Briatore says Ferrari team no longer excellent

[Nova]

No one really knows what Luca may do..only Luca. On Brawn, I never wanted him or Costa to leave. Brawn was also very good at putting together the nec people in the proper places to insure things translated on the car, on the track..results.
Briatore? Well I dont know much about him other than him having a few good teams. Is he good? Does he put the right people in the right places? The rest of the things I read are simply opinions formed by people who dont know him and simply create an opinion based on racing tabloid news.
On SD, well, I want him to do good....

The above opinions are opinions based solely on my opinions.

[bondilad]

Apr.11 (GMM) La Gazzetta dello Sport, the influential Italian sports daily, speculated on Friday that Ferrari could be poised to make a change at the top.

It has long been rumoured that Stefano Domenicali, the fabled Maranello team's chief, might not survive too many more disappointing seasons at the helm.

"(I) say to all those jealous people wanting this job: they have to fight for it!" Domenicali told F1's official website last week.

According to Gazzetta, however, 48-year-old Domenicali might finally be losing the support of Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo.

Montezemolo left the Bahrain circuit last Sunday part-way through the Grand Prix, declaring that watching "slow" Ferraris gave him "great pain".

Now, at an event at the Ferrari museum in Maranello on Friday, Montezemolo reportedly said: "I already know what you want to ask.

"My reply is that we will leave no stone unturned to be where we need to be. We will work day and night to improve and make the decisions that we need to take."

Wondered Gazzetta correspondent Andrea Tosi: "(Will there be) changes at the top of the Gestione Sportiva?"

montezemolo hints Ferrari 'decisions' looming

[ferrari4life]

I like the idea of bringing in someone completely new to the game. Someone said it a few posts ago. The only way to beat this slide is some fresh talent some new blood that is eager to proove something.

[windwaves]

Meanwhile some interpret LdM comments today at an event as suggesting changes on top. Pure speculation yes. He says Ferrari will work super hard to improve and will make the decisions they need to make … (from Gazzetta dello Sport)

Most shocking is SD comments from a couple of days ago when responding to questions regarding his survival after another disappointing season: "(I) say to all those jealous people wanting this job: they have to fight for it!". Can you believe this guy ? Had he had any morale decency he should have resigned years ago. Get out and let Ferrari return to its glory !!!!

[Rookie]

I've always stated before way back that Ferrari will never win another championship as long as Stefano is at the helm and year in and year out since 2008 that has always been the case. I know we still will not win immediately but I've noticed since the Massa bungled pitstop in singapore last 2008 that this guys management skill are severely lacking and that Luca has made a terrible error making him the Head at Ferrari. As head of the team the buck stops with him and in all honestly all he does is say we will fight another day but sadly more than 5 years it is still the same old story. He really needs to go...

[Mile123]

I think SD should be replaced immediately!! If we can get Brawn or Briatore, good. If not, take the next best thing (maybe the new talent mentioned above) and go for it! This season is already lost anyhow in terms of the WDC and WCC, and fight for the second best is not important at all, given the circumstances!

In other words, Stefano=no performance improvement

[Bertie]

I think SD should be replaced immediately!! If we can get Brawn or Briatore, good. If not, take the next best thing (maybe the new talent mentioned above) and go for it! This season is already lost anyhow in terms of the WDC and WCC, and fight for the second best is not important at all, given the circumstances!

In other words, Stefano=no performance improvement

For now I would like to see how the next 5 races go, if we do not see an improvement compared to the competition then I would have no problem with getting in a new TP and use the rest of the season to bed-in then new managerial structure.

[windwaves]

I've always stated before way back that Ferrari will never win another championship as long as Stefano is at the helm and year in and year out since 2008 that has always been the case. I know we still will not win immediately but I've noticed since the Massa bungled pitstop in singapore last 2008 that this guys management skill are severely lacking and that Luca has made a terrible error making him the Head at Ferrari. As head of the team the buck stops with him and in all honestly all he does is say we will fight another day but sadly more than 5 years it is still the same old story. He really needs to go...

could not agree more !!! I share the same thoughts today and historical :) Ferrari needs to get rid of this incompetent loser yesterday.

