Ben Sulayem: Only a matter of time until Ferrari win F1 titles again

The last time they did THE business was when Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen combined to win the 2008 F1 constructors' title for the Reds; the Finn their last F1 world champion, in 2007 - the year Lewis Hamilton was a rookie and Max Verstappen was a 10-year-old!

So hardly prophetic words by the FIA President, as the drought continues to this day and the "matter of time" he speaks about has been lengthy and dragged on far too long, with occasional mirages of success only serving to disappoint the perpetually suffering Tifosi.

This year - with new team principal Fred Vasseur taking over the helm, at Maranello, from departed Mattia Binotto - there will be inevitable turmoil that brings such change brings to any organisation, for Ferrari to make it happen will be a tough one.

Speaking on the fringes of the Dakar Rally in Saudi, F1i reported that Ben Sulayem touched on the topic of the absence of recent F1 titles for the Scuderia, starting with why Binotto was axed: "The decision was made on the basis of performance.

"When Ferrari won they had a lot of diversity, but it’s not about whether Italians are better than French or Germans. It’s about finding the right person. Even if all teams have the same engine and the same team boss, only one team can win in the end.

"Whether they have the right ingredients, no one knows except Ferrari itself but winning races and winning championships is not something new for Ferrari. It’s only a matter of time until they win again," declared Ben Sulayem of the sport's most famous and well-supported team.

In light of their potent rivals Red Bull and Mercedes, whatever way one looks at the season ahead for Ferrari, it will be a big ask for Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz to be the 2023 F1 World Champion or for the pair to combine to claim the F1 constructors' title.

On the occasion of his first year in charge as FIA President, Ben Sulayem posted the following on Twitter: