Ferrari Team Boss Urges Team to Stay Positive

Ferrari Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene has said that the squad must retain faith in its Formula 1 title bid. His comments come in the wake of a disappointing campaign at the Italian Grand Prix.

Ferrari arrived at Monza off the back of an emphatic triumph the previous weekend at Spa-Francorchamps. They went on to lock out the front-row of the grid on Saturday, to the delight of the fans.

Kimi Raikkonen led Sebastian Vettel through the first sequence of corners. Unfortunately, the latter spun to the back of the field after a close scrap with title rival Lewis Hamilton.

Raikkonen headed Hamilton for much of the race but developed a blister on his left-rear tyre after the pit stop phase and was eventually overhauled by the Mercedes driver.

It meant Mercedes extended its unbeaten run at Monza to five years, while Ferrari and Vettel lost further ground in both championships.

“It was definitely not the result we were looking for to give to our fans, who supported us in fine style all weekend, for which I thank them on behalf of the entire team,” said Arrivabene.

“After the collision at the second chicane, Kimi had to fight two opponents on his own, while Seb, in a badly damaged car, fought his way up the order.

“We know we have a very strong car, which was clearly demonstrated by the fact we monopolised the front row of the grid.

“Now, the important thing is to react as a team, in an orderly and determined fashion, without ever giving up.

“There is still a long way to go in the championship and we are already preparing for the next challenge in Singapore.”

Vettel trails Hamilton by 30 points, while Ferrari now faces a 25-point deficit to Mercedes.