Former Ferrari president, Luca di Montezemolo, had been linked earlier this year by the Italian press to replace outgoing FIA president Jean Todt. Jean Todt is coming towards the end of his tenure as FIA president as he will have served the maximum of three four-year terms at the end of the 2021.
David Richards, who is chairman of Prodrive and chairman of Motorsport UK, Formula E boss Alejandro Agag and current FIA vice president Mohammed bin Sulayem have all been linked with the role, but a few weeks ago Italy’s Autosprint said that Luca di Montezemolo was also a candidate from a source they claimed was ‘well known in the Formula 1 environment’.
Luca di Montezemolo, who resigned from his role as Ferrari president and chairman in 2014 due to increasing tensions between him and his successor Sergio Marchionne, was believed to have the support of ex-Formula 1 boss, Bernie Ecclestone. However, the former Ferrari president has now confirmed that it was actually Scuderia Ferrari who did not agree with this scenario and used its veto to prevent Luca di Montezemolo from becoming Formula 1 president:
“I was sorry that Ferrari vetoed my Formula 1 presidency. Ecclestone had called me and I would have accepted with pleasure. My father used to say to me: ‘Whoever is jealous of the past hasn’t understood anything'” – Luca di Montezemolo explained, as reported by the Italian media earlier today.
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