Could Ferrari quit F1? CEO addresses concerns as long title drought continues

Ferrari remain fully committed to Formula 1, despite their ongoing struggles to race at the very front of the sport.

With the Scuderia in the midst of another season that is slipping away from them, with just one podium from the first seven races of the year, their CEO has moved to quell any doubts over their long-term involvement in the sport.

While Formula 1 without Ferrari seems unthinkable, the team are without a single title win since 2008. With Kimi Raikkonen’s 2007 title win their last Drivers’ Championship, the Scuderia are also rapidly closing in on matching their unwanted record of going 21 years without the championship.

With Red Bull dominating the sport, and Ferrari struggling to keep up with Mercedes and even Aston Martin after the Silverstone-based squad leaped forward over the winter, there’s no end in sight for a possible turnaround in the team’s fortunes.

Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc occupy sixth and seventh in the Drivers’ standings, in stark contrast to their rapid ascent to victory in the World Endurance Championship, where Ferrari AF Corse won the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours this year at the first time of asking with their new 499P Hypercar.

But there are no question marks over Ferrari’s commitment to F1, despite their lack of success, with CEO Benedetto Vigna shutting down any talk that the Scuderia may scale back.

“It once again demonstrates that Ferrari is unique and that we make unparalleled cars. It is a unique car,” Vigna told Eurosport after Ferrari’s first win at Le Mans since 1965.

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“The next goal? To continue winning. Was the bad start of the season in Formula 1 stressful for me?

“You know, I have more significant reasons for stress. For the team, this is a chance to improve and learn a lot. We must build a machine that will be better than the previous one, but this rule is true for everything we do.

“Sport is very important for us, racing is in the DNA of our company. So Formula 1, World Endurance Championship, we will keep investing there because we see a lot of technologies that can go from the track to the road.”

Ferrari chairman and Exor CEO John Elkann echoed the sentiments of the Ferrari CEO, saying that the Le Mans win is an “example for us all”, in what could be seen as a veiled message to the F1 team.

“This victory that Antonello Coletta, Amato Ferrari, and the entire team, from our mechanics to our drivers, have achieved in such challenging conditions – because of the 24-hour duration, the unpredictable weather, and the impressive strength of our competitors – serves as an example for us all,” he said.

“The emotions they have given to our Tifosi on a great day that brings together past, present, and future, is also a reminder of the importance of finding the courage and the humility to always improve.”