Apr 29, 2004, 12:49 PM
The most evocative name in Grand Prix, and the only team to have contested every year of the championship, always in their traditional red livery.
For several yeas now Ferrari have been losing the race when it comes to keeping apace with the technological advances being made within Formula 1, however with the arrival of Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne and of course Michael Schumacher, the Prancing Horse now seems to have got its act together once more and for the first time in many years the team looks like it could actually live up to its glorious past.
The team was founded by Enzo Ferrari, a former racer and manager of Alfa Romeo's racing team from 1930-37 but a disagreement saw him leave in 1938. Although he built his first car in 1940, this wasn't known as a Ferrari, as Enzo had agreed not to race under his own name for a further five years, so the first true Ferrari didn't appear until 1946. Early models were known by the displacement size of each cylinder and it is fair to say that Ferrari's priority lay with engine first and chassis second.
Over the years a total of eight drivers titles have made their way to Maranello but the last was in 1979. Between then and the arrival of Luca di Montezemolo in 1992 Ferrari were in a real mess. The route from that sorry state to a team that could challenge for the 1997 title has rarely been an easy one, but among the changes that have worked three factors stand out. Firstly the team hired Jean Todt as team manager. Todt was known as 'the man that could' over at Peugeot where he ran their racing team. He joined Ferrari in 1993 bringing with him a formidable reputation for organisational efficiency.
Next the engine department was persuaded to move away from traditional thirsty V12s to the more efficient and lighter V10 engine. The final piece in the puzzle was the hiring, with a reputed fee of $25 million, of twice world champion Michael Schumacher. Schumacher brought more than just driving ability. He joined the team with his own ideas and his own agenda. His aim was to mould the team around him with one aim in mind; to return the Scuderia to the top of the Formula 1 tree. To that end he arranged for Brawn and Byrne to join him from Benetton and these three, guided tactically by Todt, with Montezemolo controlling the strategic flow, lie at the core of a team that can once more reach for the top.
1998 began with Ferrari announcing that this was their year. Schumacher remained with the team with Eddie Irvine as team-mate for the third year running. The all new Ross Brawn designed F300 was great - for a Ferrari - but it wasn't a patch on the McLaren and once more the Prancing Horse was left struggling, although they did get very close.
The season started badly for the team, with Schumacher retiring his Ferrari early on in the Australian Grand Prix. Mika Hakkinen went on to win the controversial race. The championship was lost for Ferrari in the early races, but Michael Schumacher proved that he is the best driver in the pitlane, with superb drives and wins in Argentina, Canada, France, Hungary and Italy, where Ferrari recorded a 1-2 result on home soil. The championship's both went to McLaren Mercedes, but Ferrari will be in a strong position next season and will be once again be aiming for their first drivers' title since 1979.
For several yeas now Ferrari have been losing the race when it comes to keeping apace with the technological advances being made within Formula 1, however with the arrival of Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne and of course Michael Schumacher, the Prancing Horse now seems to have got its act together once more and for the first time in many years the team looks like it could actually live up to its glorious past.
The team was founded by Enzo Ferrari, a former racer and manager of Alfa Romeo's racing team from 1930-37 but a disagreement saw him leave in 1938. Although he built his first car in 1940, this wasn't known as a Ferrari, as Enzo had agreed not to race under his own name for a further five years, so the first true Ferrari didn't appear until 1946. Early models were known by the displacement size of each cylinder and it is fair to say that Ferrari's priority lay with engine first and chassis second.
Over the years a total of eight drivers titles have made their way to Maranello but the last was in 1979. Between then and the arrival of Luca di Montezemolo in 1992 Ferrari were in a real mess. The route from that sorry state to a team that could challenge for the 1997 title has rarely been an easy one, but among the changes that have worked three factors stand out. Firstly the team hired Jean Todt as team manager. Todt was known as 'the man that could' over at Peugeot where he ran their racing team. He joined Ferrari in 1993 bringing with him a formidable reputation for organisational efficiency.
Next the engine department was persuaded to move away from traditional thirsty V12s to the more efficient and lighter V10 engine. The final piece in the puzzle was the hiring, with a reputed fee of $25 million, of twice world champion Michael Schumacher. Schumacher brought more than just driving ability. He joined the team with his own ideas and his own agenda. His aim was to mould the team around him with one aim in mind; to return the Scuderia to the top of the Formula 1 tree. To that end he arranged for Brawn and Byrne to join him from Benetton and these three, guided tactically by Todt, with Montezemolo controlling the strategic flow, lie at the core of a team that can once more reach for the top.
1998 began with Ferrari announcing that this was their year. Schumacher remained with the team with Eddie Irvine as team-mate for the third year running. The all new Ross Brawn designed F300 was great - for a Ferrari - but it wasn't a patch on the McLaren and once more the Prancing Horse was left struggling, although they did get very close.
The season started badly for the team, with Schumacher retiring his Ferrari early on in the Australian Grand Prix. Mika Hakkinen went on to win the controversial race. The championship was lost for Ferrari in the early races, but Michael Schumacher proved that he is the best driver in the pitlane, with superb drives and wins in Argentina, Canada, France, Hungary and Italy, where Ferrari recorded a 1-2 result on home soil. The championship's both went to McLaren Mercedes, but Ferrari will be in a strong position next season and will be once again be aiming for their first drivers' title since 1979.