“We are all Ferrari fans” – The sport’s stars on the enduring appeal of F1’s great team

F1 history

Posted on

| Written by

Past Ferrari Formula 1 drivers, staff and great names from the sport’s history have contributed to a collection of 25 exclusive paintings celebrating the sport’s most famous team.

“Ferrari in Art: The Sporting Legacy”, created by artist Mark Dickens and motorsport photographer Keith Sutton, was revealed in a special event at the Royal Automobile Club last month. Former Ferrari team principal Ross Brawn was among those present at the launch of “Ferrari in Art”, along with Enzo Ferrari’s former personal assistant Brenda Vernor.

The original pieces are intended for sale to a single buyer. However a limited-edition box set of signed prints of the collection is also being made available for sale.

The artwork includes 125 new, handwritten quotes from notable figures in the team’s history, including some of their current rivals. The producers have kindle allowed RaceFans to reproduce a selection of quotes from some of the most famous names associated with the team including both its current drivers Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc:

Tricolore, emotion, passion, heritage and high tech. At the end we are all Ferrari fans!
Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal

I have been a huge admirer of Enzo Ferrari since my childhood. Enzo went racing to build and sell road cars. I’ve raced Ferrari’s and won! I am a very proud owner of a few beautiful Ferrari’s. I love driving them and there is always a magic when you fire up a V12!
Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 2012

Fue un sueño que nunca sucedió…..i Grazie!

Forza Ferrari!
Fernando Alonso, Ferrari F1 Driver 2010–2014

It was a dream that never happened… thank you!

Forever Ferrari!

Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free

Ferrari, the myth, the legend, the engine. As difficult to understand from the inside as it is from the outside. No other Formula 1 team carried the history, the passion nor the romance that this great team does. It is a machine that consumes you. It is a family that embraces and protects you.

It was an honour to have played my tiny part in its magnificent history. An honour to have shared in the incredible successes of the majestic rossa and her incredible men and women.

Formula 1 will evolve and grow. The world of motor racing will adapt and change. Ferrari will always be at its centre as the proud, red, beating heart.
Rob Smedley, race engineer for Felipe Massa at Ferrari 2006–13

Ferrari stands for so much more than fast cars. Ferrari is a way of life, it stands for passions and is a living legend fed by people working for Ferrari and those dreaming of Ferrari.

You don’t know what I mean? I hope you get the chance to take a seat inside a Ferrari and you’ll know immediately.
Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari F1 Driver 2015 – present

Ferrari has always been a dream since child. This team has so much history in F1 and to be now part of it in only my second Formula 1 season is beyond everything I had dream of.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari F1 driver 2018

Bernie Ecclestone, 2018

My first meeting with Mr Ferrari was strange; because of his lack of English and my lack of Italian. But, with the help of Mr [Franco] Gozzi, we managed very well and became close, probably because he trusted me, and I trusted him.

Even when we had the FOCA/FIA war, behind the wall, he supported me. Although he always referred to the English teams as garage people, he had big respect for Colin Chapman of Lotus. He liked people to think that he supported the FIA as that was the legal establishment but was always happy with the deal that we closed together.

I really miss this real gentleman, Mr Ferrari. He could be relied on to do what he promised.
Bernie Ecclestone, Former CEO of Formula One Management

Ferrari – what can you say about Ferrari?

Iconic, legendary and amazing are just a few things we can all say.

To be in Formula 1 from the start and remain through good and bad times is what makes Ferrari so special and unique.

Forza Ferrari!
Charlie Whiting, FIA F1 race director, safety delegate, Permanent Starter and head of the F1 Technical Department

Pictures: Ferrari in Art – The Sporting Legacy

Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free

2019 F1 season

Browse all 2019 F1 season articles

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.

24 comments on ““We are all Ferrari fans” – The sport’s stars on the enduring appeal of F1’s great team”

  1. I guess that justifies the extra $73 million LST payment then…

    1. @gpfacts – nice one, sometimes the perfect punchline needs a day to age :)

    2. Biskit Boy (@sean-p-newmanlive-co-uk)
      4th March 2019, 12:18

      Er no, but I suspect you are being sarcastic anyway.

      F1 purports to be a sport. How can favouring a team like this be sport?

