John Elkann CEO of Exor, the holding company of Italy’s Agnelli family, which owns stakes in Ferrari refused to answer whether Ferrari’s recent slump in performance is due to the Belgian GP technical directives.
After a solid start to the season with its all-new technical regulations, Ferrari’s title challenge gradually faded until it steamrolled down the hill.
Charles Leclerc now trails Max Verstappen by 116 points post the summer break, with the championship leader needing only P6s in the final six races to win his second title.
While Verstappen has won five races in a row, Leclerc has only two podiums in that span, prompting speculation that the FIA’s Belgian Grand Prix technical directive is harming the F1-75.
The change in technical directives eliminated a grey area in the regulations that some teams were said to be exploited to create more flexibility around the plank and skid block area on the floors.
Leclerc never looked like he could match Verstappen’s pace at Spa, the Dutch Grand Prix wasn’t much better, and when the Safety Car came out at Monza, Ferrari’s home race, he was 16 seconds behind the Dutchman.
When asked if he thought the TD had hurt Ferrari, Elkann told Gazzetta dello Sport: “I don’t think a team wins or loses because of the referees or the rules.”
“I think that in sport the stronger player wins on the pitch or on the track and the stronger the opponents, the greater the satisfaction of doing well and winning.”
Ferrari has four victories this season, while Red Bull has twelve. While that is more than they have achieved since 2018, it is not the championship fight that the Tifosi had hoped for earlier in the year.
“Our car is competitive again,” Elkann insisted. “We must have the humility and the awareness of knowing where we are now and the courage and determination to improve.
“As our founder said just before leaving us ‘Whoever follows in my footsteps inherits a very simple doctrine, to keep alive the desire for progress’.”
“Of course, after the first Grand Prix, it seemed legitimate to dream, but we must remain humble and let the results speak for themselves.”
