Piero Ferrari: F1 works in cycles, but our spirit remains the same

Despite Ferrari not having won a Formula 1 title since 2008, when they sealed the Constructors’ crown with Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen, a year after Raikkonen delivered their last Drivers’ Championship in 2007, the Scuderia remains the most newsworthy team in sport.

Piero Lardi Ferrari, Enzo's only living son, who turned 80 in May, in an interview with Gazzetta, reflected on his father’s legacy since his passing on 14 August 1988, and the enduring values of the company: “What still amazes me today is the recognizability of our name.

"Travelling around the world, when people hear the name Ferrari, they say, ‘Like cars,’ and when I reply, ‘Yes, my father founded the company,’ they’re left speechless. It’s not just a famous brand, but a company that people have great respect and appreciation for.”

Reflecting on Ferrari’s lack of recent titles, Piero sees it as part of the sport’s natural rhythm: “I think it’s a question of cycles. F1 has always worked like this, and when you start a negative one, you don’t know when you’ll hit rock bottom.

"Today, it’s very complicated because you can’t spend more money to fill the gaps, given the limitations of the budget cap. You need to string together a series of winning aspects to change course.”

Yet despite the lack of titles, he insists the essence of the great Scuderia remains intact: “I think so. The spirit is the same, just look at the employees: there’s a very strong sense of belonging. In Maranello, you see them after work still in their uniforms, because being part of Ferrari, for those who work there, represents a value.”

Piero Ferrari recalled his childhood spent with his mother in Castelvetro, living a modest life surrounded by fields and animals while aware of his father’s unusual family circumstances: “My childhood was very simple I lived with my mother in Castelvetro. We had chickens, a field with cherries and apples… it was a life surrounded by nature.

"My family situation, the fact that my father had another wife and didn’t live with us, didn’t bother me at the time: at school everyone knew who he was, but no one asked questions," recalled Piero.

He credits his mother’s intelligence and strength for keeping the family together during an era when divorce was not legal and children born out of wedlock faced stigma: “She was a very intelligent woman who, out of love for me and our little family, was able to accept the situation.

"We’re talking about a time when divorce didn’t exist and when having a child out of wedlock was illegal. She was reserved, even in her relationship with Enzo: he came every day for lunch or dinner, but he didn’t stay long, and he rarely slept there. For me, however, it was normal; I had grown up around it, and it didn’t bother me," he revealed.

Asked what kind of man Enzo Ferrari was, Piero described him as a chameleon who adapted his tone and approach to every situation: “He knew how to change his attitude and manner of speaking depending on who he was talking to. Whether he was talking to a politician, an employee, or anyone else, he knew how to present himself in the right way. It was a skill I always admired.”

Ferrari senior was not one to lecture his son. Instead, Piero learned by watching: “Enzo never said to me: ‘Come here and I’ll explain how it’s done’ or ‘Come here and I’ll tell you how this story went,’ but I learned from what he did, from the way he worked, and from how he interacted with others, by observing him.”

He admits there are still questions he would have liked to ask, particularly about how his father navigated the most difficult moments of his life and career, such as leaving Alfa Romeo and building Ferrari during the war: “But he didn’t like to talk about it, especially the war; those were topics he never touched on.”

Piero also revealed a softer side of family life, recalling how he only learned about his half-brother Dino through a photograph given to him by Enzo after the death of his grandmother. Over the years, his own family has continued the motorsport connection, with one grandson, Enzo, now managing the Ferrari family trust, and the other, Piero, working in Formula 1 with FOM.

At 80, Piero Ferrari carries his father’s name into the future with a calm perspective on life and business: “I’ve learned to look at what life throws at me with less emotion. Not to get too caught up in problems, but also in the best moments. Trying to analyze things with a serenity that’s lacking when you’re younger.”