Ferrari 'in a hole' with no magic bullet - Camilleri

©Ferrari

Ferrari chief executive Louis Camilleri is pleading for time to allow the Scuderia to dig itself out of "a hole", admitting that there is no magic bullet to fast-track the team's improvements.

Ferrari's top brass gathered at the company's Mugello circuit on Sunday to witness the Italian outfit's 1,000th Grand Prix, a disrupted event that Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel ended in the points but way off the pace set by the leaders.

The Scuderia remains sixth in the Constructors' standings, a position that underlines the House of Maranello's disappointing performance this season, with little hope of significant improvement for 2021 given next year's regulation restrictions.

©Ferrari

"Realistically it’s going to be tough," Camilleri said at Mugello.

"[In] Formula 1 we’re always fighting time, on track and in development. There’s no magic bullet. It will take time.

"I’m hoping with a bit more flexibility in the regulations next year we can at least step it up from where we are.

"Mercedes, hats off to them, they’ve done an incredible job, we’ll see in 2022 with the new regulations whether it creates a reset."

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Camilleri steered clear from invoking excuses to justify Ferrari's current plight.

"We are in a hole now, we know we are in a hole," he said.

“It’s a confluence of factors, but anything I say will come across as excuses. And we’re not into excuses.

"What matters is to focus on the issues we have, to work hard with determination to [reach] what we consider to be our rightful place."

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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.