Luca di Montezemolo regrets not having a quick enough car – Formula 1 news
Ferrari’s president, Luca di Montezemolo, has stated that the team’s biggest regret after losing both the constructors’ and drivers’ title to Red Bull Racing in the 2012 F1 season is that they did not have a quick enough car.
The president said that the glass is both half empty and half full but there is no doubt that they are disappointed.
“Clearly there is great regret,” Montezemolo said during Ferrari’s Christmas meeting with the Italian and International press. “Because the outcome went down to the wire, because after that first lap in Brazil, maybe things could have turned out differently,
because Fernando went on holiday at the start of the summer break with a 40 point lead over his closest challenger and because, when it came to collisions, we were forced to retire, while others kept going as if nothing had happened. However, the biggest regret
is that we did not have a car that was quick enough to win the World Championship.”
Montezemolo added that besides the regrets there are also things that they can be proud of like the reliability of their car which helped them secure the second place in the constructors’ championship. He said that they were able to beat McLaren despite
the fact that they had been showing a better pace than them and Ferrari’s only points were from Fernando Alonso in the first half of the season.
He insisted that Alonso having the best season of his career so far was also a great achievement for the team and they are hoping that Ferrari will be having their best season in 2013 since they plan to provide both Alonso and his teammate Felipe Massa with
a more competitive car right from the beginning.
He appreciated Alonso for fighting for the championship right until the end of season saying that the Spanish driver was a combination of two of their former drivers; Niki Lauda and Michael Schumacher.
Alonso dominated the season in the first half but was suddenly overtaken in points by Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, who had struggled in the beginning, after the summer break. However, Alonso kept the fight alive right into the last race in Brazil. He was
also voted as the best driver by the F1 bosses following the end of the season.
Regarding the team’s decision to retain Massa, Montezemolo said that they do not regret it as they could not find any other driver quicker than him at that time and he insisted that it was the right option for Ferrari.
Montezemolo also spoke about F1 boss, Bernie Ecclestone, insisting that his one man show has to end and that it is time that the 82 year old must consider retirement since F1 needs modern management.
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