A house in the middle of the Modena countryside. There is a child in the garden. He is 12 years old, the year is 1957. He is playing with a model of Ascaris Ferrari. The miniature car is a sign of belonging. His mother’s name is Lina Lardi. His father, Enzo Ferrari. Their relationship: as secret as it can be in a post-war Italian province: everyone whispers and chats. Enzo Ferrari is married. His wife Laura is a wounded, disturbed and betrayed woman. Laura knows. Headshots, tailshots, like useless frustrations. A marriage broken by the pain of the loss of his son Dino, who died of muscular dystrophy in 1956 at the age of 24. Enzo: inspired, overwhelming. The pain was already hidden under the dark glasses. Vision and cynicism to keep the rudder in a wild motor exaggeration. Lina is the only port. Balanced and calm. This child is watching, waiting. He waited until 1975 for recognition and took his father’s surname in 1990. Today Piero, 78 years old, has Enzo’s features. A resemblance that is endearing because it keeps every memory alive. His story reads like a film. As a matter of fact. “Ferrari” is the title, directed by Michael Mann. It offers the first look behind the scenes of a myth. Terrible pleasures, secret impulses. Piero Ferrari is the first spectator, the only witness.
Was little Piero really calm in the middle of the storm?
“I did not know it. During a car ride with my mother and a friend of hers, I understood something. They thought I was sleeping while listening to their conversation. For me, having a busy father was normal. He came and went every day and had lunch with us. It felt like a normal life to me, even though I heard things from classmates. Vague hints. Those who knew remained silent.”
– Carlos Sainz with Piero Ferrari (AFP)
Piero Lardi, Piero Lardi Ferrari, Piero Ferrari. To what extent was your last name a nuisance?
“Later, when I started driving Ferrari, it was a problem. Not with the people who worked in Maranello and knew the situation. Those who came from outside sometimes asked questions that embarrassed some people.
Those who knew his mother Lina refer to her as the person who gave Enzo Ferrari the most balance. Can you tell us something about yourself?
“He was a good person. I have seen him angry twice in his entire life. He did not raise his voice, when faced with a problem, he made sure to solve it with arguments. She took great care of herself, her nails were always well-groomed, her hair was in place, and she dressed elegantly. He must have been in pain, but he didn’t show it, especially not to me. I think the time my father spent with us was really peaceful. The Ferrari, the family complications, the death of his son Dino never surfaced.
Lina and Laura. Two mothers, two women in love with the same man, different in character and fate. Have they ever met?
“I do not believe that. I only saw Laura once, in 1965, when Grandmother Adalgisa, Enzo’s mother, died. In the cemetery, she on one side, me on the other. She looked at me, I looked at her. It was a moment. Never seen again.
Dino: a missed affection or a bothersome ghost?
“Awkward, certainly because my father often remembered him, even though he never spoke to me about him. But there were Dino engines, Dino Ferraris… I remember a single gesture: when my grandmother died, there was a photo of Dino on a piece of furniture in her house. Dad gave it to me. He said, “You hold it. He was your brother. I was about to work in Maranello, just as my grandmother wanted: she had asked my father to take me with him to the company. And when he made a wish, for Dad it was an order.
Was the loss of his son a lasting pain for Enzo?
“A pain that perhaps faded with time. Accompanied by the desire to find a cure for muscular dystrophy. But you see, he wasn’t a man of many words. He only made an explicit reference once after the agreement with Fiat in 1969. He said: “If Dino had been there, I would have given Ferrari to you two.”
“I’m always embarrassed when I’m asked to define my father.” His words…
“He was very clever, he presented himself differently to the person he was talking to. He interpreted it and acted accordingly. A true chameleon. Which is the real Ferrari? Impossible to answer: many faces, many facets.”
About himself he said: “I am someone who dreamed of being Ferrari.” What did she dream?
“The dream is still alive today: create something new, participate in the further development of the car.” Apply technology for the Ferrari of tomorrow while keeping the mistakes of the past in mind. It was my father’s philosophy and it is mine.”
He joined Ferrari in 1965 and took on increasingly important roles. Is the Cavallino’s success also thanks to him?
“I find it difficult to find recognition. I think it is important to give my loyal cooperation to everyone and to keep in mind the history of Ferrari, the vocation to look forward.”
He didn’t do it himself, but he did a lot of it himself. A high-tech company, state-of-the-art aircraft and boats, two honorary doctorates… Is there a freedom that you gained by leaving Ferrari?
“Of course I find the contamination between seemingly different worlds interesting. Planes or yachts designed for people who appreciate them, as is the case with Ferraris. I think I have gained a number of valuable experiences that I can put to good use to identify and offer an opportunity.”
Owner of 10% of the shares, heir to a large fortune, board member, vice president. What is Ferrari to you today?
“A company that is worth a lot of money. Forbes included me in the ranking of the richest people in Italy, but I only contributed to a company that has become a significant asset. For this I would like to thank Sergio Marchionne, a man who has more than anyone else.”
– (AFP)
In the film “Ferrari,” the brutal ferocity of racing contrasts with the carefree vitality of the drivers. Life and death. What is the price of tragedy?
«In 1957, Castellotti died in Modena, De Portago at the Mille Miglia along with nine spectators. I remember my heartbroken father saying over and over again: “Let’s not run away anymore, we can’t go on like this.” Then Monday came, he came to Maranello where everyone was waiting for him to go back to work . What to do? Advance, improve. It was a feeling I felt after Bandini’s death in 1967. My father insisted: Don’t get too close to the pilots or they’ll die or leave us. Yes, but sometimes it’s difficult. It was with Bandini and then with Lauda.
There is another Enzo Ferrari, his nephew. Does this name also determine his fate?
“It’s not safe. I set up a family foundation and he takes care of it. He’s growing well. Every experience is useful, it happened to me, it happened to him.”
Another film. Today Piero accompanies Enzo on a visit to the Ferrari racing department. Can you imagine his comments?
“He would be happy with order and cleanliness.” And he would see a spirit of survival in the people who work at Ferrari. Pride and a sense of belonging to an old racing family.”