Ferrari have been part of Formula One since its very beginning, the only team to have raced in every single F1 season since 1950. They have seen periods of supreme success, tempered with seasons of lacklustre racing. Recent results would put them back near the top, but a return to the top of the championship standings eludes them. Fernando Alonso's departure at the end of 2014 meant a new partnership of Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel for the future.

F1 history

Scuderia Ferrari was founded by Enzo Ferrari in the late 1920s, originally as an Alfa Romeo works team in the early days of motorsport. After a disagreement with the car manufacturer, and following the interruption of a World War, Ferrari created the Scuderia running under his own name and began to race.

When the Formula One World Championship began in the 1950s, Ferrari were present. They missed the first race, but arrived in time for the Monaco Grand Prix that year. They have become the only team to participate in every single F1 season to date. Ferrari won their first race at Silverstone in 1951, and took the Constructor’s Championship in 1961, just four years after its inception. Since then, they have seen varying degrees of success but have ultimately become the face of Formula One.

Many famous names have been associated with the Scuderia, and many see the Italian team as the pinnacle of the sport – the team to aim for. They have won 16 Constructor’s Championships altogether, and 15 driver titles, with over 200 victories. The most memorable period for Ferrari came with the combination of boss Jean Todt, strategist Ross Brawn, and driver Michael Schumacher. The unprecedented success of the trio secured Ferrari six constructor titles in a row, and in 2004, Schumacher won 12 of the first 13 races, with 13 victories overall.

The success wasn’t always well received, and Schumacher remains one of the most controversial drivers in the sport. Claims of favouritism by the governing body towards the Scuderia didn’t help when a championship was on the line. Equally, the team themselves used team orders to their own detriment and gained a reputation for being ruthless in the pursuit of victory.

The dominance was broken in 2005, and since then Ferrari have struggled to regain their full form. Another championship was waiting for them with Kimi Räikkönen in 2007, and they secured the constructor’s championship the following season as well. With the strong partnership of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, the team started to see good results but have yet to repeat their championship wins. For 2014, Räikkönen returned to race alongside Alonso, and it was anticipated to be one of the strongest line ups of the year.

However, the team continued to struggle for pace and underperformed, frustrating the bosses and Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard left the team at the end of the year, to be replaced by Sebastian Vettel. The squad also underwent a significant reshuffle after the season ended, on top of changing team principals twice during the year. Luca di Montezemolo was replaced as president of Ferrari, with Sergio Marchionne coming in and making his presence felt.

Results were sporadically good, with Sebastian Vettel picking up three race victories throughout the season. The inconsistency of performance, and the lack of results on Räikkönen's side of the garage meant the team couldn't really take the fight to Mercedes, but they were the next best team by the time the season came to a close. Vettel and Kimi were retained for 2016 with Ferrari hoping to build on their momentum of the previous year.

Unfortunately, the results weren't as good as they hoped. The pair finished on the podium at various points throughout the year, but unlike in 2015, no wins were forthcoming. Partway through the season, the team parted company with James Allison, which left them without a decent strategy in terms of technical development. Sebastian Vettel found himself frustrated with a race seat that he'd had high hopes for, but ultimately has left him disappointed. He wrapped up his year with a third place podium finish, but it will hardly be enough to keep him happy going into 2017. He and Kimi Räikkönen remain on board for the 2017 season but once again, they are simply hoping the year will be better than the one before.

Learn more about Ferrari with the Pocket F1 Handbook.