Frictions with Alonso one of the reasons for Domenicali's early departure.

It's useful to look at different sources when the UK centric ones seem to be stuck on surprise, football coach metaphors and national stereotyping when trying to describe what happened last week at Ferrari.

Autosprint is Italy's oldest motorsport publication and historically very close to Ferrari.  Usually they get it right.

Domenicali was going to retire at the end of 2014.

Domenicali out, Mattiacci in at Scuderia Ferrari.

Stefano Domenicali

It was in the air

When Luca Montezemolo uttered the phrase "Ferrari will take whatever decisions are needed" on Friday,  you know someone was going to bleed red.    

Today, being the honorable man he is, Stefano Domenicali sacrificed himself and "resigned".   The role of team principal will be taken up, effective immediately by Marco Mattiacci.

While many tifosi, Italian and particularly Spanish, have been clamoring for his head for a while, the trouble of the team cannot be traced to a single man.   The role of team principal is one of management and as Ferrari's choice of replacement hints, one of politics within the sport.

Marco Mattiacci

Marco Mattiacci, 42,  started work at Ferrari in 1999, first in charge of developing sales in the Middle East and Russia then managing the relaunch of Maserati in the North America.  
Mattiacci's next assignment was to open up the Chinese market for Ferrari, something he accomplished with huge success.

Up until yesterday, he was CEO if Ferrari North America.  under his tenure sales increased 20 percent.

Mattiacci has no racing experience but has been a fixture at Ferrari Challenge and Corse Clienti events in North America.    Ferrari' and FIAT's top management is clearly behind him and his tenure with the Scuderia will most likely seen with an eye towards stepping into Montezemolo's shoes when the current president of Ferrari.

We are sorry to see Domenicali go, he was one of the nice guys in F1 and worked his way up from nothing to one of the best jobs in the sport,   we wish him luck on his next venture.

Best wishes also to Marco Mattiacci, his this Ferrari challenge will be his most difficult yet.

Ferrari fishing for a new team boss?

When Luca di Montezemolo ominously declared Ferrari ready to "take whatever decisions are needed" in Maranello today,  many commentators in Italy interpreted this to mean Stefano Domenicali will soon fall on his sword for the Scuderia's dismal start to the new season and the lackluster performance over the past couple of years.

For many, Domenicali's faults lie not just in having failed to guide the team into the new regulations competitively but also for having stayed loyal to Felipe Massa too long and for presiding over a period where Ferrari's political clout within the sport has diminished.

True or not, it is certainly not unheard of for a top man to take the hit when a team is not performing.

Now, who could step into the role of team leader for the Scuderia?   Is there anyone with the gravitas to step into such a delicate situation,  someone presently unemployed... perhaps, with a (fish) bone to pick with the current top dogs in the sport?   hmmm.

Anyway.

Charlie Whiting hits back: "We warned Ferrari three times"

Not happy with all the criticism after the delayed reaction ruling in Valencia, Race Director Charlie Whiting has told Italy's Autosprint magazine he had been in touch right away with the Ferrari pit wall after the Alonso Kubica incident:

"We told Ferrari three times that in my opinion they should give the position back to Kubica, and we told them that immediately, right after the overtaking manoeuvre. On the radio, I suggested to them that if they exchange position again, there would be no need for the stewards to intervene. But they didn't do that and on the third communication they said that Kubica was by then too far back to let him regain the position. It's not true at all that the stewards took too long to decide. For us the facts were clear immediately: Alonso had gained an advantage by cutting the track."

This puts Stefano Domenicali, who had said by the time the ruling came it was too late, on and even hotter hot seat than he is sitting on at the moment. Did Domenicali ask Alonso to give the position back and if not, why? Did Alonso refuse his request? Did things actually happen as Whiting is suggesting?
Perhaps Domenicali though that, like Mclaren who in Valencia knew right away Hamilton had passed the Safety Car, they too might benefit from the bureaucratic procedure? Not very clever after you spent two week complaining about that very issue.

Maybe it's not just Ferrari's F10 that needs a new package.


end of post

Hamilton-Mclaren Penalty Explained.

If you are waiting for the Malaysian GP to start but are still confused about what the penalty to Lewis Hamilton after the Australian race was all about, take a look at this portion of the BBC's qualifying show.

While over the top dramatic, it does explain what happened very clearly. Journalists really don't mince words and commentary by David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan are very useful. Thirteen minutes well spent.

This was the first full BBC broadcast of a race I saw and I must say they do a super job. Having someone like Coulthard really adds the kind of extra dimension only a recently retired racer can bring to a show. I loved when he asked Stefano Domenicali: "...when he was my team mate, Kimi was the laziest driver you ever saw...how do you deal with that at Ferrari?..." Priceless.

And here is the rest of it.

Let's hear from Ferrari

...While we wait the stewards decisions on the diffuser protest, by Red Bull, BMW, Ferrari and Renault against Brawn, Williams and Toyota.






And here is the rest of it.

Ferrari F60 debut helmet-cam video

More videos after the jump