Ferrari Replace Team Boss After 7 Months

[Liquid]

BBC

Ferrari replace team boss Marco Mattiacci after just 7 months. Maurizio Arrivabene, vice-president of global communications for Ferrari sponsor Philip Morris, will replace him.

 

[DK]

A PR guru for a tobacco company taking over as Ferrari's team principal? Oh deary me, it looks like another year in the doldrums for them.

 

[mustafur]

Wow this time they have managed to hire someone who has had no previous Car experience what so ever.

Got to love Italians hiring Italians because Italian.

 

[Peasantslayer]

They share a lot of similarities with Ducati: Red in colour, always chopping and changing personnel, spending loads of money, based in Italy and haven't won a riders/drivers title since 2007.

 

[GTPorsche]

Was this not expected? I thought they had said Mattiaci was a temporary Team Principal.

But them snagging a guy from Phillip Morris? ......oh boy....

Edit: How long before Ferrari say Arrivederci to Arrivabene?

 

[TVR27]

What's wrong with Ferrari's F1 team ?

 

[GTPorsche]

What's wrong with Ferrari's F1 team ?

As of right now?

Everyone/thing that isn't Vettel.

 

[mustafur]

As of right now?

Everyone/thing that isn't Vettel.

Incorrect, everything that isn't Allison, signing Vettel has clearly shown their poor driver selection, just as Kimi was last year.


There only hope of getting somewhere fully relies on Allison building something great for 2015.

 

[Dotini]

Incorrect, everything that isn't Allison, signing Vettel has clearly shown their poor driver selection, just as Kimi was last year.


There only hope of getting somewhere fully relies on Allison building something great for 2015.

Yes, the Ferrari chassis is not particularly handy. The Williams looks much better in that department.
But the Ferrari engine, regulated and homologated as it is, looks hopeless.
Ferrari needs a new formula in Formula One.

Perhaps the only way of doing that is gigantic money (Philip Morris?) influencing the decisions to be made for '16 and beyond.

 

[MustangManiac]

Oh great, a management moron with an MBA, that will fix everything Might as well write Ferrari off for a few more years, Vettel made a big mistake!

 

[TVR27]

Maybe Ferrari need this

 

[MustangManiac]

Maybe Ferrari need this

Well, it makes a lot of sparks and smoke and I am sure it is loud as 🤬, Bernie would love it and give one to every team 👍

 

[TVR27]

Well, it makes a lot of sparks and smoke and I am sure it is loud as 🤬, Bernie would love it and give one to every team 👍

I don't know who is going to clean the mess up after the race and I think the hospitals will be full.

 

[TheCracker]

I don't see this as a bad move. Maurizio Arrivabene has been working with Ferrari for years. Having someone come in to this position not from within the organisation and without that baggage might just be what they need. He can just run it as a business.

 

[Third Reign]

I don't know why people judge people in the management positions on what company they previously worked for. The upper management needs absolutely zero technical knowledge, they need people that can organize, structure, and motivate.

 

[Dotini]

I don't know why people judge people in the management positions on what company they previously worked for. The upper management needs absolutely zero technical knowledge, they need people that can organize, structure, and motivate.

Not to mention creatively innovate previously unknown solutions, but also to cajole, coerce and intimidate, and maybe even bribe, suborn and otherwise manipulate.

 

[mustafur]

The upper management needs absolutely zero technical knowledge, they need people that can organize, structure, and motivate.

Because the History of Formula 1 disagrees with you, I Can't even name 1 Team Principal in Charge of a Title Winning car, that didn't have either Technical or Racing Experience in the last 30 years.

 

[MustangManiac]

I don't see this as a bad move. Maurizio Arrivabene has been working with Ferrari for years. Having someone come in to this position not from within the organisation and without that baggage might just be what they need. He can just run it as a business.

You just answered your own question. The problem with this move is that "he can just run it like a business". Haven't you ever heard the saying: the only way to make a small fortune in racing is to start with a large one? Ferrari doesn't make money racing, they make money selling very expensive exotic sports cars. They are able to sell said cars in large part due to their reputation on the track. Run the race program like a business, damage that reputation and their won't be enough money from sales to go racing with.

 

[daan]

Because the History of Formula 1 disagrees with you, I Can't even name 1 Team Principal in Charge of a Title Winning car, that didn't have either Technical or Racing Experience in the last 30 years.

Flavio Briatore wants a word.

