Montezemolo speaks again (attacks everything & everyone)
#1
Posted 03 August 2013 - 09:55
#3
Posted 03 August 2013 - 10:15
#4
Posted 03 August 2013 - 10:18
#5
Posted 03 August 2013 - 10:19
GodHimself
#6
Posted 03 August 2013 - 10:33
#7
Posted 03 August 2013 - 10:39
On this, I fully agree with LdM."Drivers, we’ve had a lot, some very good, some great, but drivers come and go, while Ferrari remains."
It seems Alonso and LdM's relationship deteriorated after Silverstone.“Fernando has given a lot in these last years and I repeat, his disappointment, which came about mainly after Silverstone, where all of us expected to be more competitive, is understandable. But I didn’t like some attitudes, a few words, some outbursts. And I said so…I reminded everyone, including the drivers, that Ferrari comes before everything, the priority is the team.
#8
Posted 03 August 2013 - 10:41
#9
Posted 03 August 2013 - 10:44
Still, they've ensured they are in the news for the long break and that's exactly what they want - to appear like the backbone of F1.
#10
Posted 03 August 2013 - 10:53
Luca is talking out of his rear end. Alonso has done for Ferrari these past few years exactly what Hamilton did for McLaren - flatter their cars and help maintain the team's dignity. Alonso would be better off following Hamilton by cutting his losses and moving to fresher pastures.
#11
Posted 03 August 2013 - 10:59
#12
Posted 03 August 2013 - 11:13
Bear in mind that this is a report of an interview that LdM gave to the Sports Editor of the Corriere della Sera. It was presumably conducted in Italian and this is a translation of it - by someone with a rather overblown writing style but probably not LdM himself. I don't speak Italian but it is possible that the original Italian text would come across as less pompous.This kind of hyperbole and grandiose writing is why I really can't get on with Ferrari. They view themselves as greater than life itself and just repeatedly get lost in the romantic element of their brand. Sorry but it sounds like badly written Shakespeare for the most part.
Still, they've ensured they are in the news for the long break and that's exactly what they want - to appear like the backbone of F1.
I have to admit that the "Drivers, we’ve had a lot, some very good, some great, but drivers come and go, while Ferrari remains." reminded me of "My Way": "Regrets, I've had a few, but then again, too few to mention."
#13
Posted 03 August 2013 - 11:17
And four in the last 36. Or, in other words, six out of the last fourteen championships.Yeah, two world champions in the last 34 years. Great eh?
Ferrari's performance in recent years might not be great, but selective statistics sure are.
#14
Posted 03 August 2013 - 11:18
Comes across as a rather long-winded set of excuses.
Ferrari down to a T, then.
#15
Posted 03 August 2013 - 11:34
Or another way of looking at it would be - more WDCs (and WCCs) this century than any other teamAnd four in the last 36. Or, in other words, six out of the last fourteen championships.
Ferrari's performance in recent years might not be great, but selective statistics sure are.
#16
Posted 03 August 2013 - 11:43
And these motivational speeches are so effective. I just know all the staff must love them
at Lotus, Mercedes, Red Bull,...
#17
Posted 03 August 2013 - 11:50
Love the irony in that statement.Ferrari's performance in recent years might not be great, but selective statistics sure are.
How about 5 in 50 years and some would say that two of those were lucky.
#18
Posted 03 August 2013 - 11:52
Luca should wake up and think about recent history, one where his team couldn't buy a win for so many decades, right now Ferrari sucks and Fred is right to be looking elsewhere, sure Ferrari can wait for another title but why they don't understand FA can't wait is beyond me.
#19
Posted 03 August 2013 - 11:53
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#20
Posted 03 August 2013 - 12:04
#21
Posted 03 August 2013 - 12:11
Luca = idiot. If the thinks a piss-poor car will satisfy FA and that FA should sit back and wait he's wrong, and he'll lose Alonso as soon as options appear for him.
Luca should wake up and think about recent history, one where his team couldn't buy a win for so many decades, right now Ferrari sucks and Fred is right to be looking elsewhere, sure Ferrari can wait for another title but why they don't understand FA can't wait is beyond me.
