs Maranello revolution
Enzo Ferrari's only living son Piero has backed the revolution at Maranello led by new president Sergio Marchionne.
Having faltered at the start of the new turbo V6 era, Ferrari has undergone a radical shakeup involving an almost total clean-sweep of the top roles in red.
Leading the charge now is Fiat Chrysler chief Marchionne, who in the past days has been involved in a war of words with Ferrari's ousted long-time boss Luca di Montezemolo.
But Piero Ferrari is backing Maranello's new chief, even though Marchionne has already attracted attention as a result of his combative start.
"I saw him speaking clearly and honestly, without subterfuge or like a politician," he is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"I am excited by the generational change that is underway. Companies evolve, but formula one forces you to renew yourself," said Ferrari.
"Do not forget that at the end of 1961, my father fired the seven top executives and started again, putting the young Mauro Forghieri at the head of everything.
"My father would have understood him (Marchionne) at a glance."
Ferrari added: "Marchionne is a person who hates delays. He works hard, recognising and solving problems instantly. He has many qualities."
As for a comparison between Ferrari's new boss and Montezemolo, Ferrari insisted: "That is impossible as they come from different worlds, with different paths, different characters and a different way of working."
Ferrari also backed the arrival of Sebastian Vettel to replace Fernando Alonso, saying the German can "lead the team on the right track".
"I appreciate that he does not have a manager, and lives with his feet on the ground without frills. And he is very fast -- you don't win four world championships by chance."
As for Vettel's 2015 teammate Kimi Raikkonen, who struggled notably this year, Ferrari answered: "He is able to express himself with the right machine, which in 2014 he did not have.
"I don't think he has lost any of his talent."
Ferrari said he is "prudently optimistic" about the 2015 season, acknowledging that "there are no miracles in F1".
After the agony of defeat, success will be sweet![img]https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSW2IVj82dKLnwLxyRCf0mxDz2FkujDGfoB5eXcBvj-rdGFLmjBM75oh79m[/img] wrote:2015 Ferrari F1 car passes FIA crash tests, will debut in January
Ferrari will launch its 2015 car on the internet in late January.
The fabled Italian team's new boss Maurizio Arrivabene confirmed to reporters earlier this week that the new project, known as 666, has passed all of its mandatory FIA crash tests.
It looks set to be debuted on schedule at the first official winter test at Jerez on February 1.
Before that, Arrivabene told Italy's Omnicorse, "It will be shown on the web at the end of January. The date is not yet specified."
He continued: "The reason is very simple. The engineers have told me that, to prepare for a presentation as in the past years, it takes three days.
"That is too much in a phase that I prefer work is dedicated to the development of the car."
After the agony of defeat, success will be sweet![img]http://www.spotlighttms.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/espn_logo.jpg[/img] wrote:Honda hoping for 'fair competition' amid rule loopholes
...For the other three manufacturers the limit on engine development via a token system still applies, effectively meaning the manufacturers can now spread the development they would have completed before the first race over the course of the season. Under the regulations, power unit components are given different weightings depending on their influence on performance and a token system is used to limit what manufacturers can change...
After the agony of defeat, success will be sweet!sagi58 wrote:I guess it's a good thing that Ferrari (and the others) didn't use up all their tokens, eh?It won't make a massive difference for us[img]http://www.spotlighttms.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/espn_logo.jpg[/img] wrote:Honda hoping for 'fair competition' amid rule loopholes
...For the other three manufacturers the limit on engine development via a token system still applies, effectively meaning the manufacturers can now spread the development they would have completed before the first race over the course of the season. Under the regulations, power unit components are given different weightings depending on their influence on performance and a token system is used to limit what manufacturers can change...
LiamCatterson wrote:I sincerely hope you are wrong, Liam!! It would be great to have a good year!!sagi58 wrote:I guess it's a good thing that Ferrari (and the others) didn't use up all their tokens, eh?...It won't make a massive difference for us
After the agony of defeat, success will be sweet!On [img]https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRwNJDN1k_86UWlNAAenSJSw5xDUznizS3Oq5h0WSkaNRoH535gvHR8Bms[/img], Staff wrote:The new Ferrari Formula 1 car to be launched on 30th January
Maranello, 9 January –
Ferrari will launch its Formula 1 car on the Scuderia’s website and on its digital and social platforms on Friday 30 January.
In the lead up to that day, various updates will provide fans and the F1 world with additional information, to follow events in Maranello, including the name of the car, the precise time of the launch and other news.
The car will then be used in the first of the winter test sessions, which takes place at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit, from 1 to 4 February.
After the agony of defeat, success will be sweet!McLaren Racing opened its new state-of-the-art Rac[…]
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