2020 Ferrari News

[vcs316]

Ferrari back Binotto to bring glory back to Maranello

Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri says the Scuderia hierarchy will keep faith in team principal Mattia Binotto in the hope that stability can bring the glory days back to Maranello.

Only the 2008 constructors' championship has been brought back to Maranello under the guidance of Stefan Domenicali, Marco Mattiacci, Maurizio Arrivabene and now Binotto across the last 12 seasons.

Binotto's leadership came under scrutiny in his first campaign at the helm as a pre-season decision to bestow "priority" on Sebastian Vettel largely failed as the German could not sufficiently outperform team-mate Charles Leclerc, while Mercedes romped clear in the early months of the year.

However, Camilleri says Binotto is not yet on the hot-seat, backing the man in charge to lead Ferrari back to greatness.

"We need patience, we need stability and serenity," he said.

"If you look back in the history of Formula 1, where teams have done very well, be it McLaren, Ferrari in the good old days, Red Bull or today Mercedes, there is one common thread, which was that there was a lot of stability within the team.

"They learned to work very closely together. That is something we are very focused on. Mattia has been spending a lot of time to ensure that we have a cohesive, united team."

With Ferrari building a new simulator, as well as combining preparations for both the 2020 and 2021 cars – as they look to get a head-start on the new regulations – Binotto says the Scuderia's budget will skyrocket next year.

However, Camilleri says the company's success with its roadcar division will filter its way through to fund success in F1.

"We're also prepared to invest and luckily the car business can support those investments, not only in terms of people, but also in terms of infrastructure."

https://www.gpfans.com/en/articles/4...-to-maranello/

[vcs316]

Vettel, Leclerc's 'behind closed doors' relationship revealed by Ferrari

Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri says that, despite various disagreements and even a crash between the pair in the 2019 F1 season, team-mates Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc do get on behind the scenes within the Scuderia.

After an impressive debut season with Sauber, Leclerc was promoted to Ferrari at the expense of Kimi Raikkonen, who moved in the opposite direction

However, it soon became clear that the Monegasque driver would not settle for being the team’s secondary driver to Vettel, which Ferrari pretty much confirmed was the case before the season had even started.

Leclerc outperformed Vettel throughout the campaign, winning more races and finishing higher in the championship. Things came to a head at the Brazilian Grand Prix which saw the team-mates collide, but Camilleri is content that the period of alleged hostility has passed as the team prepares for 2020.

"A lot has been written," he told Motorsport.com.

"You should know that behind closed doors they actually get on very well.

"There's great respect between them, they joke together, and there's quite a great relationship. Clearly, they're both very competitive. And Brazil was a nightmare.

"However, now the air has been cleared. And I think you sometimes need a crisis to put the goalposts in the appropriate place.

"I think they both realised that Ferrari was the big [one to] suffer in this collision that they created.

"And I actually think going forward, it gives Mattia [Binotto] a much better way of managing them, and also renders them significantly more receptive because they realise how they screwed up."

The Ferrari CEO admits that even he and some members of the team were “surprised” at just how quickly Leclerc adapted to his new surroundings, as well as the level of performances he provided in just his second F1 campaign.

"We all knew that Charles has a lot of talent," he added.

"I think he has surprised even ourselves as to what he was capable of doing.

"He became stronger not only as a driver, but as an integral part of the team. For us that's very important. He has a great relationship with the team and continues to build upon it."

https://www.gpfans.com/en/articles/4...ed-by-ferrari/

[vcs316]

Ferrari want female Academy driver ‘very soon’

Ferrari principal Mattia Binotto has confirmed that the team hope to appoint a female driver to their Academy “very soon”.

It will form part of an overall effort to boost the number of youngsters in the Ferrari pool – currently Mick Schumacher is their most recognised junior, while the likes of Callum Ilott, reigning F3 Champion Robert Schwartzman and Guiliano Alesi all currently serve as Academy proteges.

It wasn’t really until this season though that the emergence of Charles Leclerc raised the stock of Ferrari’s junior programme, despite the likes of Jules Bianchi and Sergio Perez also coming into F1 under Ferrari’s guidance.

Speaking to reporters at Ferrari’s Maranello base, Binotto said: “We are increasing the number of drivers of the Ferrari Driver Academy next year.

