FERRARI AND AN OBSESSION WITH THE PRESENT

There’s a curious paradox that has followed Ferrari for years: people expect it to win, but don’t allow it the time to truly build the foundations for lasting success.

In 2023, McLaren did something that requires both courage and clarity in the paddock: it acknowledged its own limitations. It deliberately chose to forgo the first half of the season in order to start from scratch. In Austria, it introduced a completely different car, the result of deep and focused work. That decision—seemingly contrarian—turned out to be the spark that ignited a growth path now visible to everyone.

Ferrari, on the other hand, can’t afford the same luxury. Not because of financial constraints imposed by the budget cap, but for a more subtle, cultural reason: no one would forgive it for openly stepping back. Picture the scene: Maranello announcing at the start of the season that the car is a “transitional version,” and that the real project is coming later. It would be chaos. Fans would feel betrayed, the media would talk of surrender, and internal pressure would skyrocket.

And so, season after season, the Scuderia is forced to go all-in with what it has—even when what it has isn’t enough. While other teams can afford to slow down today to push harder tomorrow, Ferrari is trapped in the obsession with immediate results. A perpetual race toward a goal that, precisely because of this urgency, risks never being reached.

Yet, recent history shows that when Ferrari has had the courage to plan, it has been able to lead. It happened in 2021, when the team chose to sacrifice that season to focus on the 2022 project—which indeed brought them back to the front. It also happened in the 2016–2017 period, when the fruits of long-term preparation allowed the Prancing Horse to contend for the title.

So the issue isn’t just technical or design-related. Because you don’t need a regulatory reset to rebuild—you need vision, patience, and—above all—a context that can withstand a moment of strategic pause.

McLaren was able to do it. Ferrari could, too. But to succeed, it must be freed from the obligation to always perform no matter what. It must be supported even when it chooses to build in the shadows, instead of shining at any cost.

And this is where the role of those who watch, support, and tell its story comes in. Because maybe the real revolution doesn’t just begin in the garage or the wind tunnel. It begins with a collective shift in mindset.

If we truly want Ferrari to return to winning, are we willing to accept that it may first need to stop?

© Simone Marchetti Cavalieri

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