Ferrari in good shape

Both President Montezemolo and Jean Todt have always underlined the fact that Ferrari's success is down to the whole team; the result of the excellent work carried out by every element of the Scuderia. It is therefore of prime importance to ensure ...

Both President Montezemolo and Jean Todt have always underlined the fact that Ferrari's success is down to the whole team; the result of the excellent work carried out by every element of the Scuderia.

It is therefore of prime importance to ensure that everyone who works on the Prancing Horse race cars is in the best of health. With this in mind, this week, Ferrari organised the now traditional F1 Check-up. Every member of the race and test team who wants to, including the Scuderia engineers and mechanics, gets a full and free medical check as well as advice on a tailor-made training programme.

The F1 Check-up dates back to 1994 and was initiated at the express wishes of the Managing Director of the Gestione Sportiva, Jean Todt. It then evolved with the impetus of President Montezemolo into a more complex project known as "Formula Benessere," (Formula Wellbeing,) which began in 1999. This saw the programme extended to all Ferrari employees, not only those working in the Gestione Sportiva. It included a free sports medicine consultation as well as the opportunity to attend, again free of charge, fitness centres to undertake a regular work-out programme.

The F1 Check-up includes a full internal and external examination, covering thirteen different areas and takes place in mobile clinics set up at the Fiorano track specifically for this task. The work is carried out by a team of specialists from the Rome-based company, Medex which works in conjunction with the Sant' Andrea di Roma and Santa Maria di Reggio Emilia hospitals, under the direction of Drs. Alessandro Biffi and Fred Fernando, who has looked after Ferrari at the grands prix for the Coni company which supports the initiative.