From Amsterdam where the assemblies of CNH, FCA and Ferrari take place, Sergio Marchionne peremptorily denies the hypothesis of breaking the link that has existed for decades between the Rossa and Maranello, the historic headquarters of the Prancing Horse since 1943.
“Moving production from Maranello? We don't talk about it”, said the supermanager, answering questions from the shareholders present at the meeting and reassuring not only the employees of the Emilian plant but also thousands of loyal fans of the tradition.
The president of Ferrari confirmed the company's 2016 targets, after having recorded record accounts in 2015. During the first meeting of the Ferrari after the separation from FCA, Marchionne reiterated this year's objectives: net revenues above 2,9 2,85 billion euros (2015 billion in 770), adjusted Ebitda exceeding 748 million (2015 million in 1,95), net debt below 7.900 billion and deliveries of approximately XNUMX units. On the recent stock market tribulations, no worries: "the markets can have ups and downs, but Ferrari is able to weather the storms".
As regards the possible increase in volumes, the Prancing Horse will evaluate market demands but will remain faithful to the company policy based on quality and continued to date which has contributed to increasing Ferrari's reputation in the world: "We remain committed to maintaining the exclusivity of the brand and to maintain what Enzo Ferrari said of producing “one car less than what is required by the market”. “However – continued the chairman – we believe that Ferrari's demand is robust and growing and we will seize the opportunities offered to the market. If market conditions are adequate, we will evaluate whether to increase production volumes gradually and organically over the next few years".
Regarding the possibility of producing a hybrid car, Marchionne replied: “We are very committed to the hybrid. You've seen the work in Formula 1. A couple of years ago we produced a car that demonstrates that we can afford the high-tech hybrid.' The manager added that “in the medium and long term, electrification is also important for the car to be more environmentally acceptable. We have to look into the matter, but we will be able to dedicate ourselves to this sector".
Finally, two promises: “We promised you to earn more and win Formula 1. These are not negotiable things. I'll be in China on Sunday to attend the GP”. This last statement will certainly not leave the fans of the Reds indifferent, especially after the excellent results obtained by Raikkonen (first) and Vettel (second) in the free practice sessions in China.
Lastly, it should be noted that the elections for the new board of Ferrari were also held in today's meeting: Amedeo Felisa was re-elected with 99,12% of the votes in favour, a real plebiscite. Marchionne received the Yes of 90,36% of the shareholders, while three new non-executive directors who joined the board John Elkann was elected with 94,24%, his brother Lapo Elkann with 94,48% and Patrizia Grieco, the president of Enel, with 94,7%.