What options are there for FA? They need to make it work.
#22
Posted 03 August 2013 - 12:16
What options are there for FA? They need to make it work.
Every option is open to FA, there isn't a single team that wouldn't negotiate if he said he was interested. I'd bet Ferrari has failed to meet the performance clauses in Fred's contract and that he's free to move, no other reason Luca would lose it so badly.
#23
Posted 03 August 2013 - 12:19
Every option is open to FA, there isn't a single team that wouldn't negotiate if he said he was interested. I'd bet Ferrari has failed to meet the performance clauses in Fred's contract and that he's free to move, no other reason Luca would lose it so badly.
Mercedes is out, cause Hamilton is there. McLaren is out unless Ron suddenly quits and moves to to I don't know Papua. Red Bull *might* talk to him but no way would they pay him anywhere near what Ferrari pays him, plus I don't see them really wanting to upset a good thing they got (with Vettel). So that leaves Lotus.
#24
Posted 03 August 2013 - 12:24
#25
Posted 03 August 2013 - 12:38
#26
Posted 03 August 2013 - 12:40
Mercedes is out, cause Hamilton is there. McLaren is out unless Ron suddenly quits and moves to to I don't know Papua. Red Bull *might* talk to him but no way would they pay him anywhere near what Ferrari pays him, plus I don't see them really wanting to upset a good thing they got (with Vettel). So that leaves Lotus.
Truth is always different.
#27
Posted 03 August 2013 - 13:03
On my PC, Ferrari's news page always has this bar thing for those SNSs in the middle left, that's very very disturbing for reading.
I hope Luca do sth about it.
Edited by muramasa, 03 August 2013 - 13:03.
#28
Posted 03 August 2013 - 13:35
#29
Posted 03 August 2013 - 13:47
There is a perspective by which LdM's loss of patience makes some sense.
#30
Posted 03 August 2013 - 13:51
If you are LdM right now, then maybe you are looking at that your new driver (FA) is behind your old driver in the championship (KR), you are seeing that your old driver is still the current champion at Ferrari, you are seeing that your old driver is beating his teammate by a larger margin than your current driver is beating his, you are seeing that your current driver makes more crashes/dnfs than any of the other leading drivers. But despite the many things to be quiet about, you see that he talks in the press more than any of the drivers. Moreover, that he talks primarily about how bad Ferrari is.
There is a perspective by which LdM's loss of patience makes some sense.
By that logic we can look at Massa and see that the driver is getting outclassed by the driver who replaced KR
Drivers driving different cars comparison don't necessarily work.
#31
Posted 03 August 2013 - 13:51
Hardly fair to say Alonso did nothing...
+1
And not true, dislike Alonso may it be, but 4 years is by no means nothing.
#32
Posted 03 August 2013 - 14:03
First, as the previous missive from Luca, this is splashed all over Ferrari"s website, so obviously with FULL APPROVAL of the team. Are they trying to send Fernando a message? Maybe. But to me it reads more like a (2nd??) clarification of his original remarks targeted towards Fernando that were received so poorly by so many.
In this interview, LdM (to me) is trying to explain his original criticism of Fernando as disruptive and demotivating to the folks whose efforts are needed to improve the F138. Taking, IN CONTEXT, his comments about Alonso, I really don't find a lot to complain about. Certain quotes have been repeatedly posted, but here are some others:
“Fernando is a great driver and I understand him, he is a bit like me: he wants to win. He must just remember that one wins and loses together and for its part, Ferrari must give him a car capable of starting from the front two rows…It doesn’t sit well with me seeing our car is not competitive. That’s why I intervened, even if I didn’t want to abuse my authority over my men."
If he's insulting Alonso, then he's insulting himself based on that. He's the boss, and while he GREATLY ADMIRES Fernando, felt he'd gone too far. I disagree with Luca, but I don't run Ferrari, and he felt his rebuke was needed to restore order.