“A few other drivers will join. I’m not in the position to tell you how many and who, but it’s something on which we are working very hard.

“The Academy also looks for women in the future — women should be part of the Ferrari Driver Academy. That’s something on which we are working right now to make sure that it may happen very soon.”

The inaugural winner of the all-women W Series Jamie Chadwick has been touted as the one most likely to end F1’s almost 20-year wait for a female driver.

The 21-year-old Briton now serves as a development driver for Williams, but she feels she would be doing women a disservice if she made it to F1 just because of her gender.

“I want to be there on merit,” she told AFP as quoted by Insideracing.com. “I don’t care if someone pays for me to be in Formula 1 tomorrow, I won’t do it as I am not there on merit yet.

“I know if I jumped into an F1 seat tomorrow I would not do women in motorsport justice and I feel morally loyal to that.

“If I have the opportunity, which I believe I do after this year, to race at all levels and I am successful in all of them then I do deserve a seat.

“If not then I do not deserve a seat but so long as I have had the opportunity I cannot say I did not have the best shot at it.”

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...ver-very-soon/

[jgonzalesm6]

Corriere reports that Charles Leclerc has signed the contract extension with Scuderia Ferrari - 5 years until the end of 2024!
Leclerc has got a salary increase aswell (9mio per year)!

Merry Christmas......???

[vcs316]

'Leclerc gets new Ferrari contract and huge pay rise'

Charles Leclerc has been handed a new five-year contract and a significant pay rise by Ferrari, according to reports in Italy.

The Monegasque was already on a deal that was believed to run until 2022, but the long-term nature of Ferrari's latest commitment signals that Leclerc is the man to lead their championship hopes in years to come.

Corriere dello Sport reports that Leclerc's salary has tripled to €9million, closing the gap to Sebastian Vettel, although the four-time world champion remains on a deal worth much more per year.

Leclerc earned his new contract with a spectacular debut season in Scuderia scarlet.

The Monegasque took seven pole positions across the campaign, more than any other driver and added two race wins in Belgium and Italy, breaking Ferrari's nine-year drought at Monza in the process.

Leclerc finished ahead of Vettel in the drivers' championship, having wiped out the pre-season "priority" bestowed upon the German by team principal Mattia Binotto, becoming just the second team-mate to defeat Vettel across a full season.

The 22-year-old's extension also arrives amid suggestions that Lewis Hamilton could be his team-mate in 2021, with Mercedes' six-time world champion having met Ferrari president John Elkann in 2019.

Binotto has said that Ferrari want an "experienced" driver alongside Leclerc when F1 falls under new regulations in 2021. Both Vettel and Hamilton fit the bill, but it remains to be seen if the German can convince Ferrari that he remains at the peak of his powers.

Vettel may not have long to prove his worth, with Binotto saying that a decision will start to be made around next year's Spanish GP.

https://www.gpfans.com/en/articles/4...huge-pay-rise/

[vcs316]

Charles Leclerc's Ferrari F1 deal extended until end of 2024 season

Charles Leclerc has extended his contract with the Ferrari Formula 1 team, in a deal that means he will stay at the squad until at least the end of 2024.

Leclerc joined Ferrari for 2019 after just one season in F1 with Sauber, replacing Kimi Raikkonen alongside Sebastian Vettel.

He secured Ferrari's first win of the year in the Belgian Grand Prix in September, although victory in Bahrain in just his second race for the team was on the cards until a late engine issue.

He went on to win again in the Italian Grand Prix, and would finish fourth in the standings ahead of his four-time world champion team-mate Vettel.

Leclerc also grabbed seven pole positions, the most achieved by any driver in 2019.

"I am very happy to be staying on with Scuderia Ferrari," said Leclerc.

"This past season, driving for the most illustrious team in Formula 1 has been a dream year for me.

"I cannot wait to enjoy an even deeper relationship with the team after what has been an intense and exciting 2019.

"I'm keen to see what the future holds and I can't wait to get going again next season."

Team boss Mattia Binotto added: "With each passing race this year, our wish to extend our contract with Charles became ever more self-evident and the decision means he will now be with us for the next five seasons.

"It demonstrates that Charles and the Scuderia have a firm future together.

"Charles has been part of our family since 2016 and we are more than proud of the results we are achieving with our Academy.