 

[RACECAR]

I'm officially convinced this team is doomed forever.

Wow this time they have managed to hire someone who has had no previous Car experience what so ever.

Got to love Italians hiring Italians because Italian.

Am I the only one that gets the feeling they are stuck in the past? Maybe its just me, but it honestly feels they are trying to force the old fashioned way when it clearly isn't working.

What's wrong with Ferrari's F1 team ?

As far as I can tell, everything.

 

[TheCracker]

You just answered your own question. The problem with this move is that "he can just run it like a business". Haven't you ever heard the saying: the only way to make a small fortune in racing is to start with a large one? Ferrari doesn't make money racing, they make money selling very expensive exotic sports cars. They are able to sell said cars in large part due to their reputation on the track. Run the race program like a business, damage that reputation and their won't be enough money from sales to go racing with.

Didn't realise I'd asked a question...

Ferrari probably make more money through merchandising than selling actual sports cars. You are dead right that they don't make money directly through competing in F1, but Ferrari have already made their reputation as the Formula One team who also sell great road cars. That image can't be damaged through a rough patch on track. Their business model can easily withstand a bleak period of poor F1 results, much better then they could in other eras. Sales of their road cars in recent times has been booming, despite little F1 success. They've successfully diversified their activities as a business purely selling a range of road cars. I joked about making more from selling replica pit caps and branded watches, but it's not that wide of the mark. Their FXX and Clienti programmes etc and a push towards personalisation as made them very profitable. Emerging markets care little for F1 in the most. To them a Ferrari is still a Ferrari, a status symbol, or maybe a short or long term investment. The two parts of Ferrari are separate enough these days to wait out a storm.

CVC monies aside, they get a majority of their yearly budget from Philip Morris. Having one of their guys running the show can only strengthen that relationship.

 

[Bo]

It's like a really bad joke now. Ferrari rake in well over double half the teams on the grid every season, yet they still flounder. They have no plans. Their constant aim of getting back to the top will never work when the team is just getting patched together every year. I'm also going to question how they handle their employees, or now ex-employee, since it just seems like a big mafia job to me.

@RACECAR said it well; they're stuck in the past. They're trying the same thing year after year. The team is a complete unknown, an enigma, and they're well and truly removed from the outside world. It looks like they're not going to change their outlook any time soon, and so without a minor miracle, nor will their results.

 

[sems4arsenal]

So no Ross Brawn then, looks like Mattiaci is leaving the whole of Ferrari (how does that work). What have you gotten yourself into Seb

 

[Bo]

looks like Mattiaci is leaving the whole of Ferrari (how does that work).

If you fail at the top job, there's no place for you at Ferrari. That seems to be the case.

 

[RACECAR]

Man, Seb has made a poor choice. Sure I said something similar about Hamilton when he went to Mercedes, but that was team that had a direction and a leader and people that knew what had to be done. The same cannot unfortunately be said about Ferrari, not in the slightest. If Vettel thought he had a hard time in the Red Bull this year, he has no idea about the hell he will face in 2015.

 

[sems4arsenal]

If you fail at the top job, there's no place for you at Ferrari. That seems to be the case.

Atleast they let him live which is nice, also heard one of the reasons for his axing is letting Alonso go, if LDM couldn't keep Alonso at Ferrari no one can.

@RACECAR Vettel has already won too much that he wouldn't exactly be regretting much, Ferrari will be back though, too rich to fail in my opinion.

 

[GTPorsche]

I'm sure if LDM were still at Ferrari, so would Alonso.

 

[RACECAR]

Atleast they let him live which is nice, also heard one of the reasons for his axing is letting Alonso go, if LDM couldn't keep Alonso at Ferrari no one can.

@RACECAR Vettel has already won too much that he wouldn't exactly be regretting much, Ferrari will be back though, too rich to fail in my opinion.

If they are, they won't be this season. I just don't see it happening. I would even say that they are not too far away from becoming backmakers.

 

[mustafur]

Flavio Briatore wants a word.

I would say he Kind of qualifies, but that was 6 years in the making He already had an Elite team around him and he was actively involved in scouting drivers. Much more closer to the sport then this guy is.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Supposedly the F1 rumor points to Ferrari being toward the top again in 2016. And let's be honest Ferrari in recent years have come close to winning the the WDC 2010 & 2012, and if they had a better driver in Massa would have probably won WCC against RBR in 2012.