Marchionne hurt by Ferrari underperformance

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Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne admits the Italian outfit's current lack of results is a difficult proposition to accept although he has no doubts the Scuderia will soon bounce back.

Ferrari's season debut has been marked by a series of mixed results and incidents, with Sebastian Vettel on the receiving end of the team's misfortune and reliability issues.

While Marchionne believes the potential of the team's SF16-H has yet to be fully exploited, he is surely not satisfied with Ferrari's current state of affairs.

"We need to close the gap at the speed of light," Marchionne told the Italian media in Turin yesterday.

"I was used to seeing a Ferrari with Michael Schumacher, so it breaks my soul to see a Ferrari that is suffering so much."

Most paddock pundits agree that Ferrari's performance level is very close to that of Mercedes but that circumstances and reliability are prevented it from properly challenging its arch rival.

Marchionne believes however that it's only a matter of time before the Scuderia defeats its German counterpart.

"Yesterday was a bad day and there is still much work to do, but I have every confidence in the team and we will succeed."

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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.