The day after a remarkable win for Ferrari at the Malaysian Grand Prix, we realize just how much the arrival of Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene has transformed the mood within the Scuderia.
Ferrari has not won a Drivers' championship since 2007 (with Kimi Raikkonen), a Constructors' championship since 2008. Team boss Stefano Domenicali resigned in April 2014, feeling that he was incapable of finding the winning recipe.
His replacement Marco Mattiacci, named by Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo (who would resign in September), did not talk much and had no experience in racing. That did little to calm tensions between the team and Fernando Alonso, who chose to leave after five frustrating years. Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of Fiat-Chrysler, thanked Mattiacci for his services and put former Philip Morris man Maurizio Arrivabene in charge of the Scuderia. And the transformation began. Arrivabene is primarily a marketing man, he knows what attracts the public and what pushes it away. As representative of Ferrari's main commercial partner, and thanks to his post as Sponsor representative on the F1 Commission, the Italian is well informed on the sport's ecosystem. Arrivabene immediately introduced a new philosophy at Ferrari. No more great lyrical phrases, no more political games behind the scenes, no more public protests. All that was replaced by a more personal approach... and more sporting as well. When Red Bull demanded that the Mercedes engines be reined in, Arrivabene declared that it was better to work harder than to fight for rule changes. The new boss also injected some much-needed humour in the team, thereby creating a perfect atmosphere for Sebastian Vettel who has plenty of it. And above all, he seems closer to the troops than his predecessors. During the Malaysian weekend, Arrivabene was very present in the Ferrari garage, speaking to personnel and giving them a warm and friendly slap on the back. His positive influence creates a new dynamic, which motivates and bears fruit. Vettel's victory and the explosion of joy, which ensued were the result of great efforts invested over many months. The Arrivabene effect is already quite clear on the Scuderia's morale. “You may have noticed I was jumping from one car to the other all the time, looking at the guys and ensuring everything was fine, but especially to show I was near them”, explained Arrivabene. “During the race, my job was to look at the overall story. If I had started to scream or shake, the whole team would start screaming and shaking.” “I don't want to see these things any longer”, he added, as if to point out that a new era is beginning. Arrivabene hoped to see Ferrari win two races in 2015. That objective is now half accomplished, there is good potential, but he prefers to remain “realistic” in regards to Mercedes. “Sometimes, when victories come too early, it could be an advantage or a disadvantage. So we keep our feet on the ground.”
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