[wisepie]

For now I would like to see how the next 5 races go, if we do not see an improvement compared to the competition then I would have no problem with getting in a new TP and use the rest of the season to bed-in then new managerial structure.

Don't think now is the right time to be dumping a TP, so I agree with you, let's wait and see what the next few races bring and then focus on 2015 if we're still uncompetitive. By that time, our drivers may well have walked away too!

[windwaves]

well I tend to disagree. Better no TP at all than another hour under SD. He has done sufficient damage to Ferrari I suspect.

In fact I am changing my mind, I would even take Briatore now :)

[Mile123]

For now I would like to see how the next 5 races go, if we do not see an improvement compared to the competition then I would have no problem with getting in a new TP and use the rest of the season to bed-in then new managerial structure.

Compared to what exactly! If you mean to our recent competition - FI and Williams - then no thank you. This fact by itself is more then a reason enough for SD to go NOW!

[Greig]

Compared to what exactly! If you mean to our recent competition - FI and Williams - then no thank you. This fact by itself is more then a reason enough for SD to go NOW!

Did you want Todt to go when Williams beat us? Or Renault?

[Bertie]

Compared to what exactly! If you mean to our recent competition - FI and Williams - then no thank you. This fact by itself is more then a reason enough for SD to go NOW!

To merc and RB.

[Tony]

I'm curious.... for those wanting Domenicali gone, given that he doesn't work on the engine or aero, who is available in those positions right now that can help Ferrari? No other Team Principal will be able to come in and make a difference to the car either... So clearly what people are saying here is to get rid of Domenicali because he hasn't hired the right people that were available at the time that he was looking....

Given that, who is available right now (Aero/Engine) that can help Ferrari that has not been approached by Domenicali then?

[RedPassion]

Luca Furbatto- Designer
Marcin Budkowski-Aerodynamicist

[Bertie]

I don't want SD to go, rather I want Ferrari to make progress. He has stated that there is an aggressive development program coming if this works and we get better than great. If not then we may has well make a big change (if it will happen) mid-season rather than destabilising the team at the end of the season when all focus should be on 2015. This would allow who ever replaces SD to get to know the team, identify specific areas of weakness (not aero or PU but specifics) and implement changes without starting the following season on the back foot.

Given the recent wind tunnel build and issues with correlation in the past few seasons I think the whole team will be judged (by the very top brass) on how successful the in-season development is because now there can be no excuse.

[Mile123]

Did you want Todt to go when Williams beat us? Or Renault?

Hahaha.. Sorry but I wont even try to comment this comparison! Todt vs SD, apples and oranges...

[Greig]

Hahaha.. Sorry but I wont even try to comment this comparison! Todt vs SD, apples and oranges...

So did you want Todt to go when Williams beat us?

[Mile123]

So did you want Todt to go when Williams beat us?

OK since you force my hand! :))) Here it goes

Todt was hired mid 1993. Took over a loosing team, devastated by internal problems in all areas, from management to production. He immediately restructured the entire management within the team. The next year 1994, so barely after he took over, SF won a GP for the first time in 4 years. The year after 1995 he secured Schumi. In 1996 SF won twice and he hired Byrne and Brawn. 1997 and 1998 WDC skiped us by few points. The following 1999 by not so few. 2000 and onward, wont even go into it...

He left the team in 2007, when as far as I remember Kimi won the tittle, and hand over the team to guess who...

So mate what I'm trying to point out here (although it's more than obvious for most people) is THAT Todt got a team that was in a very poor shape and in 3 years they were fighting for the championship. In 6 years SF was unbeatable.

SD took over a WDC team in 2008. WHAT has happened since? He is currently in his 6 year and we look to be in the worst shape since the SD "reign". I see a negative trend here. DO YOU? :)

[WS6TransAm01]

OK since you force my hand! :))) Here it goes

Todt was hired mid 1993. Took over a loosing team, devastated by internal problems in all areas, from management to production. He immediately restructured the entire management within the team. The next year 1994, so barely after he took over, SF won a GP for the first time in 4 years. The year after 1995 he secured Schumi. In 1996 SF won twice and he hired Byrne and Brawn. 1997 and 1998 WDC skiped us by few points. The following 1999 by not so few. 2000 and onward, wont even go into it...

