Luca di Montezemolo says he will make a fresh push for Formula 1 to once again allow customer cars to enter the sport, following a recent ban.
The Ferrari president is keen to see the newer teams close the gap to the front, and he believes the only way for that to happen is for them to run customer cars – cars which are supplied by another team but independently run.
“I will do my best to convince for three simple reasons,” he said on Saturday in Monza. “First of all, the gap between the best teams and the others is very, very big. Second, to race today for a small team is very expensive when you have to develop a new car. Third, I am looking forward to having new drivers in F1.”
The Italian is also keen to see Ferrari, and others, allowed to run third cars to give new, young drivers the opportunity to compete.
“In the past – I remember Giancarlo Baghetti won a fantastic race in F1, the first victory with a Ferrari in Reims (1961), with a private Ferrari and not one run by the team. I would like to see a McLaren, a Red Bull, [or] a Williams for a small team.
“It means the small team will be more competitive, it means we will spend less money, it means finally we can give room to new drivers in the future. I have young drivers in the Ferrari academy but I have to deliver the possibility to race in F1, and today it is not possible to do tests. I will do my best to convince in this direction,” he said.
