Why Ferrari needs Icona

Tech boss on the importance of Icona series and its SP3 Daytona

- DAMIEN SMITH

Ferrari recently unveiled the SP3 Daytona as the latest model in its exclusive Icona series. An 829bhp V12-engined tribute to some of Maranello’s best-known historic race cars, it follows the roofless SP1 Monza and SP2 Monza from 2018 and will itself be followed by more limited-run, highly strung special editions.

We caught up with Ferrari’s chief technology officer, Michael Leiters, to hear more about how the brand will balance the development of future series-production models with the creation of more traditional and exclusive cars such as this.

Icona will continue. How is it staffed and what do you learn from it?

“We have a dedicated team working on it. In general, we work within a matrix organisation and the team is responsible to bring forward the programme using the competencies in the company.

“But yes, there’s a dedicated team. The competencies needed to staff this team are quite particular, because it’s low volume and there’s much carbonfibre; and you have also the mental freedom to think in this direction and not think you can’t do that because it costs too much or is too complex or weighs too much. As I mentioned, the balance of trade-off is a bit different.”

Can you express things here that you couldn’t with a production car?