Ferrari Threaten F1 Exit in Light of New Liberty Media Plans

[Rob]

All large corporations act like the mafia when their money is threatened. The $60M "Ferrari Automatic Bonus for Being Present" is likely being shrunk or eliminated. So...it's just that the Italians will say what other large companies say behind your back. The aren't going anywhere. lol.

Sure about that? While F1s popularity and fanbase diminishes, Prototype/GTE and IndyCar racing is increasing, along with Formula E.

100% right. If Ferrari were smart, they will jump off the sinking ship that is F1, but I seriously doubt it. Oh sure, F1 has roughly 10x the revenue of IndyCar or NASCAR, but that's 5x less than they had 15 years ago. F1 ratings have nose-dived in the past 5-7 years, as have NASCAR's. The only ones that are growing are IndyCar (big time, although they are still smaller relative to F1...but that can change quicker than people realize) and Formula E. WEC is simply the theft of the old ALMS and then over-saturated with money and regs. I'm interested to see if the ACO and IndyCar might team up on F1. They hold two of the three jewels. That's what drivers want. Let the corporations have F1. #HaloBankruptcy

 

[F1Aussie]

Do it ferrari, I won't care, I watch f1 for f1 not because you are there, you are just a bit player in something that is bigger than you, you may find that hard to believe but that is the way it is. It won't affect my viewing whether you are there or not!!!

 

[HypoToad]

All I can say is Buh Buh Buh Bye!

 

[pitkin]

We survived the loss of Lotus, one of the greatest teams to grace and shape F1, so I don't suppose losing Ferrari would be much to worry about.

 

[apex11]

I think the point is for Ferrari that they don't want it to be like BTCC where a car is a Vauxhall Astra but is actually not a Vauxhall engine and the chassis is the same as the car behind it with a Merc badge on and the Ford has the same engine as the Merc etc etc...
I think its important to have the diverse engines from the manufactures....but PLEASE..PLEASE make them a bit more equal at least a rule that they have same power out put....

 

[jaysm]

Ferrari does not need F1 any more, they have not for a couple of decades. The growing Asian luxury car market and the marketing that comes the various high profile GT series means they can sell pretty much everything they can make. If it was to drop some small amount they would still come out on top without the F1 budget getting spent.

 

[apex11]

Ferrari does not need F1 any more, they have not for a couple of decades. The growing Asian luxury car market and the marketing that comes the various high profile GT series means they can sell pretty much everything they can make. If it was to drop some small amount they would still come out on top without the F1 budget getting spent.

Agreed, the brand is such that if anything F1 is more likely to damage than assist if they went the way of Honda type fail for a season or 2.
Ferrari could live off the history alone in F1, same way Alfa Romeo can, Alfa haven't had a factory race team in any series for years.

 

[Willy Wale]

I think the point is for Ferrari that they don't want it to be like BTCC where a car is a Vauxhall Astra but is actually not a Vauxhall engine and the chassis is the same as the car behind it with a Merc badge on and the Ford has the same engine as the Merc etc etc...

This is the message I got as well. On advertising terms a manufacturer wants to be seen to win and to somehow tie their road car technology to F1. If the engines become near off the shelf units designed by the regulations they lose that link.

Of course it's nonsense to say road cars use F1 technology for the most part but it makes good strap lines.

 

[Ruy Horta]

Ferrari has alternatives, F1 will miss the red.

 

[gianlucaP]

ì

 

[Sky]

Its not a proper ferrari threat until they build an indycar

 

[davifernandeslima]

Listen little Ferrari, we love you very much, you are family; I know you are an young adult now, but you don't live with your grand-parents anymore. your new dads are here, we run the show. if you want to play, be nice. if not, we'll give it to your brothers if you thrown your stuff outside your pram again! you are almost 30, is the size of a real formula one car for christ sake! grandfather was old and ****ed, but we will put you in your place.

