Sebastian Vettel has admitted the impact of Sergio Marchionne’s sudden death in July was a “big loss” to Ferrari.
The former chairman was largely credited for the work he had done along with Maurizio Arrivabene to revive the Scuderia as a major force in Formula 1, taking the fight to Mercedes since the start of 2017.
However, following an illness, Marchionne would die from complications post shoulder surgery and just days after being replaced by new chairman John Elkann and CEO Louis Camilleri.
“The passing of our chairman, Mr Marchionne obviously had an impact and was tough,” Vettel admitted.
“I think it’s up to us to look into every single detail and make sure we come out as a stronger group, enabling us to build a stronger package for next year and for the future.”
Ferrari had been leading both championships until that point but a combination of errors by both team and driver and the improvement of Mercedes after the summer break saw the German manufacturer romp to a fifth consecutive Drivers’ and Constructors’ success.
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Vettel went on, explaining how the Italian team had tried to continue business as usual following Marchionne’s passing.
“The day-to-day business continued, I think people knew what was their job and knew what to do, but surely it wasn’t easy for us,” he claimed.
“I think we tried to continue in the best mental matter we could and tried to do our job. I think that’s probably what he would have liked to see.
“He was giving us always a lot of pressure, but also there to help us and guide us.
“It was a big loss, but I think as a team we tried to respond and just to continue, respecting him and his legacy.”