Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne has indirectly demanded his team a championship title by the next Formula One season, i.e. 2017. He said, “If we were to somehow fail to win a title over a 10-year span, it would be a tragedy. Ferrari’s last constructor title win was in 2008 while driver’s title was in 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen.
F1: Teams unsure about preparation levels this season
Ferrari went through a win-less season in 2014 while in 2015, the team did manage to put up a fight following Sebastian Vettel’s three wins. Sergio, however feels that the team needs to pull up their socks and translate efforts into performance on the track.
Sergio who is the CEO of Fiat Group that also owns Alfa Romeo, said the team was contemplating whether the brand could make a return into Formula One in the future. There is no certainty at this point, however, on this matter.
On the other hand Mercedes are expecting a healthy competition from Ferrari this season. Any Cowell, Mercedes boss said, “Nobody here is assuming we are going to win. Everybody is assuming we are going to be beaten by Ferrari and Honda is a big threat”. This statement is perhaps aimed to not make the team complacent after having dominated the last two seasons.
Andy considers the Japanese engine manufacturer, Honda to be a serious threat this season. Last season they were restricted by the number of total developments that can be made during the season. This year they are expected to be competing not only for points but podium places as well.
Cowell said, “They (Honda) have come in quickly and are learning in from of the public but they are hugely determined and partnered with McLaren. We know exactly how McLaren work in terms of data-driven approach so they are going to make some big, big gains”.
Tags: F1, Ferrari, Formula One, Honda, McLaren, Mercedes, Motorsport, Motorsports
