F1 News
 |
 |
Stefano Domenicali |
Luca di Montezemolo |
Copyright Ferrari |
Copyright Ferrari |
The Horse Whisperer – The meaning of words
Source: Ferrari
No way could the Horse Whisperer miss out on the Ferrari World Finals which is how he found himself at the lovely Mugello circuit, an example to all in terms of how to build and run a facility with a sound business plan. Of course, the Whisperer listened attentively to the words of President Montezemolo when he met the press, especially the bits relating to the future of Formula 1.
Montezemolo’s observations were seen by some as a sort of ultimatum or even a threat to leave Formula 1, but the Whisperer can assure you that it was nothing of the kind. For starters, the words “leave” or “ultimatum” did not even feature in his pronouncement, but what really needs to be stressed is that Montezemolo spoke in a totally constructive fashion, which is usually the case with the President of a company that has always been in Formula 1 and who has the future well being of the greatest form of motorsport so close to his heart. Saying that “Formula 1 is still our life, but without Ferrari there is no Formula 1, just as without Formula 1 Ferrari would be different” means that Maranello is working on the front line when it comes to drawing up plans for the immediate future of the sport. The criticisms and comments put forward yesterday are nothing new – Montezemolo has aired them before. On the contrary, they must be seen as a stimulus: it’s logical that a sports car manufacturer sees its involvement in Formula 1 above all as a test bench for advanced technological research, while always bearing in mind that keeping costs under control is a must and Maranello has always been at the forefront of this initiative. That’s why the number of testing days needs to be revised: not only because we are the only sporting discipline where athletes are strictly forbidden from training on their “pitch” but also because the current restrictions make it impossible for youngsters to progress and experience driving for real rather than just in the virtual world of the simulator. And to those who think that cutting back on aerodynamics was done purely for Ferrari’s benefit, remember that taking into account Ferrari’s historic role, clearly it is right to want to think of Formula 1’s success as a sport: we don’t want to see missiles or rockets on the track; what we want is competition between cars.
|
Domenicali: “We are working on having a car that is competitive from the start”
Source: Ferrari
Mugello, 6 November – Stefano Domenicali faced the thankless task of having to comment on this Formula 1 season. “Clearly, we are not pleased, as we have said so often,” said the Scuderia Team Principal. “In the remaining two races, we want to try and get on the podium and try all we can to get Fernando to second place in the Drivers’ classification. Meanwhile, everyone at Maranello is working to produce a car that is competitive right from the start of next season, when, as we are well aware, we can have only one goal, which is victory.”
Domenicali looked back at the season that is about to end: “We started very badly but then, coming into summer, we staged a good recovery which, among other things, saw us take the significant win at Silverstone. Then we had a programme of further development on the car, which should have brought us much closer to the front runners. Unfortunately, the updates introduced in Spa did not produce the results we hoped for and so we took a step backwards, partly because by then, we had interrupted the development of the 150 Italia to concentrate all our energies on next year’s car. In the last few races we also tested a few ideas and parts which will be useful in the near future and we will continue to do that in Abu Dhabi and Brazil.”
The man from Imola then talked about the two drivers, Alonso and Massa: “I am sure that, in the next few days, going back to Abu Dhabi will have an effect on Fernando, given what happened there last year, but this negative emotion will be a further incentive for him to turn things around in 2012. I am also counting heavily on Felipe’s will to fight back as he knows next year will be a key one in which, and I’m convinced of it, he will be able to show his true worth. As for the rumours regarding all the drivers who are due to arrive in Maranello to replace him, I can only repeat my words and indeed those only recently uttered by our President, in every possible way, Felipe will also be with us in 2012 and that should make you understand how much faith we have in him.”
|
Simoncelli and Genoa, two reasons for sadness
Source: Ferrari
Mugello, 6 November – Ferrari’s day of celebration could not wipe out the memory of two events that had a profound effect on the atmosphere within the Prancing Horse world: the death of Marco Simoncelli and the tragic events that have struck Genoa in recent days.
“I well remember when, back in July, I was here for the Saturday of the Italian MotoGP and I spoke about Marco with you journalists,” recalled Montezemolo. “I compared him to Gilles Villeneuve because of his temperament, his generosity and courage, both as a man and a rider. I am pleased to talk about him today at this place where he was so often in the thick of it. He was an amazing guy, a real Romagnol and very talented. Once again, my thoughts are with his family, who reacted in exemplary fashion to this tragedy and they deserve respect and praise for their demeanour.”
On the floods that hit Genoa, the President had this to say: “ All my thoughts and those of everyone at Ferrari are with those who lost their lives in Genoa in a tragedy that seems incredible, but show once again how scant is the respect that we usually have in our country when it comes to taking action to prepare for events like this. We need to invest in the land which is maybe the most important thing that we have in Italy, as well as its people. It is the beauty of nature, but we need to invest in prevention. I say it not seeking to make a political point, but in a constructive way, so that everyone plays their part in avoiding this sort of tragedy.”
|
Montezemolo: “Mugello, a Formula 1 facility”
Source: Ferrari
Mugello, 6 November – “We have invested heavily in this circuit, which deserves to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix.” The Ferrari President was lavish in his praise of the Tuscan circuit, which, for the ninth time, hosted the final event of the Prancing Horse’s racing calendar. “It is a very beautiful circuit, especially the new grandstand from which one can see the whole track, which is important and a rare thing indeed.”