      Its not like appearance money in other sports because the advantage of the extra money is so direct. Don’t get me wrong I love Ferrari but this is unfair.

      Come on F1 you are not a crooked cartel, clean up your act and stop this favouritism!

      1. Biskit Boy (@sean-p-newmanlive-co-uk)
        4th March 2019, 12:19

        I forgot to say I believe Ferrari’s ‘loyalty’ is for selfish reasons. In the past they have threatened to quit whenever things didn’t go their way.

      2. Come on F1 you are not a crooked cartel

        Yeah right

      3. F1 is a business first. Imagine if soccer teams could play in any league they wanted. When fictional League A tries to convince teams to join them over League B, do you think Real Madrid, Barcelona and Man United to name a few, would be offered the same package as Burnley and Watford? Of course not, the teams with marquee value will be given a sweeter deal. That’s called good business.

        1. @velocityboy This is the same sort of justification used to make poor undead seacaptains who cut their hearts out out of heartbrake kill their pet Kraken- shame good sir knight

        2. Biskit Boy (@sean-p-newmanlive-co-uk)
          6th March 2019, 12:57

          What utter rubbish. The top football teams get money based on their success. If Watford could beat Barcelona they would be worth the money too. If you have to buy loyalty then its not really loyalty at all!

  2. While I don’t necessarily agree with the level of payment Ferrari receives I think someone summed it up well as a sponsorship deal. Ask anyone about F1, especially casual viewers and they normally mention Ferrari

    That sort of association does work both ways but you see the Ferrari effect everywhere in grandstands, merchandise and media.

    All teams should be equal but Ferrari have always been special and maybe they have earnt it…

    1. Sonny Crockett
      4th March 2019, 13:22

      People normally mention Manchester United when they talk about the Premier League. It doesn’t result in United getting a larger portion of the Sky TV money nor any additional payment from the Premier League.

  3. At $0.584 million per quote, these 125 quotes would justify the $73 million LST.

  4. My understanding has always been that Ferrari remains the only entrant to have been in every F1 race since its creation. Mercedes, Renault, Honda, Toyota, Alfa Romeo have all come and gone and come back again when it suited them and left when it suited them. All these teams also run factory based outfits in other sporting arenas from touring cars to engine suppliers for other series. Ferrari does none of this. Ferrari run 1 factory outfit and that is F1. Bernie did recognise that when the last concorde agreement ended and the big teams threatened a breakaway (Ferrari included in this) Bernies first task was to sort out Ferrari’s loyalty to F1 cos where they go the others will follow. Yes the payment they get needs to be trimmed but if there is a payment to be made for loyalty to the sport they will still top this chart because no one else has had the dedication to the sport they have.

    1. It depends how pedantic you want to be. They’ve raced in every world championship season but not in every world championship race. They weren’t in the first world championship race (Silverstone 1950). Alfa Romeo were, so they could claim to pre-date Ferrari in the world championship, though they’ve been absent from hundreds more races in the intervening period.

  5. I updated the Toto Wolff quote for you: in the end we’re all Ferrari fans, unless you’re British.

    1. Melchior (@)
      5th March 2019, 10:38

      I updated the Toto quote saying ;in the end we’re all Ferrari fans,while Merc is winning

  6. Duncan Snowden
    4th March 2019, 15:12

    Speak for yourself, Toto. Forza Minardi!

  7. All the teams benefit from Ferrari’s presence. Without them, the stands would be 90% empty.

    1. NEWS ALERT:
      Flood in maranello from Sebastian Vettel crying. Ferrari stating it’s the fault of all the other teams.

  8. “At the end, we are all Ferrari fans.”

    At the end, I might be. In the meantime, I’ll just enjoy their hapless display of incompetence for another decade.

  9. Daniel Sherman
    4th March 2019, 16:42

    “At the end, we are all Ferrari fans.”

    Yea, I don’t think so. I’m about as far away from a Ferrari fan as you can get, and I really dislike “Ferrari fans” in general.

    1. Heh, never been a Ferrari fan, and I’ve been in a conflicted place the last few years with them running my favourite two drivers :)

  10. It amazes me how much crap can get out of Toto’s mouth.

Comments are closed.