Music and Ferrari, two worlds that, defying appearances, have some extent of contact: they form magnificence and create feelings. Piero Fusaro, an engineer born in 1938, cultivated the primary as a interest (“I had the fortune of listening stay to nice performers like Furtwangler and Celibidache, for a few years I subscribed to the season of the Nationwide Symphony Orchestra of Turin and the Unione Musicale”) and the second by combining ardour with career. A big a part of Ferrari’s historical past right now—because of the years which have handed—is a bit blurry, however it deserves to be revisited, as a result of yesterday’s Ferrari additionally helps us perceive and admire right now’s Ferrari.
Right here is his full interview for Italian every day newspaper Tuttosport:
Engineer Piero Fusaro, you first entered Ferrari in 1975. What was your impression?
“To start with, let’s say that I’ve at all times been keen about racing and Ferrari specifically, so when, across the center of 1975, Engineer Ferrari referred to as me to summon me, fortunately I used to be sitting down, in any other case I’d have fallen to the bottom. I rushed to Ferrari, after all, I used to be obtained by the Engineer for lunch, we spent a few great hours, and my impression was that the respect and nice admiration I had for that man had been totally confirmed, after which the primary impressions had been confirmed over time, we grew to become superb buddies, he referred to as me day by day to ask me to lunch, together with Saturdays and Sundays. Ferrari was a small firm, with about 1,500 workers, and at the moment, it had some issues as a result of they’d launched the 308 GT4, the primary automotive made with out Pininfarina’s design (signed by Bertone, ed.), and it was a automotive that had gross sales issues initially; in actuality, it was a beautiful, easy-to-drive automotive. I virtually lived alongside Enzo Ferrari for 5 years, respiratory the historical past of motorsport.”
What was your relationship like with Mauro Forghieri?
“Improbable, furthermore, we had been neighbors, and on Sunday afternoons, we regularly met with our households. Modenese persons are great to me as a result of they’re nice employees, however additionally they know how you can stay nicely, so we’d meet and say ‘Shall we’ve got dinner collectively tonight?’ and sometimes on Sunday night, we dined with wives and kids. An awesome man, Forghieri, he was somebody who spoke his thoughts, a particularly honest individual. One incontrovertible fact that hasn’t at all times come out within the newspapers is that certainly one of Engineer Ferrari’s nice insights was to create a crew with three elementary elements: the primary was to care for the event of the automotive of the second, and that was accomplished by Rocchi, the second handled meeting and engine improvement and automotive meeting, entrusted to Engineer Bussi, and the third labored on the event of the automotive of the long run, entrusted to Forghieri. So Ferrari had divided the Sporting Administration into three predominant sectors, after which Forghieri, in addition to specializing in the long run, additionally took care of no matter he needed, it was inevitable, he was made that manner.”
In 1988, after the dying of the Engineer, you had been appointed president of Ferrari. How did the decision come?
“I used to be summoned by Lawyer Agnelli, who instructed me, ‘Look Fusaro, Ferrari at all times instructed me that you need to have been his successor.’ Sadly, Ferrari handed away, so I’m calling you to be president of Ferrari.”
An indication of the mutual respect between Ferrari and Agnelli?
“Sure, there was excessive respect between the 2, in spite of everything, Lawyer Agnelli was an unbelievable admirer of those lovely and high-performance automobiles, and on the identical time, Ferrari was an awesome connoisseur of vehicles, he even knew the event of Fiat automobiles and generally would voice his opinion.”
Your presidency was a bit sophisticated, at the very least from a sports activities perspective.
