THE INSIDE LINE The Prancing Horse gets bullish It may be the that the arrival of Sebastian Vettel at Maranello has already had something of an impact at Ferrari, for the prancing horse turned bullish with recent comments made by CEO Sergio Marchionne. Speaking in Detroit, Marchionne had comments for the tifosi, reminding Ferraris legions of loyal fans that patience was necessary as there was much work to be done: I would like to say to the tifosi, let us work. … We are starting from behind; Im focussed on finding a way to get back to the top as soon as possible and get Ferrari winning again. It will be a tough year, but the important thing is to keep our heads down. It was not all words of caution, however, and Marchionne stirred the troops with remarks aimed at reminding the world that - when it so chooses - Ferrari can play politics with the rest of them. We already have had a good result, he said, being able to modify the engines during the season, when it looked like everything had to remain frozen. I consider that a first victory. Now lets hope some others follow. The appointment of Maurizio Arrivabene as team principal was widely viewed as a statement of political intent. The phrasing of the press release announcing Arrivabenes new role was designed to make it so, with Marchionne heralding his new charges political pedigree. We decided to appoint Maurizio Arrivabene because, at this historic moment in time for the Scuderia and for Formula 1, we need a person with a thorough understanding not just of Ferrari but also of the governance mechanisms and requirements of the sport, Marchionne said in the announcement. Maurizio has a unique wealth of knowledge: he has been extremely close to the Scuderia for years and, as a member of the F1 Commission, is also keenly aware of the challenges we are facing. Buoyed by the engine success, Ferrari appears primed for a resurgence - in the paddock, if not on track. Armed with its regulatory veto and financial clout and headed by a team principal who - unlike previous long-term incumbent Stefano Domenicali - is not wedded to the FOTA-esque principles of cooperation and strength through collective bargaining, Ferrari will surely seek to shape the sport to enhance its opportunities for success. In some ways, Marchionnes claim of victory over the engine freeze is somewhat premature. It remains to be seen just how much ground Ferrari can make up to Mercedes, and whether or not the development rate at Maranello has been outstripped by that of Viry-Chatillon. In regulatory terms, Ferrari can claim success in that it has achieved a goal on paper. The impact on track performance and championship points is yet to be felt. But part of victory is psychology. To win, one must feel capable of victory. Of late, Ferrari has been something of a flattened force in the paddock. The managerial chopping and changing of 2014 was no good for team morale, and while Fernando Alonso did an excellent job there were no wins to be found and only two podiums. The past five years have given the team two chances at the title but no championship success. And while there are teams that would kill to have Ferraris trophy collection, the past decade has been a let-down for the once-dominant team. By making much of what is in essence a minor political victory, Marchionne is stoking the flames of the Ferrari fire, reminding his employees and its supporters that the team is a force to be reckoned with both on and off track. Until it returns to the top step of the podium, it will be vital to team spirit to celebrate any victory, no matter how small.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 14:52:47 +0000
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