Dear Mr. Marchionne,

You’re a busy man. You’re head of several companies, one of which is Ferrari. The corporation Ferrari, that is. Do you know what you’re not head of? Scuderia Ferrari. That job belongs to Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene and I think this team would be running a whole lot better if you just let him run it.

Do you realise how uncomfortable it is to work in a place where you are constantly worrying about losing your job? Where any little slip up has you looking over your shoulder for a replacement? It doesn’t make for a good atmosphere, I can tell you that much. We can’t seem to go a whole season without some kind of rumour cropping up about team principals being replaced or how further contracts can’t be discussed until people improve their performance. Newsflash: thinly veiled threats and taunts are not usually very effective motivators.

We’re two races into this new season and you’re already making comments about how Kimi Raikkonen needs to improve. Number 1: he’s not an idiot, I’m sure he’s well aware of the fact that he should be fighting at the front with his teammate. Number 2: this is coming off the back of a race where the team effectively compromised him. They chose data over his own feedback. Had the team pitted him when he first started complaining about the tyres, maybe things would have been different. Number 3: Raikkonen has never been one to work well against adversity. If he doesn’t feel backed by a team, he’ll lose interest and under-perform. In other words, this is incredibly counterproductive on your part.

At the start of this season, I’ve seen a very happy, comfortable and optimistic Kimi Raikkonen. The team is in a good place and I believe they have the capacity for a great atmosphere and passion that will bring top results from both drivers. So long as you stop applying unnecessary pressure and casting a shadow over everyone. You’re like the little dark cloud that appears over people’s heads in cartoons. And 80% of the time it’s raining on Kimi Raikkonen.

Just let the man do his job. We’re two races into the season. It’s like we’ve already forgotten what a great year he had last year. Sometimes it takes him a little while to get into his stride but you know what’s not going to help with that? Telling him to pull his finger out. He’s been in F1 for nearly 15 years. Hell, he’s been a Ferrari driver longer than you’ve been they’re CEO! And he’s still the team’s last champion. So maybe cut him – and the entire team – some slack and let them work through it the way they are most comfortable.

In the words of the man himself: just leave him alone, he knows what to do.

Regards,

A Fan Who Wants To See This Team Fight For the Championship and Not Collapse Under Managerial Pressures