Ex-Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemelo has blasted the team for “cheering” its third-place finish at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Ferrari entered the 2023 season expecting to be in title contention, but it has only achieved three podium finishes across the first 12 races and dropped to fourth in the Constructors’ Championship.
The Italian marque has gone over a year without claiming a victory in Formula 1, entering the summer break a huge 312 points behind runaway leaders Red Bull.
Di Montezemelo is saddened by the Maranello outfit’s demise, contending that the company’s founder, Enzo Ferrari, would not have stood for its current slump.
“Do you know what I find unfortunate? That they are now cheering for third place, like at Spa,” di Montezemelo told Italian outlet Quotidiano Sportivo.
“That’s not the way Ferrari is, and the Old Man would never have accepted that, never.
“Ferrari taught me a lot. As an example, he taught me never to settle.
“After a win, he was always thinking about the next race. At the same time, it was hard work. Enzo hated holidays. In August, he kept me in the office, he was not a supporter of those who went on holiday in August.
“He made me understand that Ferrari is an emotion that holds human and social value in its industry, it is a symbol of research and innovation. As president, between 1991 and 2014, I tried to be faithful to his lesson.”
Amid much speculation about the future of Charles Leclerc, Montezemelo insists that he would retain the Monegasque driver’s services if he was at the helm.
Leclerc admitted earlier this week that extending beyond 2024 with Ferrari would be his preferred option, despite exploring options of a switch elsewhere.
Montezemelo believes the five-time F1 winner and team-mate Carlos Sainz “is the least of the team’s problems”.
“Charles I would definitely want to keep, he is good and, in my opinion, there are no stronger drivers than him available at the moment,” he added.
“But currently, whoever is driving the red car is the least of the team’s problems,” he adds.
“When I was the president, I created a dream team with Schumacher to Todt, from Brawn to Byrne. Look, as a fan, I don’t dream of a Ferrari that always wins, but that always fights for the title right up to the last race of the season, like in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2008, 2010 and 2012.
“You can lose, but as a protagonist, not as a secondary player.”
