President Napolitano visits Ferrari in Maranello

19.03.2009 / Maranello / Today was a very special day at Ferrari. The President of the Republic of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, came to Modena for an official visit and went to see the Ferrari Works in Maranello in the afternoon. Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo, Vice President Piero Ferrari, CEO Amedeo Felisa and Stefano Domenicali, Head of the Scuderia, welcomed the President.

Napolitano visited the mechanics department, the wind tunnel and the new assembly lines before he was shown around the Fiorano race track, where he was greeted by Felipe Massa, Kimi Raikkonen, the Scuderia's technicians and a group of workers: one of them, Gaetano Romeo (bodywork, Carrozzeria Scaglietti), had the honour to greet the President with a short speech. Napolitano spoke to the members of the Team and went to see the Ferrari F60 at the box at Fiorano, before he went on the track on board a 612 Scaglietti with a very special team: Montezemolo behind the wheel and Kimi and Felipe in the back.

Before the President left Maranello for Rome he had a private meeting with Montezemolo for about 20 minutes.

Ferrari welcomed Italy's Head of State Giorgio Napolitano with a speech of Gaetano Romeo, representing the Company's men and women: "I am 22 years old and I work at the bodyworks department. My department is also known as Scaglietti; we're producing the Ferrari Gran Turismo chassis, for the 8 and 12 cylinders. I'm from Calabria, but I moved to Modena with my parents when I was a very young boy. About two years ago I started working for Ferrari, building the cars I've always loved. Your visit here in Maranello makes us all very proud, because we know how much attention you pay to the world of labour.

This is why I want your visit to be a good omen for all of those who are in a difficult situation in Italy. Your visit here makes us at Ferrari even more aware of the importance of our work, not only for the Company, but for our country. We know very well that our GT cars and the Formula 1 single-seaters are considered an Italian symbol all over the world. And we hope that you, representing the Italians, are satisfied with our work. I can assure you that we all, men and women at Ferrari, who work here every day, are proudly wearing the Italian flag. I think that pride, passion and commitment are the base of every good work.

Let me finish with a wish and I think you want to join in: that in 2009 Ferrari and Italy will be at the top of the world."

President Napolitano, receiving a model of the F2008 World Champion car, replied: "The pride you feel I feel myself for Ferrari. I've done this visit here out of an egoistic impulse, because I wanted to see a workplace like this, advanced technology and great human resources. There are also great motives of confidence and personal encouragement in my own work, which is a bit different from yours, but I think we've got the same confidence in Italy. The same love and the same will to work together to pass this difficult moment and open new doors of development for all those who still don't work in our country."

"I think that Ferrari can say that working together and uniting our strength is what we believe in every day," Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo said at the meeting with the Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, visiting the Works in Maranello. "We really do admire you and we've always admired also your constant call for the country to unite its strength and to work together to create what we call team spirit. We've always tried to carry it ahead thanks to passionate people, who know how to work and who know how to compete on the market and on the race track. That Ferrari has won eight Championships over the last ten years it's thanks to exceptional men behind exceptional results, men who never gave up, who never rested, who always new what to do."

During the President's visit Montezemolo was asked to comment again the political situation in Formula 1 after the latest decision of the FIA World Council: "I really think it's absurd, severe and dangrous that one week before the first Grand Prix Formula 1 is in such a situation, which is very bad for its credibility, its security, the teams, the car manufacturers, the fans, the journalists and the sponsors who invest. I hope for a responsabile climate, which has been started by us, the teams, with a cost reduction of 50%. It's important to have a serene climate and to avoid continuous changes, creating uncertainty for those who work and making decisions for the future difficult."