He left the team in 2007, when as far as I remember Kimi won the tittle, and hand over the team to guess who...

So mate what I'm trying to point out here (although it's more than obvious for most people) is THAT Todt got a team that was in a very poor shape and in 3 years they were fighting for the championship. In 6 years SF was unbeatable.

SD took over a WDC team in 2008. WHAT has happened since? He is currently in his 6 year and we look to be in the worst shape since the SD "reign". I see a negative trend here. DO YOU? :)

I agree. Todt took a crap team and made it great, SD took a great team and made it crap. Vast difference.

Thought Ferrari were defeated in the first years with Todt, we showed steady improvement. Ferrari has shown nothing but a decline since SD took over. Even after the 2000-2004 crazy era, and not counting 2005 because we got f'ed in the a by Bridgestone, in 2006 we were on the doorstep to another championship.

[Greig]

Todt never had one hand tied behind his back, or a sport with rules that made the grid so close. It's a very different sport now which most don't seem to take into account.

All I asked was why having Williams as a rival is assumed as being bad.

[Suzie]

I don't believe the Briatore rumours but if he took over, I'm afraid I'd be done with Ferrari until he crawled back under his rock again.
And never mind Stefano... could someone please explain to me what exactly Pat Fry has done?

[Nero Horse]

Thought Ferrari were defeated in the first years with Todt, we showed steady improvement.

Yea, agree with that part. When Todt took over in 1993 then under his management the team made big significant steps forward every year and we got steadily better and stronger with each passing season. It's actually really amazing to look back and think how the team's form changed from bad (1993) to...pretty good...good...great...to total domination (2001-2004). It took Todt 7-8 years to finally get there, yes, but at least there was visible progress being made every year, but now unfortunately the team's form has gotten from great (2008) to...good...pretty bad...bad...to worse (2014)...that's a sad fact, which is very painful and hard to acknowledge as a Ferrari fan. I don't know who's fault that is exactly, but it is a fact unfortunately.

[Nero Horse]

Todt never had one hand tied behind his back, or a sport with rules that made the grid so close. It's a very different sport now which most don't seem to take into account.

Yes, that is a very good point. Todt never had the limited testing rule holding him back. In that time we could be running our cars 24/7 on Fiorano and Mugello, that is an important difference when compared to present day F1.

[Cheeseman]

I don't believe the Briatore rumours but if he took over, I'm afraid I'd be done with Ferrari until he crawled back under his rock again.

[ntukza]

Is Briatore not banned?

[Winter]

Is Briatore not banned?

He was.. And should still be.

[Nero Horse]

Is Briatore not banned?

Not anymore, his ban was lifted two years ago.

[abbottcostello]

Briatore... no thanks!

I still trust Luca, if he keeps SD I'm OK with that, if he needs to change, well he has a better idea than I could ever come up with.

[Mile123]

Todt never had one hand tied behind his back, or a sport with rules that made the grid so close. It's a very different sport now which most don't seem to take into account.

All I asked was why having Williams as a rival is assumed as being bad.

Be that as it may, to me this sounds like just another cheap excuse.

The sport is what it is today, like it or not, but the rules apply the same for all. Being successful means creating a wining concept within this rules. Being a good manager requires planning, developing, organizing and implementing all necessary processes to create such concept. SD has failed to prove that he's capable of this... And to be perfectly clear, if all/some of the other peaces within the team - Fry, Allison, Tombiazis etc - underperform, the final responsibility again lies with SD for he was the one hiring them or not firing them when needed, or was unable to create the right conditions to extract their full potential.

Anyway, I would love to hear bit more about what you mean by one hand tied behind SD's back!?

p.s. When was the grid so close? This year when we are 2-3sec behind Mercs or last year when we were constantly with a gap behind RBull which increased to c.a. 1 sec after the break? And so on...