Former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has named Michael Schumacher as the greatest driver he worked with, while revealing that bringing Ayrton Senna to Maranello was one of his great unfulfilled dreams. Looking back on two of Ferrari’s most successful eras, the Italian also placed Niki Lauda and Fernando Alonso among his three leading drivers and named Max Verstappen as the best in Formula 1 today.
At a time when success has become much harder to achieve for Ferrari, it is inevitable that the team’s supporters look back with a certain nostalgia at the two most successful cycles in the history of the Prancing Horse: the dominant period of the early 2000s and, further back, the triumphs of the second half of the 1970s.
Luca di Montezemolo remembers Ferrari’s greatest eras
Luca Cordero di Montezemolo was a central figure at Ferrari during both periods. His history became closely intertwined with that of the Scuderia, first as the man responsible for the racing team and later as Ferrari president.
The 1970s brought the success of Niki Lauda, whose achievements included two world championships with Ferrari. Decades later came the extraordinary Michael Schumacher era, when the German helped transform Ferrari into Formula 1’s dominant force at the beginning of the 21st century. The importance of both drivers to Maranello’s history has long been recognised, with Gerhard Berger previously identifying Niki Lauda and Michael Schumacher as pivotal figures in Ferrari’s rise.
Spanish newspaper AS recently conducted an extensive interview with Luca di Montezemolo, speaking to the 79-year-old Italian businessman by video call. Among the many subjects discussed, the former Ferrari president reflected on the two golden periods he experienced at Maranello and selected the three drivers who stood out most among those he personally chose to work with.
Michael Schumacher tops Luca di Montezemolo’s list
“The best drivers of all time? Among those I chose to work with me, without a doubt, number one was Schumacher,” Luca di Montezemolo recalled. “And then I say Lauda and Fernando Alonso. They are the three best, without a doubt. Then there was a certain Ayrton Senna.”
Michael Schumacher’s place at the top of Luca di Montezemolo’s personal ranking reflects the extraordinary period they shared at Ferrari. The German became the central figure of the team that ended Ferrari’s long wait for a Drivers’ Championship and went on to establish one of Formula 1’s most successful dynasties. His achievements and legacy remain an integral part of Michael Schumacher’s history with Ferrari.
Ayrton Senna was Luca di Montezemolo’s ‘forbidden dream’ for Ferrari
Ayrton Senna never wore Ferrari red in Formula 1, but Luca di Montezemolo, like others before him, tried to bring the most iconic Brazilian driver of his generation to Maranello. The three-time world champion therefore represents one of the few ambitions the former Ferrari president was unable to realise.
“He wanted to come to Ferrari and we wanted to sign him,” Luca di Montezemolo stressed. Asked whether Ayrton Senna had been a forbidden dream, he replied: “Yes, of course. He was. However, we were able to enjoy Schumi, the best ever. And I also say that today the best is Max Verstappen.”
Ayrton Senna’s legacy continues to hold a special place in Formula 1 history, including in Italy, where Imola has continued to commemorate the Brazilian three-time world champion decades after his death.
Max Verstappen earns Luca di Montezemolo’s praise
Luca di Montezemolo therefore draws a distinction between the greatest driver of his own Ferrari experience and the man he considers Formula 1’s benchmark today. Michael Schumacher remains his choice as the best he worked with, while Max Verstappen receives his highest praise among the current generation.
Whether Max Verstappen will also remain an unattainable dream for Ferrari’s current management is another question entirely. For Luca di Montezemolo, however, the biggest “forbidden dream” of his own extraordinary Ferrari era will always be the prospect of seeing Ayrton Senna race in red.
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