Ferrari Might Quit Formula 1 Because Sergio Marchionne is Salty

Ferrari has threatened to quit Formula 1 in 2020 if the new rules aren’t to its liking.

During the Bernie Ecclestone era, Maranello had long used the threat of quitting to get its way — in 2004, it was over money, in 2009, it was over a proposed budget cap, and lastly in 2011 because the team wanted to test more.

Following Liberty Media’s preliminary proposal for 2021 engine regulations, Ferrari is threatening to leave once again. F1’s other constructors, Mercedes and Renault, have both expressed displeasure with the initial proposal, but neither has gone so far to issue an ultimatum like Ferrari.

In a conference call discussing Ferrari’s latest financial results on Thursday, president Sergio Marchionne said he found “certain directions” of Liberty’s future engine rules unimpressive.

“Liberty has got a couple of good intentions in all of this, one of which is to reduce the cost of execution for the team, which I think is good,” said Marchionne. “But there are a couple of things we don’t necessarily agree with.”

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Liberty has proposed retaining the current 1.6-liter turbo V6 hybrid architecture but without the MGH-H, which is responsible for harvesting 60 percent of the car’s hybrid energy from turbo heat, along with introducing standardized energy storage and control electronics.

Marchionne is upset over the perceived loss of powertrain uniqueness, which he claims will harm Ferrari’s F1-derived DNA.

“The fact that we now appear to be at odds in terms of the strategic development of this thing, and we see the sport in 2021 taking on a different air, is going to force some decisions on the part of Ferrari,” Marchionne continued. “I understand that Liberty may have taken these into account in coming up with their views, but I think it needs to be absolutely clear that unless we find a set of circumstances, the results of which are beneficial to the maintenance of the brand, and the marketplace, and to the strengthening of the unique position for Ferrari, Ferrari will not play.”

Teams and manufacturers will meet with the FIA and the F1 Strategy Group next week to flesh out future plans, and Liberty Media is also expected to unveil more details about F1 post-2020, including potential budget caps, structure, and an overhaul of the sporting and commercial rules.

“I don’t want to prejudge any of this. We’re walking into this meeting next Tuesday with the best of intentions, we’ll see where it takes us.” But Sergio has also suggested that walking away from F1 would be welcome news for Ferrari’s shareholders.

“It would be totally beneficial to the P&L [profits and losses]. We would be celebrating here until the cows come home. [But] What I do know is that it [F1] has been part of our DNA since the day we were born. It’s not as though we can define ourselves differently.”

He then gets philosophical, “If we change the sandbox to the point where it becomes an unrecognizable sandbox, I don’t want to play anymore.”

Ferrari is currently committed to F1 until the end of 2020, and should the company decide to quit, Marchionne promises it wil; quickly start racing something else.

“I’d be working on an alternative strategy to try and replace it,” he said. “A more rational one, too.”

[Source: Motorsport]