Arrivabene laughs at mounting Ferrari ’pressure’

"I don’t need help"

By Franck Drui

12 November 2016 - 11:10
Arrivabene laughs at mounting Ferrari

The pressure is still piling high on Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene’s shoulders.

A legendary former driver for the Scuderia, triple world champion Niki Lauda, told Italy’s Autosprint: "Vettel is very nervous now because there’s too much pressure from (Sergio) Marchionne and throughout Italy."

It was a timely comment from Lauda, after Ferrari president Marchionne late this week ruled out pumping more money into the great team’s budget.

"I think I’ve thrown all the money I like to throw at that thing," he said during an investor’s teleconference.

The pressure is also coming from F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who has said that Arrivabene needs some help running the Maranello marque.

"The day after he said the opposite," Arrivabene insisted in Brazil, "and he also came to me to explain himself without being requested to do so.

"I don’t need help," he added. "I’m part of the Ferrari racing department and I have hundreds of people who are nearby me."

And not just that, Marchionne also said on Friday that Ferrari has thought about launching a campaign in Formula E, even though the carmaker is not ready to commit.

"I can talk about the word pressure," Arrivabene said, "but there’s nothing strange in that.

"Working in a team like this, the day you sign a contract you know that the sport is pointing at you because we are Ferrari.

"I hear ’are you guys under a lot of pressure?’ and it makes me laugh. So what?"

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