Briatore: 2016 Will Reveal If Ferrari’s Formula One Revival Is Genuine
Flavio Briatore argues that Ferrari’s 2015 Formula One gains still reflect the old regime, with real progress under new management only to be judged in 2016.
Flavio Briatore has said that Ferrari’s true progress in Formula One will only become clear in 2016, insisting that the team’s 2015 performance is still the result of the previous management’s work.
Briatore, the former Renault team principal and current manager to Fernando Alonso, has defended Alonso’s decision to leave Ferrari for McLaren-Honda. He argues that despite a change in leadership at Maranello, the current car remains a product of the era led by Luca di Montezemolo and Stefano Domenicali.
Briatore’s assessment of Ferrari’s 2015 form
Speaking to Sky Italia after the Monaco Grand Prix qualifying, Briatore pointed out that Ferrari’s gap to Mercedes in 2015 qualifying was similar to the previous year. In 2014, Alonso qualified fifth in Monaco, seven tenths of a second off pole. In 2015, Sebastian Vettel also qualified about seven tenths behind, but with fewer teams in contention for the top spots, Mercedes remained unchallenged.
Briatore dismissed the idea that Ferrari’s improved results in 2015 were evidence of a new era. He attributed the current car’s competitiveness to decisions made before the arrival of new team principal Maurizio Arrivabene and technical director James Allison, whose influence would only be felt in 2016. For more on Allison’s 2016 role, see James Allison to scale back race attendance for Ferrari in 2016.
Alonso’s move and Ferrari’s future
Briatore’s continued support for Alonso’s switch to McLaren comes as the Spaniard’s former team battles to close the gap to Mercedes. Briatore suggested that only the 2016 season will show whether Ferrari’s new management can deliver a genuine turnaround, as the 2015 car was largely inherited from the previous regime.
Ferrari’s performance in 2016 will be the first true test of the new leadership’s technical and strategic decisions. Until then, Briatore believes any claims of a Ferrari revival are premature.