"We are therefore very pleased to be able to announce that he will be with us for many years to come and I'm sure that together, we will write many new pages in the history of the Prancing Horse."

autosport.com/f1/news/147709/leclerc-completes-longterm-ferrari-extension

[wisepie]

This is excellent news and hopefully will make HAM think twice about trying to invade his territory at Ferrari!

[ferrari1.8t]

Fantastic news! It also shows a shift in methodology at Ferrari, Ferrari management of the past would have never signed Leclerc in the first place nevermind a 5 year contract extension. He is highly talented and super motivated. Hopefully next years car is a winner and he can bring the titles back to Maranello! Auguri Charles and Forza Ferrari!!

[Silent Bob]

I think that shift started with the Ferrari Drivers Academy. They've known Leclerc for some time so it's no shot in the dark to sign him long term. Great news!!

[SilverSpeed]

Where do I sign up for the academy ? .

[Tifoso]

LeClerc will be WDC someday soon.
Build him a good car Ferrari!

[tifosi1993]

Of course, they're gonna extend his contact.

Driver with the most poles, plus 4 back to back pole positions. Won Spa and Monza, could've easily had more if not for bad lucks or if he had a team that was solely focused on him, like Hamilton at Mercedes or Max at Red Bull.
I'm always an ardent supporter of number 1 and 2 policy, only one driver will win the WDC, so no point at keeping the whole "equal treatment" narrative. Starting 2020, Leclerc must and should be Ferrari's number 1 driver.

[nani_s23]

Good to hear ...

[Liscia]

Great good news which is a nice Christmas present for Leclerc (+me and many others!)

[paolo lalli]

Remember the name Charles LECREC. Buon Natale per tutti. FORZA FERRARI 2020.

[nhiepka]

Ferrari get the award of the car of year (2019), so the car got almost poles on the grid but no win at all. any thing in the life can happen ^^

[paolo lalli]

The sf 90 was an enginered and designed master class it won the award of best car because it was radical.A wild horse that was so unpredictable, and the chatter it created from cheating to fanominal speed has left all formula 1 teams still scratching there heads.I am exited for 2020 .

[vcs316]

Ferrari "happy with progress" on Concorde Agreement

Ferrari are happy with the progress that has been made on the Concorde Agreement according to the company's CEO Louis Camilleri, with the team reportedly keeping its controversial veto in the future.

The Italian works team did have to make some compromises, however, as they will no longer have their 'heritage bonus' in the new agreement, one of their main income sources currently.

Ferrari play a central role in negotiations, but Camilleri ensures they always have the entire sport and the big picture in mind.

"This year was critical in terms of trying to finalise the Concorde Agreement and the various chapters of the financial regulations and technical regulations," he was quoted by Autosport.

"And then, there's the governance aspects. And I think there's been significant progress.

"We as Ferrari have taken very much a leadership role because of our history, because of the importance of Formula 1 to Ferrari."

Camilleri is confident that despite the many differences between all 10 teams, an agreement will eventually be made with the best interest of F1 in mind.

"I'm quite confident that an agreement will be reached by all in the best interest of everybody," he continued.

"Mattia [Binotto] in particular, has played a leadership role with the FIA, with the other teams.

"So, I think we're quite pleased with the progress on that front."

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/52745...agreement.html

[vcs316]

Ferrari making "sacrifices" to benefit smaller F1 teams

Ferrari says it is making financial "sacrifices" in negotiations over Formula 1's post-2021 future, intended to help the sport's smaller teams and ensure it is "economically viable".
A budget cap of $175million will be implemented from 2021, but will not apply to engine development or driver salaries, while other exemptions such as the company’s top three earners will also be allowed.

On top of the new financial regulations and sweeping new technical and sporting rules for 2021, F1’s owners have to strike new commercial deals with the existing teams as the current agreements are set to expire next year.

F1 wants teams to return to a unified Concorde Agreement, rather than continue to cut the sort of individual deals with teams that have skewed F1’s financial landscape, and Ferrari believes the negotiations have shaped a more equal share of the wealth for the 10 teams.

The company’s CEO Louis Camilleri told media, including Motorsport.com, before Christmas that Ferrari’s “credibility” meant it wanted to ensure that the ability to “innovate” remained while still being aware costs needed to be reduced.

“I think we've reached a relatively good compromise in terms of the cost cap, which today applies to the chassis,” he said.

