'Ferrari working tirelessly', says Marchionne

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Teams are in full swing for this year's season which kicks off in Barcelona at the end of February, and Ferrari is working harder than ever for F1 success in 2017, according to president Sergio Marchionne.

The pressure is on behind the gates of the House of Maranello following the Scuderia's winless and disappointing campaign in 2016.

"The guys are working tirelessly," President Marchionne told Italy's Corriere dello Sport.

"At Christmas they had only two days of vacation. The car seems to be going well; the engine is running great on the bench.

"But this is not the time to fall for that, let's see what success we have when we get to the track. For now the work they are doing is enormous, on the engine, aerodynamics and the new rules."

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Marchionne admits he should not have targeted wins and the title last year, and also that aspects of how difficult the sport is surprised him.

"Yes, but do you know what my mistake was? I intervened in the team too late, but I did it out of respect. I had left them to work.

"If I had intervened earlier, in 2015, probably last year would have gone a different way. But who knows."

Marchionne would not be drawn into guessing the team's performance relative to its peers but conceded that the order at the front would probably depend once again on Mercedes although he refused that Ferrari hope for a reversal of fortune of the might Silver Arrows.

"We would be wrong to think like this. It is not their fault for doing great work. Maybe it is not nice, but it is true that they are good.

"No, it depends on us, so we have to focus on what we have to do to beat them.

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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.