“Fernando has given a lot in these last years and I repeat, his disappointment, which came about mainly after Silverstone, where all of us expected to be more competitive, is understandable." Again, pointing out the great work from Alonso at Ferrari and saying FA's frustration isn't unreasonable, but going on to express that he felt he went too far in some of his comments.
Finally, here is how the article ends: "However, even if I have lots of problems, finding drivers for the future is not one of them. Fernando Alonso is a true great, as I’ve said before. He has proved it and will prove it again, very soon.” Luca, once again publicly declaring how highly he regards Alonso, and that the effort now is to get him a car to show that greatness again. These guys aren't splitting up. Quite the contrary. There was a very public spat, as families sometimes have, but its over and Luca is making clear to RB, Merc, Lotus, etc. that Fernando is very much part of the Ferrari family...in fact, its proudest son, despite the schism. I expect him to end his career Maranello as their latest champion!
Edited by PoleMan, 03 August 2013 - 14:04.
#33
Posted 03 August 2013 - 14:06
For those who take advantage of this situation to criticize Alonso, come on, you are clearly attacking the man because you don´t like him, not because of objective reasons, it’s quite obvious.
When LdM says “drivers come and go, while Ferrari remains” I totally agree with him. In the same way, I agree with him when he says “Fernando is a great driver and I understand him... Ferrari must give him a car capable of starting from the front two rows…It doesn’t sit well with me seeing our car is not competitive” or “Fernando has given a lot in these last years... But I didn’t like some attitudes, a few words, some outbursts.” or “Felipe is a quick driver and a great guy. But in the past days, we were very clear with him: both he and us need results and points” or “even if I have lots of problems, finding drivers for the future is not one of them. Fernando Alonso is a true great, as I’ve said before. He has proved it and will prove it again, very soon” (he is still thinking of their future together, let´s see what happens)
The car have always had problems, the difference now is that a frustrated driver is starting to appear (really, I can´t blame him). In 2011 the car had serious problems, but nobody heard a single word about a frustrated driver, about “the driver wants to leave the team”, about LdM attacking everyone and everything. Now they are starting to run out of patience. If LdM doesn´t have the driver, obviously he doesn´t have anything, without the driver it doesn´t matter how hard the team works, the efforts they make.
The truth is that LdM has praised Alonso more than he has criticized him in these words. Some people focus their attention on what suit their agendas; I focus my attention on everything he has said. Our car is not competitive is the worst thing I´ve read by far.
#34
Posted 03 August 2013 - 14:08
In the end Alonso did the same as Massa in his period of Ferrari.
#35
Posted 03 August 2013 - 14:16
Luca = idiot. If the thinks a piss-poor car will satisfy FA and that FA should sit back and wait he's wrong, and he'll lose Alonso as soon as options appear for him.
Luca should wake up and think about recent history, one where his team couldn't buy a win for so many decades, right now Ferrari sucks and Fred is right to be looking elsewhere, sure Ferrari can wait for another title but why they don't understand FA can't wait is beyond me.
Ferrari is doing the best they can. And FA agreed to drive for them.
Perhaps FA chose the wrong team to drive for, but that isn't anyone's fault but his.
#36
Posted 03 August 2013 - 14:17
To be honest, I agree with him in many things he have said, the problem in my opinion, is that all the dirty laundry is being washed in public, which gives their rivals too much information about how the situation in the team is…
For those who take advantage of this situation to criticize Alonso, come on, you are clearly attacking the man because you don´t like him, not because of objective reasons, it’s quite obvious.
When LdM says “drivers come and go, while Ferrari remains” I totally agree with him. In the same way, I agree with him when he says “Fernando is a great driver and I understand him... Ferrari must give him a car capable of starting from the front two rows…It doesn’t sit well with me seeing our car is not competitive” or “Fernando has given a lot in these last years... But I didn’t like some attitudes, a few words, some outbursts.” or “Felipe is a quick driver and a great guy. But in the past days, we were very clear with him: both he and us need results and points” or “even if I have lots of problems, finding drivers for the future is not one of them. Fernando Alonso is a true great, as I’ve said before. He has proved it and will prove it again, very soon” (he is still thinking of their future together, let´s see what happens)
The car have always had problems, the difference now is that a frustrated driver is starting to appear (really, I can´t blame him). In 2011 the car had serious problems, but nobody heard a single word about a frustrated driver, about “the driver wants to leave the team”, about LdM attacking everyone and everything. Now they are starting to run out of patience. If LdM doesn´t have the driver, obviously he doesn´t have anything, without the driver it doesn´t matter how hard the team works, the efforts they make.
