Ferrari remain hopeful that they can continue their engine partnership with customer team Sauber next season when the sport switches to V6 engines.
The Swiss outfit hit some financial difficulties earlier this month which resulted in them defaulting on some debts, Ferrari’s included. Media reports suggested Ferrari threatened to pull its supply if it wasn’t paid.
However, a new financial package from three Russian investors has secured Sauber’s future, and Stefano Domenicali is positive a new deal will be agreed.
“With regards to the second supplier things are progressing very well,” he said. “We want to keep working with Sauber and hopefully very soon we will formally clarify the situation with them. That’s the intention.”
At present, Ferrari is the only manufacturer to have not released images or audio of its new V6 turbo-charged engine, but the Italian denied they’re behind their rivals in development and says the photos Mercedes and Renault have released are purely for marketing purposes.
“On the engine side we believe that what’s been put out from our competitors is an interesting marketing exercise, but I can guarantee to you that the pictures that we’ve seen are not the pictures of the engine that will be on the cars next year. If you want we can bet!
“We are going ahead with our programme and it’s tight for everyone. From the engineering point of view it is really a great challenge, and so that is the approach that our people at Maranello are having with this project.”
Ferrari has just one confirmed customer for 2014 in the form of Marussia.
Discussion about this post