What's Wrong With Ferrari?

Judged by their own starry standards, Ferrari’s 2016 performance was woeful: thumped by Mercedes, overtaken by Red Bull, no wins and a lacklustre third in the championship. But, worse still, there seems little immediate prospect of a turnaround in their ailing form.

- Pino Allievi

“This rule – the one that says whoever finishes first is the winner – is definitely penalising us.” Those surreal words were spoken by Italian comedian Maurizio Crozza in a perfect parody of Sergio Marchionne on a popular TV show in Italy. The Ferrari president was sitting in the audience for Crozza’s show, and enjoyed witnessing his alter ego – although, as he later elaborated to the assembled media at Ferrari’s traditional Christmas lunch: “Crozza’s good, but I definitely prefer it when he imitates Luca di Montezemolo instead!”

What this proves is that F1 in general, and Ferrari in particular, remain as present in the Italian public consciousness as ever, despite the fact that the Prancing Horse haven’t won a world championship in ten years. After the Schumacher era, despite the fleeting ecstasy of Kimi Räikkönen’s 2007 drivers’ title, Ferrari have been missing in action, having failed to rediscover their title-winning ways. It’s a common feature of the cyclical history that characterises not just F1 but all forms of sport.