Ferrari’s prolonged Formula 1 struggles have once again come under intense scrutiny, this time from one of the most influential figures in the Scuderia’s modern history. Former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo has issued a sharp assessment of the team’s current condition, suggesting that the Maranello outfit has lost some of the defining qualities that once made it the dominant force in Formula 1.
Few voices carry greater historical weight when it comes to Ferrari. Luca di Montezemolo’s relationship with the Prancing Horse stretches back to the 1970s, when he worked closely alongside founder Enzo Ferrari before stepping into the role of sporting director. During that period, Ferrari captured two world championships with Niki Lauda, helping to cement its reputation as the benchmark operation in Formula 1.
After later moving into senior leadership within Fiat, Luca di Montezemolo returned to Ferrari as chairman in 1991, inheriting a team that had not won a Formula 1 title since 1979. What followed was one of the most remarkable rebuilds in motorsport history, culminating in the constructors’ championship triumph of 1999 and the legendary era of Michael Schumacher dominance.
Ferrari’s golden era versus today’s Formula 1 reality
With Michael Schumacher leading the charge, Ferrari established one of the most dominant periods the sport has ever witnessed. Michael Schumacher secured five consecutive Formula 1 world championships between 2000 and 2004, while Ferrari became the standard every rival attempted to match.
Even after Michael Schumacher’s departure at the end of 2006, the Italian side remained competitive enough for Kimi Raikkonen to secure the team’s most recent drivers’ championship in 2007. Since then, however, the Scuderia’s wait for another crown has stretched into one of the longest barren spells in its Formula 1 history.
Speaking about Ferrari’s current trajectory, Luca di Montezemolo suggested the team’s issues go beyond technical shortcomings or operational mistakes, pointing instead toward a deeper cultural problem within the organisation.
The former Ferrari chairman argued that the team appears to have lost its soul, implying that the competitive hunger and relentless fighting mentality once synonymous with Ferrari are no longer as visible at the top of the organisation. In his view, that absence of leadership intensity has contributed significantly to the failure to deliver the expected championship results.
Ferrari’s leadership questions continue to grow
Ferrari’s decline has, of course, unfolded across multiple Formula 1 eras. Red Bull established dominance in the early 2010s, with Fernando Alonso repeatedly pushing Sebastian Vettel in title fights that ultimately slipped away. Then came Mercedes’ turbo-hybrid supremacy, which reshaped the competitive landscape for nearly a decade.
When Mercedes finally lost its grip, the Maranello team again failed to capitalise, as Red Bull and later McLaren emerged in stronger positions to seize the momentum.
This is not the first time Luca di Montezemolo has publicly questioned Ferrari’s leadership structure. In previous remarks, he hinted that the team lacked a true commanding figure, comments widely interpreted as criticism of current team principal Frederic Vasseur and the broader management approach at Maranello.
The pressure is only intensifying in 2026. Despite the arrival of Lewis Hamilton in one of the most talked-about driver transfers in Formula 1 history, Ferrari has yet to establish itself as a genuine championship benchmark. Charles Leclerc continues to carry much of the team’s competitive burden, but the gap to the front remains significant.
For Ferrari supporters, the frustration lies not simply in the lack of trophies, but in the sense that the identity which once defined the Scuderia’s greatest years may be harder to recognise. And when criticism of that magnitude comes from Luca di Montezemolo, it inevitably resonates far beyond the paddock.
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