“We are often asked what is the secret of our success and we will always respond in the same way, explaining that it is down to three closely linked factors which we apply to our work every day. First and foremost is our organisation, the quality of our workforce who do their job with great passion without ever losing touch with reality. Stability is vital and I refer to it in Ferrari as a dynamic stability. We have people who have been working here for many years and that also applies to the drivers the engineers and the general managers, as the group continues to consolidate. At Ferrari it is possible to grow from within and at the same time, the youngsters have the chance to grow and learn.

“The second key element is the backing our all our sponsors and suppliers. At its heart, Ferrari is a small company which is up against the real giants of the car industry and we would not have achieved what we have to date without FIAT, our major shareholder. We are part of a group and we are proud of it. FIAT has supported us, not only economically but also on a human level, providing us with the best possible working environment.

“When the ‘Enzo Ferrari’ was created, as our most innovative and extreme car, I felt a duty to dedicate it to our founder. Now, and with much emotion and gratitude on behalf of everyone at Ferrari, we wanted to dedicate this new F1 car to someone we all miss a great deal and I miss him very much personally. Avvocato Gianni Agnelli. The Avvocato was a fundamental cornerstone in my life for over 35 years and he was particularly important in the difficult years, first for Enzo Ferrari and then for me. From 1992 to 1999, we worked very hard to get back on top and his support was invaluable. For this reason, we are all very happy that this car bears his name.”

Formula 1 is all about continuous evolution and you cannot afford to stop, because if you do you go backwards. That is why the role of suppliers is so important. We have close links to this area rich in passion and ability, but at the same time we collaborate with the best companies in the world which supply us with high quality products, innovation, experience and know-how. Without them and without our sponsors we would not be capable of beating all the records.

I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to a great leader, Chris Gent of Vodafone who is now leaving the company, but already in the first year of our collaboration, has brought his company to share in our success.

The third and final element is the spirit, the courage and the fact that challenge is part of our DNA. Given last year’s results, I ask myself what improvement one can make on a car which won 15 races out of 17. The spirit of this car is exactly that latest improvement. Apart from that is the importance of the technological transfer from Formula 1 to our road cars. This year, the championship will be an even tougher fight than the last one and the regulations have changed. We are in agreement with the changes and we take a positive view of this reinforcing of the rules as long as they take into account the general interest in Formula 1 and the fact it represents the most advanced technology. “In a country which has a great capacity for looking to the future and is very dynamic, Ferrari will play its part for its shareholders to contribute to maintaining the FIAT name at a high level on the world stage. There are those who say our motivation will not be the same, but I have to deny that. We do not know what challenges lie ahead, but with great humility we will try and win 5 consecutive constructors’ titles for Ferrari and the drivers’ title this year. We have the spirit and the capability to do it.”