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Sergio Marchionne has said that Ferrari cannot afford to waste any more time after a difficult first half of the season.
The Ferrari president set the pre season target of challenging for the championship but a winless first 12 races has seen the team slip to third behind both Mercedes and the resurgent Red Bull.
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The team has also had to deal with the loss of James Allison. The Brit quit the team last month, with a desire to spend more time in the UK with his children
His replacement, Mattia Binotto, came from the manufacturer's engine programme and Marchionne insists the team made the right call rather than hiring someone externally.
"We took the decision to develop the cars in 2016 and 2017 with our internal expertise because we have phenomenal talent," he is quoted by the Italian media. "For us it is important to utilise our know-how and that is what we are doing."
"To say that we need a transfusion of technical intelligence is excessive," he added. "I'd be lying if I said that I was satisfied, though, so we hope that the second half will be better."
Team principal Maurizio Arrivabene has also come under fire with reports in Italy and abroad suggesting that Ferrari are looking to oust him. Marchionne however has given his backing to the former Marlboro executive.
"We took on Arrivabene because he knows Formula One, and we need a team boss like him who is able to work with the people and lead the team," he is quoted by Corriere della Sera.
He also said that Ferrari made the right call by retaining 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen alongside Sebastian Vettel.
"Sebastian is a champion and we have rightly recognised the work Kimi has done with a new contract for next season," he said. "I want us to end this season with honour, decency, having given our all at every Grand Prix. But we cannot waste any more time."
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