Ferrari's Marchionne not repeating a big mistake from 2016

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Sergio Marchionne learned a valuable lesson in 2016, a season in which Ferrarii's results fell spectacularly short of its expectations.

Not only did the Prancing Horse fail to keep up on its form and results from 2015, it was also relegated to third in the rankings behind Red Bull, and without a single win to talk about.

On balance, the performance was far from Marchionne’s ambitious predictions which included a claim made weeks prior to the start of the season that the Scuderia would play its part as a title contender.

Just a few days before the Scuderia launches its 2017 challenger, Marchionne admits he felt kind of « silly » at the of last year’s season.

"Intellectual honesty is important but I have to admit that I looked silly," admitted the Italian-Canadian to Finnish newspaper Iltalehti.

"Clearly, there were problems with the flow of information, but the matter has since been corrected.

"If an employee tells me that our car is four seconds faster than the last one, I have no choice but to believe him », said the CEO.

Ferrari sources deny 2017 plans in trouble

Having learned his lesson the hard way last year, Marchionne has chosen not to make any public comments or predictions about the upcoming season.

A far more humble and low-profile approach indeed for a team that has been struggling to meet expectations for the last three seasons.

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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.