“We've been in favour of it because we think it's good for the economic sustainability of Formula 1.

“In time that budget cap should encompass more of the car, the power units, the drivers as well, various other things. Because ultimately if the sport is not economically viable, it's slowly going to die.

"So, we viewed it as our responsibility to ensure that it will be economically viable. And in doing so, I have to say that we have and others, that we principally have made certain sacrifices, so that the smaller teams would get more money.

“We're not quite there yet on many details, but I think in terms of the actual principles, we are essentially OK.

“When you have 10 teams with all sorts of different views, there will always be continued discussion.”

Ferrari’s heritage bonus will be cut as part of the new arrangement, the Italian marque having previously enjoyed a deal that meant it was the highest-earning team despite its title drought stretching to 2008.

Camilleri reiterated that Ferrari’s central role in the 2021 negotiations was about the bigger picture, as well as its own interests.

“This year was critical in terms of trying to finalise the Concorde Agreement and the various chapters of the financial regulations and technical regulations,” said Camilleri.

“And then, there's the governance aspects. And I think there's been significant progress.

“We as Ferrari have taken very much a leadership role because of our history, because of the importance of Formula 1 to Ferrari.”

He added that he was happy with the progress that has been made and thinks all 10 teams will sign up.

“I'm quite confident that an agreement will be reached by all in the best interest of everybody,” he said.

“My experience in the past on other things, other businesses, is that when you get competitors, it's always very difficult to match everybody's intentions. But ultimately, they do see the benefit all around.

"Mattia [Binotto, team principal] in particular, has played a leadership role with the FIA, with the other teams. So, I think we're quite pleased with the progress on that front.”

-----------------------

Unsure which of the above is true = no heritage bonus or reduced heritage bonus?

[tifosi1993]

Mercedes: "Staying away from the media circus and keeping quite"

Ferrari: "We let Vettel win Singapore to imrpove his morale, we're happy with the concord agreement, No Verstappen, Look at us...making sacrifices for the smaller teams, etc etc etc..."

No wonder one team have been winning everything in F1 since 2014 and looks like will win again in 2020, and another team, with all the money and resources, haven't won anything since winning the WCC in 2008.

Maybe I'm overreacting...but still, I would like to see Ferrari do the "silent" treatment thing on the press, as Jean Todt used to, while knuckle down and try to improve the situation.

[wisepie]

Mercedes: "Staying away from the media circus and keeping quite"

Ferrari: "We let Vettel win Singapore to imrpove his morale, we're happy with the concord agreement, No Verstappen, Look at us...making sacrifices for the smaller teams, etc etc etc..."

No wonder one team have been winning everything in F1 since 2014 and looks like will win again in 2020, and another team, with all the money and resources, haven't won anything since winning the WCC in 2008.

Maybe I'm overreacting...but still, I would like to see Ferrari do the "silent" treatment thing on the press, as Jean Todt used to, while knuckle down and try to improve the situation.

Well said tifosi, the less info released into the public domain and the less empty promises the better! We like to know what's going on but I'd rather we kept quiet and showed it on track. shocking our competitors in the process!

[vcs316]

Ferrari against key team members running F1

Current F1 boss Chase Carey operates in his CEO role on a rolling contract, but there has been talk that he could step down after 2020.

And rumours have circulated in the past that Mercedes boss Toto Wolff could be in line to take over as CEO of the Formula One Group.

This though leaves Camilleri uncomfortable as he believes that someone like Wolff, who took up a leadership position in the dominant Mercedes team in 2013, would always have a conflict of interests if he ran the sport.

“I think that anybody who’s really been an active and important player in a certain team within the last years, to take on the responsibility of F1 would automatically create conflicts of interest, perceived or otherwise,” he told Autosport.com.

“So I personally think it would not be a good thing as to who should ultimately run F1.”

Carey took over from Bernie Ecclestone in 2017 as F1 CEO following Liberty Media’s purchase of the sport, and since then he has made strides in expanding the calendar with the Vietnam and revived Dutch GPs joining for 2020.

But attracting sponsors is continuing to prove difficult, while it was recently announced that F1’s TV audience in Britain crashed dramatically in 2019.

Though for someone with no F1 background, Camilleri thinks Carey is doing a good job and is important for F1. But going back to the previous point, if it was Ferrari principal Mattia Binotto who succeeded him, Camilleri knows that would cause anger in the paddock.

