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Is it time for Ferrari's 'special status' to end?

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Jericoke:
I know that the deal between Ferrari, Formula One Management and the FIA is secret, but as far as I know, Ferrari still gets a Heritage Bonus for being in F1 since the first season.

In the past, Ferrari was important to the sport, being synonymous with fast cars for the world at large, and the Ferrari 'Tifosi' fan base being a very large percentage of F1 fans.  I feel like that under Liberty that F1 has grown beyond the traditional fan base.  Drive to Survive on Netflix has been a big part of that.  Drivers/teams using social media has also been a big driver of the sport.  Like many sports, F1 has become 'personality' driven.  Just looking at how many orange shirts/flares there are at an F1 weekend Max's fans might be challenging the Tifosi for sheer numbers.

However, health of the sport aside, I feel like Ferrari getting a bonus just for showing up is really affecting the team.  Ownership is making money by being in the sport, win or lose.  Sure, they'd like to win, but I feel like as long as they're making money, they're not going to do everything it takes to win.  Taking away the free money for just showing up being Ferrari, and we'll see Ferrari taking a harder look at creating a winning programme and not coasting on 70 years of goodwill.

In the long run, that will be better for Ferrari, as a company, to build that winning culture, and if Ferrari IS still important to the sport, surely a winning Ferrari is more important.

John S:
Jeri, apart from there maybe no heritage payments anymore after introduction of cost cap, it's true the racing team as such probably may end up in profit now. However you are overlooking the vast sums poured into developing their engine which still goes on now.

Sure customer teams have a fixed figure to buy PUs off OEMs but this in no way represents the true expenditure incurred by the engine makers. It's true with the homolagation of engines this year development costs will come down a bit, but since you can keep changing things for reliability, & a few other things, they will all spend large sums to prevent others from gradually pulling away from them.

VW/Audi group has hesitated to commit until engine development costs are seriously brought down, it's due to happen with 26 gen PUs that's why they are coming on board now.

You will argue that most engine development costs are historical once the pseudo lockdown comes into full force this year, accountants at Marenello & in the wider Ferrari company may be needing, or at least hoping for, some capital payback over the next few years.

IMHO it's not Ferrari's competetive spirit that fails them, it's rather the isolation from working in Italy, British teams seem to spur each other on more with easier exchange of skilled staff in the same country. Sure Alpha Tauri & Haas have bases in Italy, do either of them really attract the real minds. In fact drain works in other direction, Ferrari has switched quite a few staff to Haas to avoid laying off too many from the cost cap.
 

Scott:
I don’t think Ferrari has any less motivation to win, regardless of how the money pot shakes out, but it’s more due to ineptitude.  Whoever they have running strategy this year should have been removed from that position months ago. 

Jericoke:

--- Quote from: Scott on August 02, 2022, 04:47:53 PM ---I don’t think Ferrari has any less motivation to win, regardless of how the money pot shakes out, but it’s more due to ineptitude.  Whoever they have running strategy this year should have been removed from that position months ago.

--- End quote ---

More or less that's my point.  Every fan and pundit can see whats 'wrong' with Ferrari, so why can't they?  It feels like there is something holding them back.  Yes, they want to win, but clearly they're not doing what it takes to win. 

Maybe it's not the heritage bonus or special status, but it's something. 

(Maybe like the Boston Red Sox were cursed for trading away Babe Ruth, Ferrari is cursed for forcing out Schumacher and then Kimi?   :crazy: )

lkjohnson1950:
Ferrari is notorious for treating their drivers poorly. Enzo was so difficult to drive for that Stirling Moss flat refused. Ferrari wanted him so badly he agreed to provide a car to Rob Walker for Moss to drive. Moss' accident and retirement ended the deal before it started. Phil Hill walked away from the F1 team mid season. Few ex Ferrari drivers have good things to say about the experience.

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