Arrivabene: If Ferrari win four I will run barefoot in Maranello hills

Ferrari Formula One team principal Maurizio Arrivabene has pledged to run for the hills barefoot if his drivers win four races this season but he does not expect that to happen despite promising signs in testing.

"Winning two races will be fine. Three will be perfect. Four and I will run barefoot on the hills of Maranello," the BBC quoted him as saying on the second day of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya on Friday.

Arrivabene, who took over as Ferrari boss in November, said the team had made progress but fighting for the title and beating champions Mercedes remained a tall order.

Ferrari were top in three of the four days in Jerez and second fastest on both days in Barcelona although times at this stage are less important than consistency and getting in plenty of laps.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo was fastest for Red Bull on Friday but only 0.010 quicker than Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen. While Ricciardo did 143 laps, Raikkonen completed 90.

Arrivabene stold media at the end of day two in barcelona, "My job is to rebuild the team, to create a calm environment and to ensure that the great determination I have seen in every member of the team is rewarded with results."

"I have never believed in such a thing as a winter championship: we have our feet on the ground. We have two fantastic drivers and they are also great friends and that can only benefit the whole team."

"I wish to underline yet again that the most important thing is for us all to pull together, with common goals and with the determination I saw in the eyes of those who were even at work on 24 and 31 December, in the Mechanical or Composites departments, to the backdrop of the sound of the engines rather than Jingle Bells."

"I have seen that there are exceptional people in Maranello and each one of them is making a contribution. However, it’s clear the car does not belong to any one person, it belongs to Ferrari and its people," concluded Arrivabene.