“It’s true, and it’s proper to separate the 2 elements. My presidency, from an industrial perspective, was an infinite success, as a result of once I left Ferrari, the online value was nearly equal to the turnover, and the online monetary place was half of the turnover, so it was an organization full of cash and in addition had unbelievable profitability, I’d say monumental, I imagine they nonetheless don’t have web revenue percentages on the stability sheet as excessive as these, after all, when in comparison with the worldwide numbers, that are very totally different. From a sports activities perspective, once I returned to Ferrari as president, the racing crew was a really well-balanced, well-formed crew, with nice technicians and nice drivers, and I requested Cesare Fiorio to come back, not as a result of a Sporting Director was obligatory, however as a result of I assumed, having recognized Fiorio for years, that I had appointed him as director of Abarth, he may convey his information of rules, their administration, managing the individuals who adopted FIA rules, and managing drivers. In any other case, there was nothing wanted, actually, as quickly as Fiorio arrived at Ferrari, after a couple of days, we received the Brazilian Grand Prix with Mansell.”
It was a stunning victory.
“Sure, I didn’t anticipate it both, as a result of it was the primary steps of the well-known computerized gearbox, so there was a studying curve simply starting, and we weren’t even certain we’d end the race. Let me make a joke: Fiorio, together with his ‘savior’ syndrome, instantly took the credit score for the victory. It’s true he was there, however the credit score additionally goes to the others who made the automotive and developed it, and certainly, that yr we received different races, not many, however we received others as a result of we had reliability issues with the gearbox. Then, lastly, in 1990, the automotive took off, and we nearly received each the drivers’ and constructors’ titles, if not for the well-known accident with Senna at Suzuka. So, from a sports activities perspective, I don’t wish to take credit score, however I imagine I labored throughout the framework that Ferrari had set, which means a crew at stage, bringing it to the verge of successful the world title, with out my benefit, all of the credit score goes to the crew, the mechanics within the pits, the engineers, and the drivers.”
I don’t wish to revisit the Senna-Ferrari affair because you’ve clarified it a number of occasions. As an alternative, I ask you: how did Prost handle to get confirmed by Lawyer Agnelli?
(Laughs) “To grasp the way it went, you must know Prost and Lawyer Agnelli nicely. The Lawyer didn’t refuse conferences, he was a cosmopolitan man, an awesome character, a prince who would grant an viewers when somebody requested to satisfy him. In fact, if a ‘baluba’ (a tough, insignificant individual, ed.) tried, they needed to undergo a number of filters that will cease them, but when it was Prost, they might say ‘Lawyer, Prost desires to see you,’ and Agnelli would instantly say, ‘The place is he? Outdoors?’ Perhaps at that second, you journalists knew much more in regards to the negotiation with Senna than I did, the identical rumors reached Prost, and for him, it was straightforward to go to Agnelli and get affirmation for the next yr. Nonetheless, I nonetheless wish to make clear what occurred afterward, as a result of my model was confirmed on the time by Cesare Romiti to Carlo Cavicchi, who had interviewed me.
Prost introduced to the world that his contract was confirmed, Agnelli didn’t deny it, and we accepted the state of affairs, I don’t see what we may have accomplished in another way, as a result of Agnelli was the proprietor of Fiat and Ferrari, and he wasn’t confirming simply anybody, Prost was a champion who had already received three world titles and was about to win his fourth with Ferrari. To not point out the well-known contract that Fiorio later waved round, you’ll be able to’t even name it a pre-contract or a letter of intent, as a result of it lacked some elementary components.”
In what sense?
“On Senna’s facet, the whole lot was clear, it was Ayrton Senna, with handle and the whole lot obligatory, on Ferrari’s facet, there was by no means the GS SA, if Senna had signed that contract, he would have signed it with nobody, as a result of there was the GSA SA (Sporting Administration Vehicle with shares) and never GS.”
There’s a photograph of you talking to the press in Jerez, in 1990. The week earlier than, Mansell had received at Estoril, and initially, he pushed Prost towards the wall, and that victory by Mansell in all probability value Prost the World Championship. Do you suppose that title would have modified historical past?
“Sure, completely, and I’m additionally satisfied that we misplaced the championship at Estoril greater than because of the accident with Senna at Suzuka. I’m certain successful that championship would have modified historical past. Successful a World Championship is one thing that adjustments the lives of everybody, the title had been lacking since 1979, and it will have been successful within the Ferrari wave, in continuity with Ferrari, and for me, it will have been essential, in addition to for Ferrari and the Ferrari followers. That might have been the final championship received by Ferrari below Enzo Ferrari.”
