Luca Montezezmolo has had enough...

Montezemolo Heads Post-race Crisis Ferrari Formula One Debrief

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo personally chaired the post-race debrief at Maranello on Monday as the Italian team faces claims it has entered a crisis.

"Ferrari alarm," the sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport exclaimed, after the F2008 proved no match for Lewis Hamilton's McLaren at Hockenheim.

"The team from Maranello could only defend and never attack as it suffered its heaviest defeat of the year," the newspaper said.

After another second-rate performance at Silverstone two weeks earlier, Montezemolo said he did not want to see any more "stupid mistakes" as Ferrari tries to retain its crowns of 2007.

The Italian told his country's press on Monday: "We need to understand why we were slower in Germany as never before this year."

 

When RB (Silverstone) and NP Jr. finishes ahead of both your drivers, you know you have serious problems...

 

After the end of the 2006 season, I predicted that Ferrari would suffer more from the loss of Ross Brawn than they would from the retirement of Michael Schumacher nor the loss of any other technical or managerial staff.

Sadly I think that has been proven true. I can't even imagine any of the strategy glitches in the pits happening under Brawn's watch, let alone the Stepney debacle.

 

Why is he upset? This is what he wanted...a team run by lap dogs under his total control. He ran off the trio that was the core of his success, and now he's mad because his stooges don't know how to run the team? Puh-lease

 

Someone ought to FedEx Luca Di Mozzarella a package marked "explanation to why the team is being beaten".

Inside, is a mirror.

 

+1 Excellent Post Rick.

 

Bingo!!

LOL ,Your on form Mike, my sides are hurting now..

Yes +2

 

LOL. I laugh at all of the suggestions of McLaren cheating again. Teams historically improve as the season progresses, but Ferrari is actually regressing as everyone else is moving forward. I don't want to hear anything about anyone cheating...Ferrari can't be gifted a championship for two consecutive years. I don't want tainted titles (FTR, I was of the mindset that every team is pushing the rules anyway they can, including Ferrari. McLaren just got caught).

I remember Luca embracing Michael when he won Imola his final season and MS trying to move away from him. Bravo to MS for not playing the game. For those familiar with American football, Luca is motor racing's version of Al Davis from the Oakland Raiders. His delusional belief that he has it all figured out is hurting the team. He wants to win with style points instead of just winning.

 

+1

+1

 

+2

Well said

 

When things go wrong, doesn't every manager immediately call a meeting?

"We need to stop getting it wrong".
"Well, gee, thanks, boss. Glad you were here to think of that for us."

Send in the pointy hair toupee.

 

OMG I cant believe this. I thought that such a day would never come on f-chat.
I actually agree 100% with everything said by everyone from the first post to the last.
Let me get the prosciutto and a glass of wine. Its time for a snack anyway.
Cheers to everyone

 

Who has the nerve to tell LdM, that the thing in front of him is not a laptop, but an etch-a-sketch?

 

+1

He had the "Dream Team" and now who does he have? But no, he needed to change to have control! Some people just need to step aside (like him) and observe. Never liked the guy, especially after the comments he made about my beloved 348

 

I love how you guys bash the reigning champions and current points leaders. hello! it's like when people are giving massa ****, like he was washed up. when he was in the leAD! Look at the points standings. It's really pretty good at this point in the season. Hell, ferrari can afford to have a couple more bad races and still be in the lead.

 

if i'm not mistaken he has the world champion, the constructer championship, is a few points behind on the wdc at mid season and well ahead in the wcc. pretty much what every other team would love to have.

 

If Luca agreed with you, he wouldn't be calling emergency meetings and presiding over them when he normally doesn't, and publically demanding that his team get their shiat together.

While the macro view may not be as dire as the press would have us believe, if you look at the situation, it really isn't so good. The Ferrari was dominant at the beginning. Now the McLaren is dominant. If Ferrari doesn't reel them in and pass them, then the lead will only grow. Resting on laurels and saying "we had some great races at the beginning" means nothing, as Lewis and McLaren speed further and further into the distance. Ferrari needs to up their game *now* or they are in trouble.

Luca sees this, you do not.

 

If these statements are true, or meant for anything more than the press, then Luca is a knee jerk publicity seeking ass. Wait, the publicity ass part is already a known fact, the kneejerk part is what I meant.

I agree with Wetpet. Obviously what you do not see Michael is that the team is doing quite well at this point in the season considering!!

What is wrong with all of your thinking??

You expect Ferrari will win every event? That is not racing, that would be a parade!

How can anyone expect that Ferrari will always win every race and every championship? If they did, there would be no McLaren, no Williams, no BMW, no Toyota..etc. They would have no reason to spend millions in a sport at which they stand no long term chance of being #1. Its called competition.

Geez, give me a break, some of these posts sound like people in their first year of watching automobile racing. I hate to be the one to tell you, but Dale Jr does not win every race, and neither does Ferrari. But that they are leading the WCC is MOST important, and their underpaid second driver is close for the lead in the WDC.

And the season is only 50% over. This negativity is making me nauseous.

It does not get much better than this and still have a viable sport.

 

Don't panic Ferrari will cause another FIA investigation soon, always happens when they are under pressure. I wonder what they can accuse McLaren of cheating with this time?

It will happen, you will see
Pete

 

wel I'm sure the whingers here will let us all know how unfair it is that McLunken have been targeted, after last years effort I think they should feel lucky to still be in F1, any other less moneyed sport and they'd have been out the door.

 

Why is he upset? This is what he wanted...a team run by lap dogs under his total control. He ran off the trio that was the core of his success, and now he's mad because his stooges don't know how to run the team?

========================================

+100 hit the nail on the head!!

 

As much as we would all like the "dream team" back, MS was not going to drive forever, so changes were coming. Even RBrawn needed a break after striving so long at that level of intensity. I think what LM is upset about is giving away precious points in a season where anyone can win the WDC. Every little mistake digs the hole deeper. And now that HK is showing some form, that means two McLarens will be scoring points...

 

All valid points, but fundamentally the team is it's own worst enemy right now (I'm not including the drivers in this). While I'm not suggesting Ferrari should win every race (per Ron's post), it's the way they're losing them that is disconcerting. Can you honestly say that a race doesn't go by where you ask yourself 'what in the hell are they thinking?'. I have had WAAYYY to many of those moments this season. We're all used to Ferrari being one of, if not the, best managed team on the grid come race day. Right now, I don't think anyone would argue that they clearly are not. The saving grace is that they have a superior car, but even that superiority is now being marginalized.

As far as LDM is concerned, go back and reexamine the timelines on Jean Todt's leaving Ferrari. While change is a necessary part of life, the transition of power should have been handled in a more inclusive fashion. All of the drama around JT, Brawn and MS indicated LDM went more for the 'dramatic and sudden' shift in responsibility.

 

I think that, as usual lately, the only ones who are overreacting when the team loses a race are the members of Ferrarichat.

 

Not agree. I think that they made an effort to ensure continuity. Remember that Domenicalli was the right hand of Todt for a few years and that they shared (at least oficially) the leadership one season. All the key stuff are guys who have been in the team for years.

If they wanted a "dramatic and sudden shift" they would have got ridden of all the old guys and bring someone from another team, I think.

And finally, for all those who miss Jean Todt, Ross Brawn, yadda-yadda-yadda... Wich one was the best season: 2005, 2006 or 2007? Come on, guys, wake up, don´t wait for a magic leader who will solve all the problems.