Ferrari looks to the future...

After being caught on the hop in 2009 when Felipe Massa sustained injuries in Hungary that left him unable to drive for the rest of the season, Ferrari searched around for a possible replacement. After Schumacher and his medical team declared F1 was not possible, the Italian team turned their attention to veteran test driver Luca Badoer and it was a disaster.

The team are now looking to make up for their past poor planning and announced today at the launch of the new F10 chassis that they are ‘investing in the future’.

However, such a tactic flies in the face of Ferrari who has traditionally picked up the best drivers from others teams in order to gain success, but the Italian outfit claimed today that ‘new talent’ is the objective.

"For the first time Ferrari is concentrated on the precise goal of looking for new talents,” declared Luca Baldisserri. “The programme, which will start this year, includes several activities – from scouting to training to a driving school, to find new talents and let them grow to be part of Formula 1 with Ferrari one day. At the moment we have 12 young drivers and a further selection will follow.

"I really believe in this project, because the drivers’ motivation is fundamental as of the start of the career. It’s worth a lot that the drivers not only learn how to drive but also how to talk to the sponsors, to the press and that they know several languages. The programme for professional drivers also includes five training periods during the year in Fiorano, Mugello and Vallelunga as well as a final event of the season and an evaluation at the end of the year.”

Whatever, the team is keen not to be caught red-faced in the future, but it remains to be seen how the team will bring the drivers to the top - beyond financial assistance.