(© Ben Johnston 2015)
New Ferrari Chairman, Sergio Marchionne has conceded that
the Italian team are behind on the design phase of their 2015 Formula One car.
The news comes at the worst possible time for the Maranello
based outfit as the first pre-season test gets underway in Jerez in less than
three weeks’ time. Marchionne blamed the delay on the FIA’s ruling about the
freeze on power units.
The Italian outfit have undergone a complete change on the
management side over the winter with Maurizio Arrivabene appointed as Team
Principal, replacing interim boss Marco Mattiacci just one day after the season
finale Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last November.
The team have brought in four time
world champion Sebastian Vettel from Infiniti Red Bull Racing to partner Kimi
Raikkonen this season as Fernando Alonso has returned to McLaren-Honda.
Marchionne has defended the changes he made over the winter
saying that he had to change things as the team had an extremely tough season
in 2014. Ferrari finished the season in 4th place in the
championship behind the Williams Martini Racing Team who finished in third
place in the championship.
Speaking about the road car division, Marchionne stated that
it is doing ‘tremendously well’. However he stated that the company’s
success on the road car front has to be linked to what they do on the Formula
One track.
He knows that despite the delay, the team will be get it
right and get back to competing for race wins which is where they should be.
© Ben Johnston 2015
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