Briatore says Ferrari team no longer excellent

[vcs316]

While Ferrari's global brand remains strong, the health of the Maranello based formula one team is less impressive.

That is the view of former F1 team boss Flavio Briatore, who was asked by Italian Radio 105 if he thinks Ferrari still stands for "excellence".

"The brand is an excellence," the 63-year-old former Renault and Benetton boss said.

"For the team, at the moment it is very difficult. It is not an excellence in competitiveness, in formula one, but the brand is very strong in the world," Briatore added.

Indeed, it is now more than six years since Kimi Raikkonen won the 2007 title, and 2014 is the fifth Ferrari campaign since F1's highest paid driver, Fernando Alonso, joined the Maranello team.

"The fear is rising within (team boss Stefano) Domenicali that the situation will not change," Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport commented on Tuesday.

Speculation Spaniard Alonso could return to McLaren to replace Jenson Button and lead the British team's new Honda era from 2015 is now increasing by the day.

"Eight years on since Fernando's last title," Gazzetta added, "how could he be stopped from moving to another team?"

Alonso was quoted in Bahrain last weekend as admitting he expected to join Ferrari in 2010 and add a third title to his tally relatively quickly.

He finished the Bahrain grand prix just ninth.

"This result speaks the truth," Alonso is now quoted as saying. "Currently we are only the fifth best team in the championship.

"The truth is that this result is what we are capable of," the German news agency SID quotes him as saying.

(GMM)

[Wildcat]

No, Ferrari stands for mediocre in F1 currently, and has been for the last 4 years under Domenicalli...

[shamim179]

Oh dear. That's more hints that Alonso will be leaving us should the opportunity arise. Not only words from Alonso but Briatore too. The partnership between Ferrari and Alonso should have brought much more success than it has and the letdown has been clearly Ferrari not being able to give Alonso a competitive enough car although they don't like to admit this.

We should have replaced Stefano years ago. Luca is to blame for this for his outmost trust and confidence in Stefano. I just think Stefano is there for Luca's convenience. He knows Stefano is not a very strong leader so won't undermine Luca's leadership and give him headaches and he's also very compliant.

[Laferrari]

Brand====>best sport car in the world, facinating,magestic,history,luxe.
F1 team====>pathetic,falling,find excuse,dog car,poor engine!!!

If doménicali and some other manager are not fire after this collapse there is no hope in future .

[Greig]

Some people need to look at our history before 2000 we have always been mediocre for a very large part of our past.

[Wildcat]

Ferrari should never be mediocre for so long...

[wacc]

Ferrari either dominate championship or they are mediocre. There is nothing between those extremes...

[Greig]

Ferrari should never be mediocre for so long...

Why?

[Ferrarichamp]

it makes you wonder if Alonso has already signed for McLaren.

[ALO]

I seriously doubt Alonso would ever go back to McLaren, he has said this himself and restated this recently after the race in Bahrain as well.

He has firmly stated over and over again that he will retire at Ferrari, being part of Ferrari was always his dream whether he realized more championships with Ferrari or not he is living that dream now. I don't think there is another team he ever dreamed of being part of.

Plus McLaren is never better than Ferrari, they only get lucky or cheat us out of our ideas to win...LOL

[Sianellen]

I seriously doubt Alonso would ever go back to McLaren, he has said this himself and restated this recently after the race in Bahrain as well.

He has firmly stated over and over again that he will retire at Ferrari, being part of Ferrari was always his dream whether he realized more championships with Ferrari or not he is living that dream now. I don't think there is another team he ever dreamed of being part of.

Plus McLaren is never better than Ferrari, they only get lucky or cheat us out of our ideas to win...LOL

Actually he used to dream of going to Mclaren, more so than us, I vaguely remember. It didn't work out and he found a place with us where he has been greatly accepted and he is very comfortable and wants to stay.

[Gerhard Berger]

Yeh he dreamt of going to Mclaren because Senna was his hero. Then he found out that Ron Dennis is actually a ****.

Mclaren will not provide a better chance of success. Look at their record in the last 20 years. 3 WDC and 1 WCC.

[kiwifella]

He's still hungry for another WDC, he will leave Ferrari end of this season.

[Kiwi Nick]

Alonso must decide, which is the bigger dream, racing for Ferrari or winning his third WDC. In the record books there are only a handful of drivers with 3 WDC. But, the list of drivers who spent 5 years with Ferrari and did not win a WDC while there is long.

In the end it is the people who win championships. Ferrari has won 16 championships, 6 were with Schumacher/Brawn/Todt. After those three left it only took two years for the current team to lose the plot. Championships will not return to the Scuderia just because the cars are red. Only a team with players like Brawn, Newey, Todt, Dennis, or Horner on the principal and design side and drivers like Alonso, Kimi, Vettel, Hamilton, or Rosberg will win. Ferrari are missing at least one if not two of the elements required to earn a championship.

[Wildcat]

Why?

Because Ferrari has a meaning... It should be the brand everybody fears in F1.