The truth is that LdM has praised Alonso more than he has criticized him in these words. Some people focus their attention on what suit their agendas; I focus my attention on everything he has said. Our car is not competitive is the worst thing I´ve read by far.
Looks like we were on the same frequency!
#37
Posted 03 August 2013 - 14:18
When the Ferrari was reliable, MS had at least one season, where the team did win the WCC almost by his points alone. Anyway, these kind of comparisons don't work anyway.If you say Alonso did nothing for Ferrari, just look up the WDC positions of the second driver in his stint. compared to MSC or Kimi´s stint at the team.
However Ferrari gives preferred treatment to the better driver. After his accident, where he was hit at his head, Massa was further away from Alonso, which also skews the picture.
Alonso receives preferred treatment, and as such he should thread carefully. Those favors come with the tag of higher expectations. Don't meet them, and you get a rap, and that would happen elsewhere too. IMO if Alonso shows a little more gratitude, then things would be fine. Even if the car isn't top notch, that Ferrari people put up a special effort for their leading driver deserves some acknowledgment. The issue is not simply LdM vs. FA. If they bang their hands at each other I don't care, 2 huge egos, that always gives problems. Tell me a leading driver that hadn't a run in of some sorts with LdM. Some made it work, others not. It's now up to FA how he responds. Like at every other team, everybody is replaceable.
#38
Posted 03 August 2013 - 14:18
Say what you want, but Massa was closer of getting a WDC for Ferrari than Alonso.
In the end Alonso did the same as Massa in his period of Ferrari.
You are seriously a child.
#39
Posted 03 August 2013 - 14:21
Edited by Massa, 03 August 2013 - 14:23.
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#40
Posted 03 August 2013 - 14:29
That may be true, but what I find interesting is that TWICE when Alonso finished runner up in the championship as a Scuderia driver, he was recognized as the best driver overall by his peers and the team principals. Sadly, Felipe has never received similar honors, even in the year he took the checkered flag as WDC for a few corners.Say what you want, but Massa was closer of getting a WDC for Ferrari than Alonso.
In the end Alonso did the same as Massa in his period of Ferrari.
You obviously have little regard for Alonso's driving, but those with the most intimate knowledge of F1 and Alonso's skills, highly respect him and repeatedly hailed him as perhaps the greatest of all the current drivers. Hmmmm! I wonder whose opinion I should assign more significance too? That's a tough one.
#41
Posted 03 August 2013 - 14:30
It is quite dramatic how far Ferrari fortunes have fallen since Todt and Raikkonen left.
#42
Posted 03 August 2013 - 14:41
Looks like we were on the same frequency!
Agree ...I hadn´t seen your post, we were probably writing at the same time, but even so..."rational frequency" in any case
#43
Posted 03 August 2013 - 14:48
Alonso bought Kimi's place.Alonso receives preferred treatment, and as such he should thread carefully. Those favors come with the tag of higher expectations. Don't meet them, and you get a rap, and that would happen elsewhere too. IMO if Alonso shows a little more gratitude, then things would be fine. Even if the car isn't top notch, that Ferrari people put up a special effort for their leading driver deserves some acknowledgment. The issue is not simply LdM vs. FA. If they bang their hands at each other I don't care, 2 huge egos, that always gives problems. Tell me a leading driver that hadn't a run in of some sorts with LdM. Some made it work, others not. It's now up to FA how he responds. Like at every other team, everybody is replaceable.
Massa inherited Barrichello's place when he moved to Honda with one year left in his contract.
Alonso is the bearer of a bigger responsability.
The first Ferrari driver can demand submission from the #2.
Except for the last race in his title bid in Interlagos, Kimi never used the option.
