I've had this question for quiete a while and it applies for Mclaren as well.

Poll not working as intended =/

Racing team. Always and forever. Ferrari are owned by Fiat Group, but Ferrari will be Ferrari for as long as racing cars are to be made.

Mclaren are heading the way of being an automotive giant. Not just a car manufacturer, race team but much more Hence Mclaren Group. I guess similar to that of Lola.

Both.

Ferrari: Racing team

Mclaren: High-tech conglomerate

Political Party?

A religion!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cijksRbhMA

This is one of few Mclaren cars I like.

I would class this noise as a religion, that pushrod chevy is enough to convert anyone ;)

edit - Come to think of it, any Ferrari or Mclaren made past 1980 simply fall short of those designed and built before.

This was discussed in the Lotus VS Lotus thread. Officially there are two companies: Ferrari Spa and Scuderia Ferrari Spa.

It's really 50% and 50%, you can't separate both.

Racing team first and foremost. From what I understand Enzo Ferrari only manufactured road cars to fund racing.

I suppose it's a bit different today, but I'll always think of Ferrari in that way.

Nail on the head.


And all should remember that FIAT don't give the team any money.

This!

+1!

I think both, actually considered as more a manufacturer among general population.

At least I never consider Ferrari as a racing team in comprehensive term/context. I know the story of Ferrari, altho not in detail. But things change. Macca used to be just a racing team, like Williams, Sauber etc, but now they are changing. I think they are now at the stage of "not just a (F1) racing team anymore". If they continue to make road cars and expand lineup for another 20 years, 50 years and 70 years and acquire wider public recognition, they will be considered as road car brand and racing team, much like Ferrari.

when people esp fans say Ferrari are racing team, it describes more about spirit/tradition rather than what it actually is. But nothing wrong with that. I wouldnt discount spirit at all, actually think it's sth very important and should be cherished. In reality racing team and road car brand are two strong pillars for Ferrari, each independent but inseparable, if it makes sense. they stand on 2 legs firmly for long time now, which they and fans should be proud of.

FIAT doesn't need to anymore...

I've been thinking for quiete a while too and the answer is both.

Both, but essentially a smart business operation from the start.

Nothing wrong with that BTW.

Marketing company.

Mythology.

Smart talk.

Quite understandable, but don't let that deceive you.

Where's the evil empire option?

Yep, that's pretty much the way he did things until FIAT stepped in.

What about Red Bull?

It must be said far easier to make $2.30 profit per $3.00 can of drink*, than $30,000 profit per $500,000 supercar!

* R+D cost negligible (covered by $0.005 per can royalties to original creators of the recipe or some such?) versus $500 m too!

How anyone can see McLaren as being anything but racing team first boggles the mind.

Ferrari is a car manufacturer who fund their sport club to cheat as much as possible.

It's a good question... Upwards of 35% of all revenue still goes to the Formula 1 operations but this was considerably more before FIAT stepped in.

I would like to think that they are still a just racing team who sells cars to fund racing operations but the reality is they are more a manufacturer these days.

Ferrari was, is, and always will be a bit of an enigma.

I think one has to separate the romantic view of Ferrari of old. Ferrari is no more a racing team than any other team on the grid.
Ferrari is a car manufacturing company that has a racing arm to advertise car sales and trying to exploit their popularity in Italy to further political power aspirations.

I can be convinced that Ferrari is a pure racing team if there is evidence that they are pouring all their profits into racing... I don't think they are. They are IMHO less of a racing team than for example, Williams. Now that is a racing team.