Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne says singling out team principal Maurizio Arrivabene or technical director Mattia Binotto for the Formula 1 team’s recent poor performance would be “idiotic”.
A first-lap crash ended both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen’s race in Singapore, followed by engine trouble at Malaysia and Japan derailed Ferrari’s hopes in both championships.
Mercedes clinched the constructors’ title at Austin while Vettel now trails Lewis Hamilton by 66 points with 75 remaining after finishing runner up to the Mercedes driver at the Circuit of the Americas.
When asked if there was a chance Arrivabene would be replaced by Binotto following the team’s failure this year, Marchionne said: “No. Both Mattia and Maurizio have been involved in this process.
“Picking one or the other is a bit idiotic.
“They were both at the table when the operation was going on and technically I’m involved too, I was the chairman.
“But that’s not going to solve the issue. We need to win, that’s the more important thing.
“I don’t think it’s attributable to a single guy. Processes may have not helped and those things are being addressed.”
Marchionne previously said Ferrari had paid the price for “ignoring” quality control, with the team subsequently drafting in Maria Mendoza from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to reorganise that department.
But speaking to reporters at the US Grand Prix, Marchionne insisted the move would not spark a series of personnel changes and insisted “I don’t think we need to overhaul the team”.
He added: “The things that have happened in the last three Asia races have really been a collection of the most unfortunate events.
“With the exception of the technical failures we’ve had, which are quality driven, everything else was just a fluke and it happened.
“The likelihood of us repeating those errors is hopefully very small.
“We’ve made one change to the organisation by bringing in someone who’s got experience on the quality side to try and strengthen our skills.
“The rest of it I think is within the way in which we manage.
“We’ll be alright, I don’t think we need to overhaul the team, I don’t think we need to make changes.
“This team knows how to win and knows how to get it done, just give them the space.”