Luca di Montezemolo was president of Ferrari for more than two decades and finds himself in despair at the current state of the famous Formula 1 outfit he once led
A former Ferrari chief has said it has brought him “big, big pain” to have seen the team struggle for so many years. The most successful team in Formula 1 history, the Italians are in the midst of a lengthy championship drought having not won a title since 2008.
President of the team at the time was Luca di Montezemolo, who served as Ferrari president from 1991 to 2014. Now aged 77, he has issued a scathing critique of the current Scuderia leadership, having watched on from afar.
“For me it is a big, big pain,” he told F1 Destinations . “I was with Ferrari for 23 years. This is about half the working life of an average person. I know how it should be. Today I see a team without real leadership, without spirit and without passion.”
While success on track continues to elude the team, they have made impressive commercial progress in recent times. Technology giant HP was signed as title sponsor while the arrival of Lewis Hamilton has given a massive boost to merchandise sales and also the parent company’s stock price.
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But Di Montezemolo remains critical of both those decisions, taking particular exception to the team’s one-off livery used at the Miami Grand Prix which saw splodges of blue added to the car to celebrate HP. “I don’t want to see a Ferrari with a livery other than all red,” said the Italian.
“For me, it is a joke. I was told that this was for sponsorship purposes but, in my time, it was the opposite. Sponsors would pay tribute to Ferrari, not the other way around.
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“I also heard that the decision to hire Lewis Hamilton was made for marketing reasons. I have nothing against Hamilton. I respect him and his record, but I think Ferrari should hire a driver because they are competitive and strong, not because of marketing.
“It is very sad to see Ferrari happy to achieve third place on the podium. I expect more, but I’m also old enough to know that it is difficult if you are half a second off the pace in Formula 1. I want to see Ferrari fighting for the championship. Third is not our position, we must be first.”
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Hamilton has struggled to produce his best form since joining Ferrari, though it is clear that the team is not at its most potent right now. Asked what he would do if he were brought back to lead the team again, Di Montezemolo said: “I would summon everyone together and tell them that I want to see enthusiasm and passion from each and every one of them.
“I would also want everyone to very clearly understand who is in charge of what. Everyone must know their roles and responsibilities, and have very clear priorities. I would want to pinpoint the areas of weakness and begin working on a plan to deliver a competitive car and team. Ferrari needs a strong leader, someone who can not only bring the team together but also fight for the team in front of the sport’s authorities.”
