Ferrari's year of turmoil: A month-by-month review of the Scuderia's 2014 of woe
Three team bosses, two presidents, the departure of their star driver, and their first winless season in 21 years. It’s the tale of a year of unprecedented upheaval at F1's most famous team
Wednesday 17 December 2014 15:55, UK
The onset of F1’s new turbo era was supposed to present the chance for Ferrari, the sport’s most famous and successful marque, to reassert themselves on the front row of Formula 1.
However, such a reality never materialised as the Prancing Horse instead became engulfed in on and off-track turmoil during an extraordinary 12 months at Maranello…
January
With newly-appointed technical director James Allison on board, and Kimi Raikkonen hired as a replacement for Felipe Massa, Ferrari launch the F14 T amid a blaze of optimism that the team can return to world championship-winning ways. "I'm confident because we have a strong team and I think we have all the ingredients to be successful," declares president Luca di Montezemolo.
February
Ferrari perform modestly in pre-winter testing. Although only Nico Rosberg completes more miles than Alonso, the F14 T appears to be acutely short of pace – over eight days of testing at Bahrain, Alonso best’s lap time is a second off the benchmark with Raikkonen a further second adrift. "There's a lot of torque in the car," notes the Finn ominously after crashing out at Sakhir.
March
Ferrari’s problems are laid abundantly and starkly clear at the season-opening Australian GP. Raikkonen crashes out in qualifying and fails to make the top-10 shoot-out while Alonso finishes the race over 30 seconds behind the victorious Rosberg. “We are behind,” Domenicali flatly admits, but pressure is mounting…
April
After seven years in charge, Domenicali falls on his sword and resigns as team boss to be replaced by hitherto-unknown Marco Mattiacci, the president and CEO of Ferrari North America. Matters improve on the track as Alonso finishes third in the Chinese GP but with Mattiacci not boasting any previous experience of F1, widespread scepticism greets his appointment.
May
The rumour-mill is abuzz when Ross Brawn is spotted at Maranello, but the team insist nothing should be read into their former boss’s visit. "He was on holiday and he still has a house nearby," a Ferrari spokesman tells Sky Sports Online. At the Spanish GP, Mercedes beat the team by over a minute, although Alonso salvages a vestige of respectability by claiming fourth at Monaco.
June
Domenicali breaks his silence to warn that Mercedes will “keep this advantage for a long time”. But Ferrari’s on-track problems aren’t only consigned to Mercedes. Beaten by Red Bull and first-time victor Daniel Ricciardo in Canada, Alonso is reduced to fifth in Austria by both Mercedes' and, more alarmingly, both Williams'. The secret is out: Ferra