“He’s come out from a world that’s really entertainment,” said Camilleri. “He had no background in Formula 1.

“I think you need a CEO, because it’s a public company, who has experience in essentially the entertainment business.

“My sense – but ultimately it will be [Liberty’s president] Greg Maffei who will decide who the eventual successor to Chase will be if that happens – is that if Mattia [Binotto, Ferrari team principal] was the candidate to replace Chase Carey, I think the rest of the paddock would not be too happy with it.

“It’s just logical.”

Ferrari do of course have the right to veto any such changes, but Camilleri sees that as a “last resort”.

“The veto is sort of the last-resort tool,” he explained.

“Should we be confronted with that I think we would explain our position quite clearly to the folks at Liberty, Greg in particular, and I think we would have a constructive conversation.”

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...rs-running-f1/

[vcs316]

Ferrari "expect a lot" from Mick Schumacher in 2020!

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto says that the team are expecting a lot from Mick Schumacher in Formula 2 this year, as he looks to build on his solid first season in the category. The son of Michael had a promising year in 2019, not always getting the results he perhaps deserved, resulting in P12 in the final standings.

However, the 2019 F2 grid was occupied by plenty of experienced, older drivers, with the top six drivers in the standings already having one or more season under their belt at the beginning of 2019.

This gives Ferrari hope that Schumacher will come good in 2020, but he won't have it all his own way. He'll be joined at Prema by the impressive F3 champion Robert Shwartzmann, and will have to face up against the likes of Guanyu Zhou, Dan Ticktum and the returning Artem Markelov.

Binotto told media including motorsport.com: "For Mick it was a good season to gain experience. And if you look at the rookies, he did quite well.

"I think the new season will be an important one for him, because he can show how much progression he made. We expect a lot from the coming year, because he has a season experience now and we are pretty sure that he will be a good candidate for Formula 1 in the future."

A spot on the 2020 grid was too early for the German, but with Kimi Raikkonen leaving Alfa Romeo at the end of the season, a spot at the team in 2021 could be up for grabs.

Binotto continued: "Whether he is a candidate for Ferrari in the future? That is too early to say.

"But the goal of the FDA is to find the next talent for Ferrari, and he is part of the FDA because we think he has the talent to belong to that group."

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/52801...-in-2020-.html

[evo_spook]

nothing I’ve seen so far makes me think Mick is good enough for F1, next year will be make or break, if he doesn’t come good it looks he’ll be getting to F1 on name not ability

[FerrariF60]

nothing I’ve seen so far makes me think Mick is good enough for F1, next year will be make or break, if he doesn’t come good it looks he’ll be getting to F1 on name not ability

exactly my thoughts on this. F2 is a series of SPEC cars where ALL cars have the same aero, engines and is VERY LITTLE to choose between cars....in other words teh DRIVER makes the difference and just like you said, i have NOT seen anything WOW in Mick.....next year will be the year when he's gonna have to show all he's got....otherwise sadly he'll struggle big time in F1....

unlike Charles who wrapped up the F2 WDC wiht a few races to spare in 2017....and not only that, his skills and races craft was second to none....no wonder Ferrari could NOT wait to give him a seat and my god did he impress the team last year

time will tell for Mick....

[jgonzalesm6]

The cost of F1 2019: Team budgets analysed


https://www.racefans.net/2019/12/27/...ysed-part-one/


https://www.racefans.net/2020/01/02/...p-teams-spent/

[tifosi1993]

nothing I’ve seen so far makes me think Mick is good enough for F1, next year will be make or break, if he doesn’t come good it looks he’ll be getting to F1 on name not ability

I think Mick is good enough for Formula E....and that's about it.

[evo_spook]

exactly my thoughts on this. F2 is a series of SPEC cars where ALL cars have the same aero, engines and is VERY LITTLE to choose between cars....in other words teh DRIVER makes the difference and just like you said, i have NOT seen anything WOW in Mick.....next year will be the year when he's gonna have to show all he's got....otherwise sadly he'll struggle big time in F1....

unlike Charles who wrapped up the F2 WDC wiht a few races to spare in 2017....and not only that, his skills and races craft was second to none....no wonder Ferrari could NOT wait to give him a seat and my god did he impress the team last year

time will tell for Mick....

