The only living son of Enzo Ferrari has rued how the Formula 1 cost cap is causing difficulty in the Italian marque’s quest to return to winning ways in the sport.
2025 is likely to mark 18 years since the Scuderia last won a Drivers’ World Championship, and 17 years since it last achieved a Constructors’ title win.
Since then, the team has struggled to recapture its former glories, as the likes of Mercedes, Red Bull, and now McLaren have reached F1’s ascendancy.
2025 has seen a troubling campaign so far, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who joined to huge fanfare and expectation, failing to win a race so far.
A team and organisation of huge magnitude, Ferrari would have previously been able to utilise its financial clout compared to other teams to help mount a challenge.
But the cost cap, which was introduced five years ago, has helped to redress the monetary inequalities between the top and bottom of the grid.
Piero Ferrari, who has just turned 80, told La Gazzetta dello Sport that he believes it has contributed to being a barrier between Ferrari and rediscovering its past supremacy.
“I think it’s a matter of cycles,” he said. “F1 has always worked this way, and when you start a negative cycle, you don’t know when you’ll hit rock bottom.
“Today, it’s very complicated because you can’t spend more money to bridge the gaps, given the budget cap restrictions.
“You need to string together a series of winning factors to change course.”
However, Ferrari also conveyed his trust in the team to be successful again, saying that “these are cycles and as such they are destined to end and start over.”
Ferrari F1 squad maintains pride and ‘sense of belonging’
One thing that has not been truncated in modern F1 for Ferrari is the unity and spirit that permeates throughout the team.
When asked if it has the same soul and intent that it had when the team was created in 1929, Ferrari said that the personnel within its ranks are proud to represent such a prestigious and historic outfit.
“I think so,” he said. “The spirit is the same, just look at the employees: there’s a very strong sense of belonging.
“In Maranello, you see them still wearing their uniforms after work because being part of Ferrari is something of great value to those who work there.”
READ MORE – Why Charles Leclerc remains hopeful about Ferrari prospects despite 2025 F1 setback
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