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Ferrari sources deny 2017 plans in trouble

Sources at Maranello have denied media speculation that Ferrari's preparations for the 2017 Formula One world championship are in crisis.

The team has been keeping its plans very close to its chest in recent months, although last week news emerged that a test session at Fiorano had been cut short after Sebastian Vettel crashed in wet weather.

Now rumours have emerged of aerodynamic problems with the 2017 Ferrari which have forced the team to make an early start on preparing a 'B' car that will be ready in time for Barcelona in May.

Vettel crash curtails Ferrari’s Pirelli test - report

The rumours moved up a gear when Maurizio Arrivabene was conspicuously absent from a launch event being held by tyre supplier Pirelli this week despite it being held in Turin, close to Ferrari's headquarters.

"I am not far from Maranello, but I could not come because we have a lot to do," Italian media reports quote Arrivabene as explaining in a video message.

However insider sources scotched reports that Arrivabene was too busy holding crisis meetings about the 2017 car to attend.

"I do not think Ferrari is as bad as it is being painted," an Italian media source told the Spanish daily Marca, who added that the so-called 'B-car was "an important evolution as they discover the possibilities of the new aerodynamics."

Ferrari spokesman Alberto Antonini insisted that the team's preparations were going according to plan.

"It would be inappropriate to talk about expectations. The regulations have changed and the car will be completely different," Antonini said. "We know our abilities and what kind of car we have built.

"In the team the results are in line with expectations, but we need to wait for the tests in Barcelona to compare with the others."

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.