14/04/2014
NEWS STORY
Ferrari Team Principal Stefano Domenicali has resigned just three races into the season.
It is understood the Italian will be replaced by Marco Mattiacci who is currently President & CEO at Ferrari North America having joined the Italian company from Jaguar in 2000.
Both men have risen through the ranks at Ferrari, albeit in totally different divisions, Domenicali being given the thankless task of heading the team in the wake of the golden era that saw it win countless titles with Michael Schumacher.
Educated at the Columbia Business School, Mattiacci (left) began working at Jaguar in 1989, when Ford merged with the company which it was to subsequently sell. Honing his skills in American management style, in 2000 he was headhunted by Ferrari.
Initially charged with setting up a sales network in South America, he was subsequently sent to the Middle East where he set up a distribution division. After spells in Russia and Finland he was charged with re-launching the Maserati brand in the United States after which he headed to Asia spending four years developing the market in China, recovering Japan from the hands of private importers, and developing the Pacific Rim. Eventually he was sent back to the United States as CEO for the Americas, the company's biggest division.
In 2012 Mattiacci was named Automotive Executive of the Year.
Domenicali, a graduate of Bologna University, joined Ferrari straight from university in 1991. Starting off as Financial Controller with the road car division and Race Director at Mugello, he progressed to becoming Financial Controller for Ferrari Gestione Sportiva, Human Resource Manage and Team Manager at Scuderia Ferrari in 1998. In 2003 he was appointed Team Manager and Sporting Director and finally Director of Gestione Sportiva in 2007. Ironically, it was recently announced that his contract had been extended.
Domenicali was confirmed as Director of Ferrari's F1 team in November 2007 just weeks after Kimi Raikkonen won the world championship, the last drivers' title won by the team, though it did claim the Constructors' Championship in 2008.
2009 saw the Maranello outfit slip to fourth in the standings, winning just one race, though (new recruit) Fernando Alonso came tantalisingly close to winning the 2010 championship in what was widely recognised as an uncompetitive car.
Indeed, in recent years the Spaniard has proved a canny signing, consistently delivering performances that belied the quality of the equipment presented to him.
The Italian team is currently fifth in the standings, having yet to secure a podium finish in the opening three races. Despite having one of the most successful and experienced driver line-ups, Alonso and teammate Kimi Raikkonen could do no better than finish ninth and tenth in the recent Bahrain Grand Prix, the Maranello outfit currently under pressure from Williams.
Chris Balfe