Ferrari to make changes after engine failures

[October 03, 2017]  MILAN (Reuters) - Ferrari will make changes to improve the quality of components after both of the Formula One team's cars suffered engine failures in Malaysia at the weekend, chairman Sergio Marchionne said on Monday.

Title contender Sebastian Vettel lined up in last place after problems in qualifying while team mate Kimi Raikkonen was set to be on the front row of the grid but was ruled out before the start.

The problems came after both Ferrari drivers had collided and retired at the start of the Singapore Grand Prix two weeks earlier.

"The fact that yesterday both the Ferraris could have beaten everybody is undisputed," Marchionne told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Rovereto, northern Italy. "It was also the case in Singapore.

"Without external factors, those cars would have been first and second. And that's very positive."

Marchionne said the current team was still comparatively young and finding its way, after a restructuring last year, even if Ferrari had been around for 70 years. And components needed to be better.

"We are addressing the entire chain to impose different standards," he said.

"It's one thing breaking an engine on the (test) bench at home but it really looks bad when you have to be pushed off the grid (before the formation lap) from second place, it's enough to make you pull your hair out."

 Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne arrives before the race REUTERS/Max Rossi

Dutch 20-year-old Max Verstappen won in Malaysia for Red Bull while Lewis Hamilton finished second for Mercedes to increase his championship lead over Vettel to 34 points with five races remaining.

Hamilton won in Singapore.

(Writing by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Ken Ferris)

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