Luca Cordero di Montezemolo has once again spoken about Ferrari and Formula 1, directing sharp criticism at Frédéric Vasseur’s management. The former Ferrari president dismissed the Scuderia’s approach of “too many announcements without results” and even mentioned Mattia Binotto. Speaking at the premiere of his documentary Luca: Seeing Red, Montezemolo expressed sympathy for the fans: “I hope things change soon. I say this for all those people who were at Monza, and for their unshakable faith.”
Ferrari once again fell short of expectations at Monza, where supporters at the home Grand Prix were hoping for at least a podium finish. McLaren proved too fast, Max Verstappen too strong, and Charles Leclerc – who showed remarkable car control with rally-style driving in the opening laps, pushing the SF-25 to its limits – had to settle for fourth place. Lewis Hamilton fared worse, finishing sixth and definitively losing his internal duel with Leclerc.
The 2025 season has yet to deliver a single win, despite the strong promise shown last year. It would be wrong to call it a “failure” given that second place in the Constructors’ Championship is still within reach. However, the gap between the preseason promises – boosted by the arrival of a seven-time World Champion – and the current reality is impossible to ignore.
Montezemolo: “Announcements create expectations, results must come first”
Tension is rising in Maranello: several engineers are preparing to leave, while others are caught up in ongoing speculation. For Montezemolo, the key has always been “choosing the right people.” One example, in his eyes, was Mattia Binotto, now leading Audi’s ambitious project. The former Ferrari president admitted he would have kept him at Maranello: “Changing continuously means losing one of the most important elements, which is the stability of a team.”
He added: “Today, there is a lack of a leader, a strong and determined soul.” Reflecting on his experience, Luca di Montezemolo stressed: “One of the things I learned is that when you win you need to work even harder – and today, when Ferrari is not winning, that’s even more necessary.”
Work ethic, he argued, must come before communication: “First you work, then you make the announcements. Otherwise, you create excessive expectations.” And it is the fans who pay the price, those with the “unshakable faith” who filled the Monza grandstands despite a Ferrari that, after so many announcements, has still not won a single race this season.
Luca di Montezemolo recalled past heartbreaks: “I went through terrible times because I think we lost nine or ten World Championships in the second half of the final race,” he said, as reported by Corriere dello Sport. “Ferrari has not reached the last race with a driver fighting for the title for many years. I truly hope things will change. Today Ferrari has even more responsibility towards its fans.”
Leave a Reply