Domenicali was also keen to praise the circuit: “Paolo Poli, who runs the circuit and all his staff are doing a great job, with the facility being used for an average of 260 to 270 days a year, even at the moment, when we are going through tough times. I am very happy that, next May, we will be once again hosting a Formula 1 test session and we hope to mark that event by putting on something special.”
|
Montezemolo: “Formula 1 has to change”
Source: Ferrari
Mugello, 6 November – “Formula 1 is still our life, but without Ferrari there is no Formula 1, just as without Formula 1 Ferrari would be different,” said Luca di Montezemolo being crystal clear when discussing the future of the blue riband of motorsport, while stressing concepts put forward many times already, when deemed appropriate. “We can be very patient but there are precise conditions for us to continue with our work. We race not just for the publicity it brings us but above all to carry out advanced research aimed at all aspects of our road cars: engine, chassis, mechanical components, electronics, materials and aerodynamics, to such an extent that the technology transfer from track to road has grown exponentially over the past twenty years.
“What is not so good is that 90% of performance is now based exclusively on aerodynamics and another negative is that ours is the only sport where no testing is allowed. We are building cars, not helicopters, rockets or planes. Sure, we must not go back to the excesses of a few years ago, but neither should we be in a position where we can’t provide opportunities for the youngsters we are bringing on in the Ferrari Driver Academy.
Finally, there’s the issue of the third car, which mark my words, we support not so much for our own interests but more for those of the sport in general. We believe the interest of the fans, media and sponsors could increase if there is a bigger number of competitive cars on track rather than cars that are two or three seconds off the pace, being lapped after just a few laps. As an example, remember in 1961 Giancarlo Baghetti won the French Grand Prix at Reims with a privately entered Ferrari: there you are, it would be nice one day in the future to see one of our cars running in American colours, or Chinese, or maybe those of Abu Dhabi.”
Montezemolo’s conclusions are very clear: “We will support our views as we see fit, in the best way possible, but let’s be clear, for those who agree, that is fine, but otherwise they will just have to accept it is our position. If Formula 1 still wants Ferrari it must change and go back to being at the cutting edge of research, while always keeping an eye on costs. We are not in Formula 1 as sponsors, we are constructors.”
|
Montezemolo: “An amazing year all the same”
Source: Ferrari
Mugello, 6 November –The Finali Mondiali has always been a time to take a first look back at Ferrari’s racing season and that was again the case at Mugello this weekend. President Luca di Montezemolo, Scuderia team principal Stefano Domenicali and the head of Corse Clienti Antonello Coletta were on hand to meet the press covering the event to review the year, even if there are still two Formula 1 Grands Prix to go, as well as the decisive round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup on the GT front.
Montezemolo was naturally enough centre stage. “It’s been an amazing year,” he began, “when it comes to the Challenge races and the GT series, both in terms of the number of competitors and the number of wins, like the one that went to the Bruni-Fisichella duo in the Le Mans Series. We are here this weekend precisely to celebrate the passion of so many of our owners who love to race our cars and above all share a great sense of camaraderie and they come from all over the world: there is an Argentine who has just bought the Formula 1 car that Schumacher raced in 2004, an Australian who yesterday won the Asia-Pacific series of the Coppa Shell, with twelve Chinese taking part and others also from Hong Kong, not forgetting the Americans, Europeans and Italians. It’s events like these that capture the real passion of Ferrari. However, it’s been a difficult year on the Formula 1 front, where maybe we paid for our great fightback in 2010, but above all, we did not have the car that I, the team and all our fans wanted.
Nevertheless, we can still delight in our Silverstone result, winning with Fernando Alonso, sixty years on from when, at the same circuit, Froilan Gonzalez took our first ever victory at the highest level of motorsport. That is cause for satisfaction.
We can also take pride in the fact that, from 1997 to the present day, with very few exceptions, Ferrari has been a championship contender, either winning or fighting for the title to the very last round, in a period of time during which our main rivals, be it the Williams era, then McLaren, Renault and now Red Bull, have always changed.
|
 |
 |
Jean-Claude Biver - Luca di Montezemolo |
Jean-Claude Biver - Luca di Montezemolo |
Copyright Ferrari |
Copyright Ferrari |
Finali Mondiali Ferrari: introducing a new partnership with Hublot
Source: Ferrari
Maranello, 5 November –Today, at the Finali Mondiali, it was announced that the Maranello company is now in partnership with prestigious watch manufacturer, Hublot.
Hublot is now the official timepiece production company for all the Maranello marque’s activities, both in terms of image, as well as producing specific pieces such as the “Ferrari Official Watch” and the “Scuderia Ferrari Official Watch,” as well as taking on the role of :Ferrari Official Timekeeper,” Scuderia Ferrari Official Timekeeper” and “Ferrari Challenge Official Timekeeper.”
Speaking at the press conference to present the partnership, Ferrari S.p.A. President Luca di Montezemolo said, “exclusivity, technology and passion are among the many things that Ferrari and Hublot have in common and this partnership comes at an important time for both companies Being here at Mugello today, with so many of our owners and fans and hundreds of such beautiful Ferraris is the ideal opportunity to announce an all encompassing collaboration that will see Hublot join forces with us for the coming years.”
|
|
|