Ferrari hopes to “put a smile” on faces all over the world and particularly in their home country during what is a “difficult time” amidst the coronavirus outbreak.
Italy – home to Ferrari – has been hit particularly hard and recently surpassed South Korea to record the highest number of infected citizens outside of China, forcing the country to quarantine almost 16 million people in the North of the country, including Maranello, where Ferrari’s factory is based.
Ferrari head to the Formula 1 season-opener on the back foot following pre-season testing with claims they won’t be in a position to fight for victories, but team boss Mattia Binotto admitted the pecking order remains uncertain and is keen to see where they stand.
“After a long winter working on building and developing our car, the time has come to get a first indication of our performance level and how effective are the improvements we have introduced over the past few months.
“We know that the opposition is strong, but we also know that it is the start of a long season where development rate, reliability, and our operational effectiveness will be key. We are gearing up to tackle all these challenges as a united team, conscious of the progress that needs to be made and proud of the support of our fans worldwide.”
He added: “At what is a difficult time for Italy and the world as a whole, as part of a global sport, it is our obligation to try and put a smile on people’s faces as they prepare to watch the first race of the season with the same sense of anticipation as ourselves.”
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