Italy’s recent elections resulted in the same thing that most Italian elections lead to: uncertainty. No party won an outright majority, leaving them to build a coalition.
This itself was not a surprise. Italy is used to being governed by coalitions, which often prove successful at first but have a habit of fracturing when things begin to go wrong. That is why Italy is currently looking for its fifth Prime Minister since 2011.
What has any of this got to do with Formula 1? Clearly if we’re talking Italy and fragile political situations, the subject is going to be Ferrari.
Italy’s political complexities provide a neat analogy for the country’s representatives in Formula 1, a team that seems so fond of politics that it's a wonder they didn’t put up candidates in this month’s election.
The Scuderia has the capacity to produce great results – witness their run of six constructors’ titles and five drivers’ championships between 1999 and 2004.
But, when faced with a sustained run of failure, there is the potential for major internal strife and ultimately a regime change. And for Ferrari, failure means anything less than bringing the world title back to Maranello.
On the face of it 2018 promises a great deal for the team. Having looked like serious challengers last year they were undone by a disastrous three-race stretch between Singapore and Japan that included a collision between the two Ferraris and multiple mechanical woes, which ultimately scuppered Sebastian Vettel’s title bid earlier than expected.
But there’s no doubt that their 2017 car was fundamentally a very fast machine. With stable rules for 2018 Ferrari should be back at the front this term, challenging Mercedes and perhaps Red Bull for the championship.
But this is not simply an ideal scenario – it is a must. If they don’t get things right this year, the Scuderia risk slipping into one of their familiar bouts of in-fighting, which are often followed by a few years trying to patch up the damage.
The Scuderia has the capacity to produce great results – witness their run of six constructors’ titles and five drivers’ championships between 1999 and 2004.
But, when faced with a sustained run of failure, there is the potential for major internal strife and ultimately a regime change. And for Ferrari, failure means anything less than bringing the world title back to Maranello.
On the face of it 2018 promises a great deal for the team. Having looked like serious challengers last year they were undone by a disastrous three-race stretch between Singapore and Japan that included a collision between the two Ferraris and multiple mechanical woes, which ultimately scuppered Sebastian Vettel’s title bid earlier than expected.
But there’s no doubt that their 2017 car was fundamentally a very fast machine. With stable rules for 2018 Ferrari should be back at the front this term, challenging Mercedes and perhaps Red Bull for the championship.
But this is not simply an ideal scenario – it is a must. If they don’t get things right this year, the Scuderia risk slipping into one of their familiar bouts of in-fighting, which are often followed by a few years trying to patch up the damage.