- Ferrari
Arrivabene tries to provoke Ecclestone over fan access
Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene says he tried to provoke F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone into making changes by watching testing from the grandstands in Barcelona.
Arrivabene, who replaced Marco Mattiacci as team principal in November, was photographed sitting with reserve driver Esteban Gutierrez and sporting director Massimo Rivola among spectators during testing. The Italian said he had decided to do this to protest and raise awareness to a rumoured clampdown over fan access to the paddock at the Australian Grand Prix.
"Now I give you a big [headline]," Arrivabene said. "I heard that in Australia there will be more restrictions in terms of [fan] passes [for the pit-lane] and I think this is not acceptable. So I said to the guys 'OK, if we are going to have a situation where the paddock is going to be empty, it's better if we start training to go to the people and we sit in the grandstands'.
"I have to say it was a good experience because the people were very well-educated, we were with our headphones following the test. They were respectful, asking for pictures. It was a good experience and I hope to have others like this.
Arrivabene has a background in marketing and he thinks Formula One needs more similar actions in order to make the sport more inclusive to the fans.
"It was a kind of provocation but I love to do this kind of provocation. I said we need to take Formula One close to the people. We were sitting in the middle of the people. And I don't like to see now and in the future the paddock empty, it's not the right way."
"Nothing is decided yet but we have certain communication that the number of passes is going to be reduced. Normally when you have certain rumours in Formula One, they become reality. So I sit in the stands before it is becoming reality. Exclusivity doesn't mean having an empty paddock. This is my clear statement.
"I don't play golf but I watch it on television sometimes and it's one of the most exclusive sports. But when they play, you have thousands of people following the players. And this is not working against exclusivity of the sport."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
