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Piero Ferrari: 'Hard for me to identify with modern F1'

Piero Ferrari, the son of the legendary Enzo Ferrari, hopes the House of Maranello races on forever at the pinnacle of motorsport, although he admits having a hard time understanding today's F1.

It would hard to imagine the world of F1 without the Scuderia's cars on the grid, but the opposite is also true for the prestigious manufacturer which built a great deal of its brand on its success in Grand Prix racing.

Piero Ferrari, who remains a 10 percent shareholder of the publicly traded company, admitted that this father would certainly frown upon the sport in its modern guise, while the 74-year-old conceded that he also felt a bit lost in today's complicated world of F1.

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"Today it seems that everything is prohibited in Formula 1, testing during the season, engine development, etc... Sometimes it is hard for me to identify with the modern Formula 1," Ferrari told the RAI's radio programme Extratime.

"My father wouldn't have liked the summer break. He would have been happy to go testing on August 15."

"We’ve been in Formula 1 since the first year, and it's important that we remain here, full of passion and ambition.

"I would like Ferrari to be able to keep its two souls forever. On the one hand, building our beautiful sportscars, and on the other hand the victories in Formula 1.

"That is what my father always wanted, and we are all still living this dream today."

©Ferrari

Piero Ferrari touched on the subject of Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc's recent clash at the Brazilian Grand Prix, underlining the crucial need for a team to perform flawlessly on all levels.

"To win you must have a car that is 100 percent from the first to the last lap and a driver who does not make mistakes and knows how to use 100 percent of the machine’s performance," said the Ferrari Vice-Chairman.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.