Can Anyone Tell Me Why... (F1)
Discussion
Can anyone actually tell me why Renault, Toyota, Mclaren/Mercedes, Honda, and I'm guessing BMW are classified as manufacturer teams, but Ferrari ISN'T...
So lets see...
What do Ferrari do? Make high performance sports cars (which has to be more relivant to F1 than the Toyota Yaris).
Who owns Ferrari? Fiat.
What do Fiat do? Make cars.
Does anyone actually know what the twisted logic is behind the classification?
So lets see...
What do Ferrari do? Make high performance sports cars (which has to be more relivant to F1 than the Toyota Yaris).
Who owns Ferrari? Fiat.
What do Fiat do? Make cars.
Does anyone actually know what the twisted logic is behind the classification?
Scuderia Ferrari SPa is a seperate business in the Fiat empire, Fiat owning 87% of the F1 team so they aren't classified as a manufacturer under the Fiat banner. Plus they aren't classified as a manufacturer because Scuderia Ferrari Spa do not make Ferrari road cars. Ferrari make the road cars.
Ferrari were a member of the Grand Prix Manufacturer's Association (GPMA) until Bernie offered them a deal they couldn't refuse, so I guess Ferrari think they are a manufacturer! The ownership argument also doesn't hold up, by that rule McLaren Mercedes aren't a manufacturer team either, Ron is still a large shareholder in the team.
You may have missed it but over the winter the pompous little prick who was running Ferrari (I know, you're thinking, 'Which one?' In this case it was de Montezemolo.) made the claim to the media that FIArrari should be classified as an independent (and of course receive the advantages in the new CA that are meant to support the little guys).
FWD's explanation is entirely correct. The underlying point is that at this particular moment it doesn't suit the interests of Bernie, Mosley or FIArrari for the latter to be considered a manufacturer (or part of one), so they're not.
The instant that it does suit their collective interests to be considered a manufacturer, you'll see that definition spin 'round on a sixpence.
Intellectual honesty and a sense of shame have never been amongst Bernie's strong points. Nor Max's. Nor the Mice from Maranello's.
Btw, to amplify pcameron's point, Mercedes own only 40% of McL.
FWD's explanation is entirely correct. The underlying point is that at this particular moment it doesn't suit the interests of Bernie, Mosley or FIArrari for the latter to be considered a manufacturer (or part of one), so they're not.
The instant that it does suit their collective interests to be considered a manufacturer, you'll see that definition spin 'round on a sixpence.
Intellectual honesty and a sense of shame have never been amongst Bernie's strong points. Nor Max's. Nor the Mice from Maranello's.
Btw, to amplify pcameron's point, Mercedes own only 40% of McL.
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