Charles is one of those standout talents, the ones where you seen them in f2 and know they are going to F1, the Hamilton’s, the Vettel’s etc

Would you put Mick in a Ferrari against Charles, there is not much difference age wise, but it’s night and day otherwise

[vcs316]

Ferrari: What exactly does Binotto's role entail?

Mattia Binotto was handed a host of new responsibilities when he took the helm of Ferrari's Gestione Sportiva a year ago, including the task of rigorously managing the Italian outfit's finances.

Following a restructuring of the Scuderia's top brass at the start of 2019, Binotto took over from Maurizio Arrivabene, a move many perceived as unusual as it handed the team's overall management to a man previously consigned to Ferrari's technical department.

While Binotto maintained an oversight on the House of Maranello's design and development process, the Swiss engineer also assumed the many smaller burdens typically assigned to his function, not to mention the complex undertaking of lacing together the Scuderia as a team.

However, the technical aspect of his job remains preponderant considering, as he says, that "ninety per cent of the Gestione Sportiva is made up of technicians".

"My new role covers also the other ten per cent: communications, marketing, sponsorship, legal," explained Binotto in an interview with the official Ferrari magazine.

"Just as there have been other areas added, in which perhaps I'm less qualified. You could say that, whereas before, as Technical Director, I was used to just spending, now as Team Principal I have to think about making savings or even creating earnings.

"Something that comes partly from my engineering studies and from having grown up in Switzerland, I'm convinced that it's important to have rigorous procedures.

"It's what helps me to manage a structure as large as ours.

"On the one hand it's true that you have to look after relations with individuals. The human, emotional side is fundamental, but on the other hand it is a complex machine that has to work perfectly.

"Above all, in Formula 1 everything must function efficaciously and efficiently," he added.

"To be clear, the problem is not how to develop something with 1,000 horsepower, but to do so before the others do, so it's precisely having efficient processes that enables you to be quicker at developing things."

Unbeknownst to many, the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne last year was the first time Binotto sat on Ferrari's pitwall, a spot he never believed he would access during his career at the Scuderia.

"When I was still a motoring engineer, I used to say to myself 'sooner or later you'll stop attending races and the one thing that you'll later think that you have missed out on will be not having done a race 'al muretto' - on the pit wall.

"Instead I made my debut there, in a position from which you have a completely different perspective compared to the box."

Overall, despite Ferrari missing out once again on the title challenge and the rumors of its illegitimate engine gains that emerged in the second half of the season, Binotto offers a positive assessment of his first campaign as the Scuderia's boss.

"I am really happy with how the team spirit has grown," he said.

"We are very united, compact, including the drivers, despite what some people insinuate.

"An example? On the Tuesday following the incident they were involved in at the Brazil Grand Prix, my phone rang and on the display I saw the names of Seb and Charles, together.

"They'd been in touch with each other, they'd cleared things up, and they called me together for a three-way call.

"It wasn't just a gesture, and it really showed an impressive united spirit. And anyway, regarding Brazil, it's better that such an episode happens now, it will help us to understand each other better for next year."

https://f1i.com/news/365394-binotto-...ris-money.html

[vcs316]

Ferrari keeps Wehrlein in simulator role for 2020

Ferrari has retained Mahindra Formula E charger Pascal Wehrlein as its development and simulator driver for the 2020 season.

Wehrlein will handle the Scuderia's simulator work for the second year running, dovetailing his duties with his Formula E commitments.

Formula 1's restrictions on in-season testing has justified big investments from the sport's teams in simulator infrastructure, with outfits using dedicated drivers on race weekends to contribute to their team's set-up and development work.

"We still have experienced drivers for [2020] in the simulator," said Scuderia boss Mattia Binotto.

"So Pascal is staying with us [in 2020] but we’ve got as well other drivers who maybe are not so much experienced in Formula 1, but have done many years of simulator.

"Our simulator drivers are very well integrated in the team. The simulator is more and more important, that’s why we will invest on the simulator in the future."

The House of Maranello, thanks to the good results of its road car division, has invested heavily in an upgrade of its virtual equipment, underscoring its increasing importance.

"We're prepared to invest, and luckily the car business can support those investments, not only in terms of people, but also in terms of infrastructure," said Ferrari chief executive Louis Camilleri.