Ferrari must improve after difficult start - Elkann

Jan.22 (GMM) Fiat chairman John Elkann has joined Sergio Marchionne in admitting Ferrari will get off to a difficult start in 2015.

Amid the Maranello marque's revolutionary shake-up, new president Marchionne, also head of the Fiat-Chrysler parent, admitted Ferrari can only expect to put in better performances towards the end of the forthcoming championship.

Now, the New York-born Elkann, Fiat-Chrysler chairman and the grandson of the great patriarch Gianni Agnelli, has been quoted by La Repubblica: "Ferrari is working hard.

"We all know where we start from, but the important thing this year is to show the rate of improvement.

"The important thing is to improve," Elkann, 38, reiterated.

Meanwhile, after number 1 driver Fernando Alonso's switch from Ferrari to McLaren-Honda, the Spaniard also acknowledged he is in for a difficult 2015.

In Spanish, Alonso acknowledged to a follower of his social media pages: "It will be difficult to win races this year."

He admitted that his goal with McLaren for 2015 is to "learn, help, be happy and, long term, win."