"if Liberty Media and Ferrari were people dream"

 

[Andrew Harper]

Its not a proper ferrari threat until they build an indycar

Yes that was the last time it got fairly serious. Pretty race car too, I've seen it in the museum. Scary in one way as the drivers feet are almost where the nose is. Wouldn't even think about crashing in that one.

The thing is we say it will never happen but look at the number of high profile makes that are leaving world championships completely or are moving to series like Formula E. Some have been real shocks.

Why not run a pair of cars in Formula E? For the money they spend in F1, they could probably run a pair of cars in Formula-E, Indycar and probably a DPi car in the IMSA. A Ferrari designed DPi car would be pretty nice!

Anyway, I'm just making chat. They won't leave, they are just throwing the toys out of the pram as usual.

 

[Yapci]

Ferrari IS the definition of LOSER attitude. Shameful. They don’t win even with the FIA help.

 

[Yapci]

Why not run a pair of cars in Formula E?

Because it’s formula E!

 

[apex11]

At

Ferrari IS the definition of LOSER attitude. Shameful. They don’t win even with the FIA help.

How so? They are only talking about wanting their engines badged as Ferrari to be made by Ferrari, I agree with them.
People slag off Formula E but have you seen how dire Motorsport is these days full stop!

 

[Andrew Harper]

Because it’s formula E!

Haha, yes I know but look at the number of large manufacturers that are heading to it now?

It will probably just be a fad but even so the marketing power of "green" racing is becoming ever stronger, unfortunately! lol.

 

[The Flying Hun]

This is a business before anything else. Sports is secondary in relevance, even if due to the emotional appeal many will disagree on this statement. But when it is business, then money talks.

They will decide according to what their business numbers tell them.

 

[Jeffers58]

Ferrari is already a strong brand. Leaving the current F1 won't cause financial trouble and won't diminish the appeal of the brand. They can put their logo on a broken glass and they would sell it. It's the only brand that never did advertising, they don't need it.
The current F1 is not even close to what this sport was 20-30 years ago. The sport that was intended to be a laboratory for the future technologies now it's slowly dying. Leaving it makes more sense than what one could imagine.
They can go back to endurance races only or join the Indy series for some years and they would sell the same amount of cars, if not more. The Indy isn't appealing for the europeans maybe, but the USA are one of their main markets. Why do you think they did the 333SP back then?
The endurance prototypes, the GT championships and the movies are more than enough for them to keep selling cars forever.
It's not a matter of "we are losing and we don't like the rules, so we leave". The brand has to do what is best for its future. If they have to spend hundreds millions in research and engineering it's better to spend this money in a racing series where they can introduce new solutions to use in the road cars.
I wouldn't underestimate Marchionne. He's the kind of guy who doesn't give a flying f*** of what the people think he should do.
Unless someone really thinks that the rich guys are buying the LaFerrari because of Vettel and Raikkonen. Come on...

Completely agree. I've been watching F1 since 1997 and and its current guise it's s far removed from the product that had me totally engrossed. As a brand Ferrari can and probably would prosper away from F1, and while it does seem a case of them spitting their dummy out, there's a reason they continue to do this. If Porsche can sell cars without F1 then why can't Ferrari?

As for Marchionne, he does come across as a hard-ironed individual who doesn't mind wielding the axe. I've only known Ferrari with di Montezemolo at the helm; the stark contrast between the two is that while di Montezemolo was a racing man, Marchionne is predominantly a business man who will undoubtedly do what's best for business. Only time will tell if this is another idle threat or if there is actual substance, though I personally feel Ferrari would thrive without F1. The question is would F1 thrive without Ferrari?

 

[Tormentor]

Ferrari has alternatives, F1 will miss the red.

Miss? F1 is dead without Ferrari. What team has the most fans, what team is most legendary, what team brings emotions to F1? And what is every driver dreaming about? Getting World Champion on a Ferrari! Many other teams come and go, Ferrari is still there. F1 is Ferrari, Ferrari is F1.