Ferrari launches itself into a new challenge: it enters the world of sailing. A new project is born, a great challenge that originates from the passion for sailing of its president, John Elkann, but which aims to fuel his innovative drive.
Having closed Giovanni Soldini's relationship with Maserati, the Stellantis brand, increasingly led by the Alps, Elkann proposed to the expert Milanese navigator a new adventure in which Ferrari could express the best of its technology without regulatory constraints in the conception, engineering and testing of a sailing boat which will aim to seek maximum performance on the sea and concrete solutions for sustainability.
If Mercedes with Ineos and Red Bull with Oracle have been involved in the sailing America's Cup for some time, Ferrari could take another useful direction to open up research fronts which could then also be useful in a racing and automotive field.
John Elkann, Ferrari president, said: “We are about to embark on an exciting journey that will broaden our racing soul. With this new competitive challenge, motivated by our innovative capacity and commitment to sustainability, we will push ourselves beyond the current boundaries. We are happy to be able to count on Giovanni, extraordinary for his experience, determination and team spirit.” Giovanni Soldini, therefore, becomes the team principal of an ambitious project: “I am excited to start a new adventure with Ferrari. We are working on an important and cutting-edge project with astonishing technological potential that brings together different worlds and very high-level skills. Participating in the research and development of innovative and planet-friendly solutions with an exceptional team is truly a unique experience.”
Navigator Soldini is an expert in attempting to break the records of the major regattas in the world, but Giovanni is missing perhaps the most prestigious one, namely the Jules Verne Trophy. What is it about? Of the prize for whoever circumnavigates the world under sail the fastest.
There are no rules or restrictions either on the boat or on the crew, only the route is set for 21,600 miles, starting from the line that connects the lighthouse of Ouessant (France) to that of Cape Lizard (Great Britain, rounding the three classic leaders of Good Hope (South Africa), Leeuwin (Australia) and Horn ((Argentina), before returning to square one.
We expect a boat with foils capable of expressing the technological knowledge of the Cavallino: we would not be surprised, therefore, that faces from Sports Management could be involved in the project who, partially, could be detached from the F1 activity, to reduce costs of the Budget Cap without losing professionalism that could otherwise end up on the market.
Ferrari would align itself with the strategies that its opponents have been exploiting for years, regardless of the fact that the FIA wants to avoid with the TD45, a directive issued in 2023 which will come into force this year, the possibility of there being a transfer of intellectual property between F1 and collateral activities and vice versa without control.
The constraints, for now, should concern the movement of personnel and not the fruits of research: any solutions tested in sailing, therefore, could be sold free of charge or at a symbolic cost to F1.
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