Ferrari’s influence not in decline – Arrivabene

2015 Australian Grand Prix

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Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene does not believe their political influence has waned in recent years.

The team’s lack of championship success in recent years and the rise of big-spending rivals such as Red Bull and Mercedes has prompted suggestions that F1’s oldest team is being increasingly eclipsed.

However Arrivabene, who became their team principal in November, does not agree with that view. “I don’t think Ferrari lost a kind of central role first of all,” said Arrivabene when asked in a press conference today.

“I would like to see how many people would be at the race without the Ferrari team competing and this is part of the political role.”

However he said it is in Ferrari’s interest to ensure it remains a major player in the sport.

“Before me and even now I think that our president, Sergio Marchionne, he was working very hard and he plays himself in the first line and with a lot of effort, not to regain the position, but at least to keep the position in terms of political weight that Ferrari deserves.”

“I am following him 100 per cent and I am learning also from him because his strategic view with his experience is very important for the team and for the company.”

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    Keith Collantine
    Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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    12 comments on “Ferrari’s influence not in decline – Arrivabene”

    1. And if they do I’m pretty sure they’d veto it. ;)

    2. Someone who says things like “no money, no honey” in a F1 press conference that is more political than anything deserves my support, all the way LOL

    3. At least this guy knows what he is talking about. Ferrari could never win without all the support from the FIA, Bernie, etc. So at least he’s got his head straight.. make sure that they get all the political advantage they can get on their rivals, and hopefully their team can exploit it enough to win a WDC / WCC

      1. Were you not bothered with it when one Spaniard was driving for this team? Or did it suit the agenda during that period :)

    4. Hans (@hanswesterbeek)
      13th March 2015, 15:40

      “I would like to see how many people would be at the race without the Ferrari team competing and this is part of the political role.”

      I think I have heard this a thousand times by now. And to be honest, the answer always seems to be: about as much as there would have been with Ferrari competing.

      1. Hans (@hanswesterbeek)
        13th March 2015, 15:40

        *many

    5. UNeedAFinn2win
      13th March 2015, 16:31

      This is why I have so little respect for Ferrari. Their sense of entitlement, and their belief that they are above the sport. I said it when GPWC was last on the agenda: Ferrari needs F1 a helluva lot more than F1 needs Ferrari.

      Sad to see that attitude has not gone away with the changing of the guard.

    6. petebaldwin (@)
      13th March 2015, 18:07

      “I would like to see how many people would be at the race without the Ferrari team competing and this is part of the political role.” – exactly the same amount I would imagine – other than in Monza.

      Would anyone here honestly stop following F1 if Ferrari dropped out?

      1. I probably wouldn’t, but this is not the best site to ask this kind of question tbh.

      2. I wouldn’t. Ferrari is F1 for me. Guess its down to individual opinion. Every race track has local heroes etc but average it out I see more Ferrari flags overall than all else. LMP1 is growing strong if Ferrari left for there I think the scales of power in motorsport would also shift to there. F1 would survive but would take a huge hit much larger than if the next greatest team although much smaller McLaren were to leave.

    7. I am a fan of Raikonnen, Alonso and Vettel but, never liked Ferrari. They have the attitude that everyone on the grid should be privileged to race against them and come in 2nd or 3rd like they own the sport.

      1. Surely all teams think like that. They all want to be the best. Look at the drivers… Hamilton says Senna was his favourite but I bet if he raced him he would believe he could beat him. Ferrari believe eventually they can win again and should. Why not they have been there since the start, teams have come and gone why should they not believe they will win and should do due to their record in the sport?

        British have a sense of entitlement to the title as they have the most teams but Italy has the longest serving and most successful team so they are entitled to think they should win it is just they have to do it not be given it by default which they are not saying. With their record they should win more often than not.

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