[gvera]

Some people need to look at our history before 2000 we have always been mediocre for a very large part of our past.

I was 20 years old in 1979, I remember very clearly those 21 dark years!

[The Hajj]

Some people need to look at our history before 2000 we have always been mediocre for a very large part of our past.

Why should we be looking back on past poor results as consolation for the present situation? Using the past failures of Ferrari as a fallback position or some kind of crutch for the current team members is nothing more than a "feel good" excuse for failure. Putting your statement into life context, would look something like this:

A boy growing up gets involved with booze, drugs and crime. He gets arrested and does prison time. Upon release, he gets his act together, matures, and starts a business. The business grows, he invents a revolutionary new product that is sold worldwide. The boy, now a middle aged man, is a wealthy and respected man in his community.

If the man now becomes a drunken, drug addicted criminal but doesn't end up in prison, would you use the "look to the past" excuse for his behavior and be satisfied that he didn't end up back in prison?

Just because Ferrari had failures doesn't mean they have an excuse to repeat them.

[stefa]

Ferrari should never be mediocre for so long...

Last time it was 21 years...

[ManFromMilan]

Yeh he dreamt of going to Mclaren because Senna was his hero. Then he found out that Ron Dennis is actually a c**t.

I am sure he will never return to Mclaren as long as Ron is in the picture.

[Gerhard Berger]

I am sure he will never return to Mclaren as long as Ron is in the picture.

Yeh i think there may have been a chance when Whitmarsh was TP. Whitmarsh always said good things about Alonso - how he is a great competitor and how he was sad that Alonso left Mclaren after only 1 year.

Now Mclaren is run by Dennis. Even their new TP, Boullier, is not Alonso's biggest fan.

[Tony]

Alonso must decide, which is the bigger dream, racing for Ferrari or winning his third WDC. In the record books there are only a handful of drivers with 3 WDC. But, the list of drivers who spent 5 years with Ferrari and did not win a WDC while there is long.

In the end it is the people who win championships. Ferrari has won 16 championships, 6 were with Schumacher/Brawn/Todt. After those three left it only took two years for the current team to lose the plot. Championships will not return to the Scuderia just because the cars are red. Only a team with players like Brawn, Newey, Todt, Dennis, or Horner on the principal and design side and drivers like Alonso, Kimi, Vettel, Hamilton, or Rosberg will win. Ferrari are missing at least one if not two of the elements required to earn a championship.

I think it will be understandable if Alonso wants to leave, but ultimately for Ferrari I don't thnk it changes much... Alonso is not winning with Ferrari producing a bad car now and if Ferrari eventually deliver a top notch car, whoever else is there will simply take the title for them... so I can understand that an aging Alonso is starting to feel time pressure and can't fault him for leaving (if he does)... he gave it his best at the end of the day....

[Nero Horse]

Some people need to look at our history before 2000 we have always been mediocre for a very large part of our past.

Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration actually, out of the 55 years that the Constructor's championship has existed in F1, Ferrari has finished within the Top 3 in 41 seasons (16 times on 1st place - 15 times on 2nd place - 10 times on 3rd place). So Ferrari has been on top or near the top most of the time in F1 history.

[Tifoso]

Because Ferrari has a meaning... It should be the brand everybody fears in F1.

Nobody feared us much during the 1980's and a good part of the 1990's.

Things cycle. I understand that. The memories of the Schumi era keep me going.

What drives me insane is Luca Di claiming we'll win everything year after year after year.

Just...shut...up.

[REDARMYSOJA]

Some people need to look at our history before 2000 we have always been mediocre for a very large part of our past.

Exactly, there have always been ups and downs. This IS F1 after all, the pinnacle of motorsports, the other teams aren't just soaking their eggs in the pool. It's not like Ferrari are up against a bunch of weekend racers. Ferrari always tries their best but sometimes your best just isn't good enough. I can only think of two season's recently, 2009 and this season, where the car has really been below par. The other years they were good, just not good enough.

[Gerhard Berger]

we had our down period in the last set of regulations (2009-13). We should have come back strong with this set of regulations, but it seems we have slipped further back.

[Mile123]

+1

[Mile123]

Sounds probable!

[Greig]

Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration actually, out of the 55 years that the Constructor's championship has existed in F1, Ferrari has finished within the Top 3 in 41 seasons (16 times on 1st place - 15 times on 2nd place - 10 times on 3rd place). So Ferrari has been on top or near the top most of the time in F1 history.

Sure you can say that but look how many points behind we were, we are horrible right now and will still be high up in the WCC.

[Bertie]

Nobody feared us much during the 1980's and a good part of the 1990's.

Things cycle. I understand that. The memories of the Schumi era keep me going.

What drives me insane is Luca Di claiming we'll win everything year after year after year.

Just...shut...up.

+1

[stefa]

Nobody feared us much during the 1980's and a good part of the 1990's.

Things cycle. I understand that. The memories of the Schumi era keep me going.

What drives me insane is Luca Di claiming we'll win everything year after year after year.

Just...shut...up.

Express your self on the track with performance!