Ferrari is paying a high price for its geographical location, according to Flavio Briatore.
Last month, former Benetton and Renault chief Briatore said the fabled Maranello team should consider relocating to the UK. “In my opinion, Ferrari must have a base in the UK, where all of the technology of formula one is concentrated,” he said. “At Maranello it is difficult to create an effective team and to recruit these British engineers.” Since then, Ferrari is believed to have made a staggering offer of up to $30 million per year – much higher than most F1 drivers – to lure Adrian Newey from Red Bull. He turned it down.
And Italy’s Autosprint is now reporting that another top Briton also said ‘no’ to moving to Maranello — the engine boss of F1’s dominant team in 2014, Andy Cowell. Briatore said after the Canadian grand prix: “Ferrari this year is in deep crisis and has lost the chance to recover. “Ferrari is paying for its location — Maranello is definitely not the centre of the (F1) world, it’s England,” he told Italian radio Mix24. “I think that for Ferrari, it will take a major restructuring of the team,” he explained. “Wrong men? No, it’s a matter of organisation,” Briatore continued. “We know exactly who are the best ones, and it is difficult to get them to Italy.”
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