B I N G O! I put 100% of the blame on Di Montezemolo for breaking up THE greatest F1 team EVER, when LUCA IDIOTICALLY decided to can Schumacher. Luca made an AWESOME decision putting the team together in the first place, then TOTALLY screwed up the perfect team. The right manager, with the right chief mechanic, with the right aerodynamicist, with the right head engineer, with the right driver. To then can the whole operation?????!!?!?!?! Idiotic!
Thankfully he's been marginalized. There hasn't been much said publicly but Mattiacci is Fiat's choice not Luca's.
I'd be very wary of underestimating LDM's influence within the FIAT group! I suspect LDM has friends in very high places who can make life a lot easier for FIAT than they might be! As for Mattiacci: He might be FIAT's choice rather than LDM's, but that's no guarantee that he's the best choice, the right choice or even a good choice for the job! (FIAT don't always get things right you know! ). Let's face facts here, so far, apart from making some statements that make all the right noises about changing the Scuderia for the better in the future, Mattiacci hasn't actually done anything yet! (unless the latest Pat Fry story is correct, and even if it is, there's no guarantee that it would be a good move!). If Ferrari fail miserably again in 2015 as they have in 2014, who do you think is going to be given the blame?: LDM or Mattiacci?
The call for Mattiacci came from the highest echelon at Fiat. We don't know what next season will bring, but as I said, I'm more confident now that the reorg is being done systematically and quietly. I live in hope.
Interesting to note that there were more paying spectators for the 24 hours of Spa Endurance race (reserved for GT3 cars) than there were the week before at the German GP. Nobody in F1 seems to care!!! Endurance racing has become a fantastic long distance sprint (after 16 hours of racing at Spa we and the 2nd placed Ferrari were at moments less than 2 secs apart) and GP racing is a 1 1/2 hour endurance race where everything is being "conserved" The public see this and aren't interested, the manufacturers just want more money from Bernie and with all due respect- Bernie is going to be 84 in October How hard is it to see what's wrong with this picture?!?!
F1 has noticed. They've scheduled a meeting during the break to discuss declining interest in the sport. Given their record that probably means higher ticket prices, pay TV, and more foolish regs. But you never know. They might get it right this time. Yeah, that'll happen.
And that's supposed to be proof that he's the right man for the job? - As I have previously posted, FIAT have made plenty of mistakes in their time! Today you're critical of LDM, but who employed him to do the job, and who is it that keeps him in the job? - The same people who have employed Mattiacci! - FIAT! If reorganisation is done in a thoughtful and logical manner then it can be very beneficial, but it can also be too easy to fall into the trap of making changes for the sake of making changes, resulting in things getting worse! So far, all Mattiacci has done (when he bothers to speak!), is talk the talk about improving the Scuderia, anyone can do that! - Hell, I could talk up the ideal plan to improve the Scuderia's future performance, even with My somewhat limited knowledge! AS the old saying goes: "Talk is cheap!" The trick is to actually carry out the plan successfully! If he makes the changes he says that he's going to for 2015 and they're successful then he'll look great and keep his job! - As will LDM! If he makes changes, gets it wrong and fails miserably then he'll be down the road faster than the proverbial scolded cat! - Unlike LDM!
We don't know how well the reorganization will work. They're doing things in a somewhat different manner so there is at least a chance for improvement. All we can do is wait and hope.
I think 2015 will be a deciding year for Matti...if the results are not good, i think he will resign like Dom did.
What is wrong with Ferrari's F-1 team? Aside from Alonso, the reliability and the mechanics? Pretty much everything.
This thread is hilarious and by all accounts should become the longest running thread on this site. I've fielded this question from people who know I'm a Ferrari fan all my life, except for a few short years of success. Please mods, never allow this thread to be closed as we will need to keep returning to it Pete
To be honest, the 24 hours of Francorchamps are far better value for money than a GP. You can watch the equivalent on 10 GPs in track time only. Which means that you have the time to travel around the track and see the action from different viewing points. There is also more action with a packed field of 50 (or is it 60?) cars. Apart from the purists, most spectators will enjoy GT racing. It may not be the "pinnacle" of motor racing, but maybe more people identify with GT cars than single-seaters. Spa attracts spectators from Belgium, France, Holland, Britain or Germany. I gather that the Nurburgring 24-hour race still attract many spectators.
What's wrong with the Ferraro F1 team? Simple...unfortunately it's run by Italians! When it had a French Boss, British Technical Lead and a German Lead driver they where unstoppable...the three of them also had a pact to stick together so Montezemolo couldn't interfere.
Very much doubt that is true as first you must finish. Its all relative and an F1 conserving its tyres (which they have always done) is still miles faster than any GT. They just need to sort out the sound. Endurance racing needs to get rid of LMP1 and other non-roadable classes and then it would be awesome. All cars should be dead standard except for rollcages and fire extinguisher IMO ... and that includes tyres. Basically take your 458 to the track Pete
The Ferrari 330, or Ford GT, or Porsche 917, none of those are even remote road cars - just the road legislation of the day meant you could squeak it out as a road car if desperate. The close bodied hybrid prototypes they have now at Le Man's are fantastic machines. Le Man's cars have frankly, pretty much *always* been non roadable uncomfortable racing machines, at least, the winners. Just road regulations changed and they are no longer street legal. These cars did push the technoledgy of speed forwards, Jaguar with its disk brakes, etc. The prototypes in 2014, are doing the same, Laser headlights, etc. The sheer pace and reliability that they are doing now is incredibly impressive.
Yes agree, BUT IMO we now know how to build a racing car and the only thing that holds us back are the rules. Therefore because of this we need to change the racing because the innovation and challenge is gone. In the early days we were still learning how to design and build an automobile. We know how now. The only innovation that still occurs is to get around silly rules. So I propose that we acknowledge that we are at the later stages on the development cycle of the automobile and if you like celebrate it with racing these now very capable road cars. Lets face it Audi is getting no exposure from winning with these amazing machines they run, but heck if say an RS 5 Coupe won they would be heros. So my proposal would make Le Mans extremely relevant again and I reckon manufacturers would be tripping over themselves to get their entries in. AND most modern road cars, even humble ones can take abuse for 24 hours ... not like back in the 60's. Pete
That probably means that for some reason people think that Ferrari always has to win just because they are Ferrari. Not an easy job, isn´t it?
I overheard the commentators during the 24h Spa say that at the 24h of Nurburgring a month ago, over 250K visitors came! That's an insane number!
Why the aerodynamic failures of the F14 T have led to a power vacuum at Ferrari | Features & Experts | Sky Sports Formula 1 Good article on ALL that is wrong. Ferrari, the car etc will need some work.