Marchionne ‘looked silly’ as 2016 targets failed, will look ‘silly’ again in 2017

Sergio Marchionne will look like a loser again in 2017 – he has an engine man in charge of the entire car design. Imagine that!

(GMM) Sergio Marchionne has admitted he "looked silly" after his brash target of wins and the title did not materialize in 2016.

"For 2016, all bets are off," the Ferrari president had said.

It was a stark contrast to Ferrari's uncharacteristically quiet winter this time around, with rumors suggesting the great Maranello team is either worried about a flawed design or preparing a true 2017 championship challenge.

As for his 2016 proclamations that ultimately resulted in not a single race win, Marchionne said: "If an employee tells me that our car is four seconds faster than the last one, I have no choice but to believe him.

"Intellectual honesty is important but I have to admit that I looked silly," the Italian-Canadian is quoted as saying by the Finnish newspaper Iltalehti.

It is not clear which "employee" Marchionne was referring to, but former technical director James Allison is set to start work at arch rival Mercedes on March 1.

On the 2016 problems, Marchionne said: "Clearly, there were problems with the flow of information, but the matter has since been corrected."

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Ferrari's preparations for the 2017 Formula 1 season have been derailed by aerodynamic issues with their new car, according to unconfirmed reports.

Rumors have emerged this week that the Scuderia, which placed third in the championship last year, has been forced to turn its attention to an effective ‘B' car which would be introduced in time for May's Spanish Grand Prix.

The notable absence of team principal Maurizio Arrivabene at a Pirelli launch event in Turin only served to fuel the speculation, with suggestions the under-pressure Italian was holding crisis talks.

A team spokesman, however, has moved to dismiss the murmurings, insisting that the everything is proceeding as normal at Maranello.
“It would be inappropriate to talk about expectations," spokesman Alberto Antonini said. “The regulations have changed and the car will be completely different. “We know our abilities and what kind of car we have built.

Nonetheless, the reports suggest all is not well at Ferrari as the Italian marque looks to mount a resurgence in 2017 following a frustrating 2016 campaign which saw the team slip down the pecking order after a promising start.

It could well prove a defining year for a team which has consistently fallen short of its lofty expectations in recent times, winning just 11 races since the turn of the decade.

Kimi Raikkonen is expected to hang up his helmet at the end of the season, with Sebastian Vettel an option for Mercedes should they choose not to extend Valtteri Bottas' contract.

Ferrari will launch its 2017 challenger on February 24th, three days before pre-season testing gets under way at Barcelona. Motorsport