Massa could walk with his chin high and was much more productive in the WCC points contribution.
Ferrari won the WCC in 2007 and 2008. The last one.
Alonso walked in and killed Massa's mojo.
Since then, no WCC.
Then I ask you, which partnership was better for Ferrari ?
#44
Posted 03 August 2013 - 14:50
When the Ferrari was reliable, MS had at least one season, where the team did win the WCC almost by his points alone. Anyway, these kind of comparisons don't work anyway.
However Ferrari gives preferred treatment to the better driver. After his accident, where he was hit at his head, Massa was further away from Alonso, which also skews the picture.
Alonso receives preferred treatment, and as such he should thread carefully. Those favors come with the tag of higher expectations. Don't meet them, and you get a rap, and that would happen elsewhere too. IMO if Alonso shows a little more gratitude, then things would be fine. Even if the car isn't top notch, that Ferrari people put up a special effort for their leading driver deserves some acknowledgment. The issue is not simply LdM vs. FA. If they bang their hands at each other I don't care, 2 huge egos, that always gives problems. Tell me a leading driver that hadn't a run in of some sorts with LdM. Some made it work, others not. It's now up to FA how he responds. Like at every other team, everybody is replaceable.
The point is during Michael´s stint at Ferrari he had years in which Rubens was second in the WDC or at least third. Alonso got 2 second places and Massa was nowhere during the whole time. Now we could say that Massa sucks, but is not Luca´s fault then, that Massa is still occupying the Ferrari seat? And even if we believe that Alonso demands a lapdog No.2 driver, Luca of all persons is the one who could and should fix that.
#45
Posted 03 August 2013 - 15:05
Do you honestly believe that? eek.gifSay what you want, but Massa was closer of getting a WDC for Ferrari than Alonso.
In the end Alonso did the same as Massa in his period of Ferrari.
While the end result was similar, Alonso's Ferrari has never been as competitive in comparison to the opposition as Massa's Ferrari was in 2008.
EDIT: I had quoted the wrong post.
Edited by Obi Offiah, 03 August 2013 - 15:18.
#46
Posted 03 August 2013 - 15:11
Edited by Winter98, 03 August 2013 - 18:39.
#47
Posted 03 August 2013 - 15:13
Luca is bang on regarding the travesty of the secret Mercedes test. It has made a mockery of the series this year. Add to that the lack of any punishment shows Ferrari that the Germans have more sway in the politics of F1 than he had realized. The lack of results and the fall of Ferrari influence gives LdM every reason to be in a poor frame of mind. He criticized everyone and their dog in that rant, except for Santander of course.
It is quite dramatic how far Ferrari fortunes have fallen since Todt and Raikkonen left.
It is not only Todt and Raikkonen, but also Aldo Costa, Chris Dyer, and presumably several others.
#48
Posted 03 August 2013 - 15:17
Apologies to you Winter I quoted the wrong post, it was meant for V3TT3L who's post was directly above yours.What's not to believe? All I said was FA chose to drive for Ferrari. If the Ferrari hasn't been fast enough, FA made the wrong decision.
That has nothing to do with my comments, so I won't agree or disagree. I do stand by my original statement: FA chose to drive for Ferrari, so if Ferrari aren't producing the best car, then FA has no one to blame but himself for making the wrong choice.
Didn't RBR offer him a seat in 2009? (I seem to remember this, not 100% sure though).
#49
Posted 03 August 2013 - 15:17
Every option is open to FA, there isn't a single team that wouldn't negotiate if he said he was interested. I'd bet Ferrari has failed to meet the performance clauses in Fred's contract and that he's free to move, no other reason Luca would lose it so badly.
I sincerely doubt RBR would negotiate with FA, unless they knew they were going to lose SV.
Edited by Winter98, 03 August 2013 - 15:19.
#50
Posted 03 August 2013 - 15:18
Apologies to you Winter I quoted the wrong post, it was meant for V3TT3L who's post was directly above yours.
Doh! Done that myself before.
Edited by Winter98, 03 August 2013 - 15:19.