What’s your reminiscence of Senna?
“I had little or no contact with Senna, only a few handshakes, I can’t say I knew him. What I can say from the skin is that he was one of many best drivers of all time, he marked the historical past of motorsport, he was a selected character, combining his extraordinary ability as a driver with unbelievable mysticism, he had a really pronounced spirituality, maybe that’s additionally why—now I’m exaggerating—his transcendence, he was a unprecedented man. A implausible driver but in addition an awesome man, a person of thought.”
Fiorio’s departure from Ferrari in 1991 left everybody shocked, contemplating the timing and method wherein it occurred.
“In actuality, nothing notably occurred, in 1991, I left as a result of I hadn’t received the World Championship in three years, and I assumed it was proper to resign from Ferrari, particularly since there have been divisions throughout the firm that I didn’t like, and the identical could be mentioned for Fiorio. At that time, Ferrari was really being managed by an govt committee, I had a powerful voice, however so did Romiti and Montezemolo, and it was thought that maybe it was higher to start out over as a result of the connection with Prost was turning into a bit strained (he can be dismissed after the Japanese GP, the penultimate race of the yr, ed.), I’d say it was nearly the pure finish of an exhausted relationship. And so far as I’m involved, whereas the years spent with Ferrari had been great, the final three years as president had been robust, evidently, there have been others who didn’t suppose I needs to be Ferrari’s successor. If Prost had received, they wouldn’t have come to congratulate me for the victory, however they might have requested me why Mansell didn’t end.”
Now Hamilton is arriving at Ferrari, at 40 years previous. Is it too late?
“For Hamilton, it wouldn’t be too late even at 80 years previous, he’s a driver I am keen on, he’s actually one of many final nice drivers, though I don’t know his means to arrange a automotive. If I take a look at him from the skin, very coldly, I’ve to say Hamilton is making an awesome deal, however in all probability Ferrari can also be making an awesome deal as a result of perhaps he’s good at tuning the automotive, and he’s nonetheless a implausible driver. He’s a particularly critical individual, he will likely be an added worth for the crew; one may say that the nice deal is made by him, as a result of ending a profession like his at Ferrari isn’t any small factor, however I’m certain he’ll make an awesome contribution.”
It’s proof that Ferrari’s attract remains to be sturdy, even for a driver who has received a lot.
“I imagine Ferrari’s attract stays and can stay unchanged over time. There isn’t a nice driver who doesn’t dream of successful with Ferrari, and even when they don’t win, they nonetheless go away with a sort of lifetime insurance coverage certificates.”
Do you want right now’s Method 1?
“I’ll let you know, within the final Grand Prix, I fell asleep initially and wakened on the end, right now’s F1 bores me a bit, the present guidelines make it too boring, these steady ‘below investigation’ messages that seem, come on… There are episodes which have at all times been a part of racing. I’m not saying it needs to be like in my time, when the industrial director, as a result of he was the one who knew English, would go all over the world amassing driver corpses, however these had been totally different occasions, now they’ve made tracks safer, they’ve made the cockpits extraordinarily secure, however let these drivers struggle a bit. If somebody places their wheels a centimeter off the road, they get penalized, these monitor limits are insufferable, similar to many of the ‘below investigation.’”
Since you’re keen on music, I’ll say: Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. Which drivers do you affiliate them with?
“Ah, you’ve put me up towards three giants of music. Bach is Fangio, Mozart is Senna, and Beethoven (a few seconds of hesitation, ed.) is Hamilton.”
As a Torinese, how did you expertise the 2006 Olympics?
“I’ve an awesome reminiscence of it, a lovely one, as a result of for Turin, it was a unprecedented alternative that modified the face of town. I’m sorry for the exclusion from the 2026 Video games, the Olympics are at all times an enormous fortune for a metropolis, a chance for improvement. The legacy that Lawyer Agnelli left to Turin with the Video games was a stroke of luck for town, in spite of everything, the which means of the Olympics can also be to make structural investments that impression the city cloth and final over time.”
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