Yesterday, Friday, March 27, news arrived of the passing of Piero Fusaro, president of Ferrari from 1988 to 1991. He would have turned 88 on Sunday.
He was the first president after the death of Enzo Ferrari, called directly by the top management of Fiat – as he told L’Incontro -: “Upon the death of Engineer Ferrari, I received a phone call from Lawyer Agnelli who told me: “Ferrari always told me that you would be his successor. Take on the role of President””.
During his presidency in Formula 1, Ferrari chased the world championship dream with Alain Prost, defeated in the final stages of the 1990 season by Ayrton Senna.
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And Piero Fusaro himself found himself in the middle of the negotiations with Senna carried out by Cesare Fiorio and for years was indicated as the one responsible for the “no” to the Brazilian. In an interview with Carlo Cavicchi of Quattroruote in 2020, Fusaro told his truth: “The contract was in my hands, but Alain Prost, bypassing the hierarchies, asked for a private meeting with Gianni Agnelli, who granted it to him. Upon leaving the meeting, Prost officially declared that he had been reconfirmed at Ferrari for the 1991 season. At that moment I was caught off guard and, respecting the corporate hierarchies, I consulted with Romiti regarding the signature to be placed on Ayrton Senna’s contract, also because Alain Prost’s confirmation in the team automatically excluded the presence of the Brazilian champion”.
“The repeated insistences (with relative considerations in support of the ratification of the contract which only lacked the signatures), lasted for some time to conclude, in the end, with a no and the confirmation of Prost, as a choice that, rightly or wrongly, was attributed, by then officially, to Gianni Agnelli could not be questioned”, recalled Fusaro.
Replacing the Turin native at the helm of Ferrari was Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, starting from November 15, 1991.
Fusaro’s professional life
A graduate in electrical engineering from the Polytechnic of Turin, at the age of 25 he joined Fiat. In 1970 he was appointed director of the Sulmona factory and then of the Florence one. Ferrari welcomed him in 1975 as general manager. Four years later he took on the role of CEO of Seat. Subsequently, as a member of the Fiat steering committee, he was chosen for the role of president and CEO of Alfa Romeo. As mentioned, from 1988 to 1991 he was president and CEO of Ferrari. In 1992 the move to ANFIA as president.
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