Share

Has F1 simply become too complicated?

MONTREAL, Canada - Ferrari boss Sergio Marchionne on Sunday (June 7) made his first appearance of the Formula 1 season, the 62-year-old was at theCanadian GP since taking over as Ferrari president and had some blunt stuff to say.

He said in Montreal that the work done by the resurgent Ferrari at its Maranello factory under new boss Maurizio Arrivabene so far in 2015 had been "exceptional".

SWIPE AT DI MONTEZEMOLO

The Italian-born Canadian said: "There is nothing to regret, even if there are people who speak and say many things."

Marchionne was undoubtedly referring to the barbs fired recently by his predecessor ,Luca di Montezemolo, who said Ferrari's new chiefs lucked-in to into their 2015 success on the back of earlier groundwork.

Marchionne told reporters: "The reality is that the (2015) car of October 22015 was not ready. Since then an amazing job has been done; all the progress we have made and continue to make every race is almost miraculous."

Marchionne said Ferrari might have made even more progress relative to dominant Mercedes if not for the "constraints imposed by the current regulations".

He probably meant the current 'engine freeze' which, Marchionne says, is just one example of how F1 has become too complex.

Read: Ferrari in new era without Montezemolo

"We are trying to simplify things," Marchionne said, referring to trackside talks about the future shape of the rules and a meeting on Sunday (June 7) with Bernie Ecclestone.

"This is a sport that has to evolve," he added, "because the most important thing is to have more viewers and yet we have written rules that are completely incomprehensible even to those of us who are involved in the sport.

"Unfortunately, what we did was to build a castle of complex rules in order to defend positions of domination, and even Ferrari is guilty of that."

MARCHIONNE BACKS REFUELLING

Marchionne said one step forward would be to bring back refuelling, even though the latest news from Canada is that bosses have freshly decided to scrap the planned reintroduction.

But "We are in favour" of refuelling, Marchionne said on Sunday (June &).  He said the decision to cancel the reintroduction was just "an opinion" given in recent meetings.

Marchionne said: "We'll see what the committee (Strategy Group) decides.  I think another variable that increases the unpredictability of the outcome is a good thing."

Read: F1 performs U-turn on refuelling plan

Finally, Marchionne said he wants to see Monza keep the Italian grand prix.

"For my part, Monza will not fail," he said, "so if they have problems then we should talk to Bernie (Ecclestone)."

Stay with Wheels24 for the 2015 F1 season – fresh reports every day.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()