Amidst all the noise of the Singapore Grand Prix, Ferrari SpA announced record revenues and registrations in the first half of 2012.
Come June 30th, the sportscar giant revealed revenue intake of just under €1.21 billion; up nearly 12% from the same period twelve months ago, while delivery of units rose by 7.4%.
The UK and Germany saw the largest percentage growth of registration s (43% and 18% respectively); however the Italian firm will take greater encouragement from a rising number of sales in the US (up 17%) and China (up 10%).
It was not all sunshine for Ferrari. Reports from central Europe, including the company’s homeland of Italy, proved less desirable, as economic pressures begin to bite ever harder in a number of European territories.
Indeed, Ferrari’s good performance appears to be something of blip for the automotive industry, with a number of companies struggling as 2012 bumbles from one financial disaster to another.
Despite this Ferrari President, Luca di Montezemolo, remains buoyant:
“These results, achieved against a still highly challenging international economic backdrop, are first and foremost a reward for our constant and significant investment in technological innovation. The completely new range we are now in a position to offer clients across the globe means we can look forward to ending 2012 having improved still further on last year’s financial performance.
“Over the coming months, we will be focusing hard on a revolutionary new road car and on the last races in a Formula 1 World Championship that looks set to be both thrilling and hard-fought to the very last.”
Earlier this year, Ferrari extended their sponsorship deal with Spanish bank Santander, while at Singapore the team also celebrated their 500th Grand Prix with energy giant Shell.
The past few days has also seen Ferrari lose out in the Formula One drive market, as Sergio Perez – stalwart of the Scuderia’s Driver Development Programme leaves for McLaren to replace the departing Lewis Hamilton.
It sparks a minor blow for the Italian team – Perez was one of the programme’s first signings following its reinvigoration a few years ago, prompted partially by a lack of adequate replacements for the injured Felipe Massa in 2009.
The programme still holds Force India’s occasional Friday morning runner Jules Bianchi, although his influence has been greatly reduced in the past year, following an inconsistent run in the GP2 Series. Bianchi currently races in the Formula Renault 3.5 category, as part of the World Series by Renault package.
Also under Ferrari’s charge are Formula 3 Euro Series racer Raffaele Marciello and Canadian karting ace Lance Stroll.
For now, this represents a reprieve for Massa, who has endured a largely indifferent Formula One season thus far, due in part to tyre warming difficulties and also an incredibly tight field often split by mere hundredths of-a-second in outright pace.
With Fernando Alonso signed on until 2015 and Sebastian Vettel rumoured to be making his way to the Scuderia in 2014, Massa may have an extra year to advertise his services to the Formula One community.
