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Ferrari has long been considered a religion, with its Tifosi as devout to the Prancing Horse as they would be to a god-like entity.
This would make the leader of that marque a Papal figure and this week, Ferrari’s Pope has sadly passed away.
Sergio Marchionne, who assumed control of Ferrari in 2014, succumbed to complications from a shoulder surgery following a succession plan being put into place by Ferrari and the Fiat-Chrysler Automobile group of which he was at the head of.
Since taking the reigns of the Prancing Horse, the 66-year-old Italian born Canadian has restored the proud manufacturer to be a championship contending force in Formula One, with both the team and their driver Sebastian Vettel in pursuit of long-awaited titles.
A relentless and unforgiving approach, with which he achieved perhaps his greatest feat in brokering the acquisition of the fledgeling U.S automaker Chrysler by Fiat also in 2014, is what Ferrari needed following their horror start to Formula One’s hybrid-era.
Installing Maurizio Arrivabene as Team Principal, bringing Sebastian Vettel into the stable and promoting Mattia Binotto into the role of technical chief vacated by James Allison were just a few pieces of the puzzle that Marchionne sought to put together to restore Ferrari to being championship winners.
As well as harbouring change in the Scuderia itself, Marchionne orchestrated the Alfa Romeo deal with Sauber for this season with the ambition to see the Italian marque represented in Formula One as a works outfit.
This was all part of a controversial concept of turning Formula One into a manufacturer’s sport completely and he also formed a political partnership with Mercedes-Benz to oppose the sport’s new owners and their intentions to simplify the engine rules for 2021.
Coming off the back of a heartbreaking German Grand Prix, in which Vettel at his home race crashed out of an unassailable lead and lost the lead of the championship, the death of Marchionne will only sting the Scuderia further.
The race in Budapest this weekend now will hold greater significance to Ferrari, with a win or a one-two finish perhaps to hold more purpose than the championship itself in the immediate short term.
1988 saw Ferrari achieve a fitting result to pay tribute to their namesake himself, who passed away a month before the Italian Grand Prix at the Tifosi’s cathedral of Monza. Gerhard Berger led teammate Michele Alboreto to the Prancing Horse’s only win in a season dominated by McLaren and to one of the marque’s best of their 232-wins in Formula One.
While the Hungaroring is no Monza, it is a circuit at which Ferrari have experienced a raft of emotion. 2015’s Hungarian Grand Prix was the first race following the tragic news of the passing of Jules Bianchi; a driver destined to race for the Scuderia, and the victory from Vettel that day was dedicated to their fallen companion.
As far as form is concerned, last year’s domination from Ferrari highlighted that the Hungaroring is a venue at which the red team has now got the upper hand over its rivals in Silver.
In the present day, Ferrari now have the best car on the grid and despite Lewis Hamilton’s miraculous win at Hockenheim, there will be more than just Shell fuel powering the heart of the two SF71Hs this weekend.
A victory coming the end of the 70-lap grand prix will not only be a fitting tribute to the great leader that Marchionne was, but will ultimately be a testament to his changes implemented at Ferrari during his short but significant tenure.
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