Ferrari Chief Blasts Alonso Over Comments

[OverTake.gg]

Fernando Alonso has been criticised by Ferrari president Luca Di Montezemolo over his comments following Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix - a move which could edge the Spaniard closer to a switch to Red Bull.

Alonso took his anger out on the Ferrari’s performance after finishing a disappointing fifth at the Hungaroring and warned that while the Italian marque was getting to grips with its problems it must find a solution by the end of the summer break if they are to have any chance of remaining in the championship fight.

Di Montezemolo said: ‘All the great champions who have driven for Ferrari have always been asked to put the needs of the team ahead of their own interests. This is the moment to stay calm, avoid polemics and show humility and determination in making one’s won contribution, standing alongside the team and its people both at the track and outside it.’

Alonso, a two-time Formula One champion has been linked with the vacant seat at Red Bull with Mark Weber leaving at the end of the season.

A statement on the Ferrari website said: ‘There is a need to close ranks, without giving in to rash outbursts that, while understandable in the immediate aftermatrh of a bad result,a re no use to anyone. That was a reference to the latest comments from Fernando Alonso, which did not go down well with Montezemolo, nor with anyone in the team.’

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[Mitchell Smith]

... You call that a blast?

 

[David Jundt]

Alonso didn't call his car a truck, which is a good sign, no?

 

[Warren Dawes]

"it must find a solution by the end of the summer break if they are to have any chance of remaining in the championship fight."
Looks like a media beat up to me.
Alonso's comment looks like a simple truthful statement of the obvious, nothing more.

 

[Markus Neumann]

I rarely post something purely based on opinion, but ****'s hitting the fan at Ferrari, so here goes:

Truth be told, I think Sergio Marchionne (CEO of the Fiat group) should fire Di Montezemolo. During his whole tenure at Ferrari, Montezemolo hasn't made any contributions to the team except signing the cheques.

The success of the Schumacher years (+Raikkonen) was based on the infrastructure implemented by Schumacher, Brawn, Byrne, Allison, etc. Basically, all Ferrari did was to supply the cash.

Then you actually have to go all the way back until the late 70s to find more success. And yet again, the championships of Lauda and Scheckter were based on Lauda's brilliant work on the car, not that of Ferrari engineers. Since the emergence of Collin Chapman and aerodynamics as a major tool in F1, Ferrari has had exactly two brief periods of success.

Di Montezemolo's leadership style isn't exactly helping things. After the last race he actually sent every engineer a knife to put between their teeth. That behavior may befit Don Corleone, but for the president of a modern firm it's just plain ridiculous.

Hence, he needs to go. And as much as I like Domenicali, he hasn't achieved anything either and should be removed as well. Same thing goes for Massa. He's simply incapable, at this point I see no way of arguing that away anymore.

Montezemolo and Domenicali need to be replaced by non-Italian managers, with a more modern approach, with one (or both) of them preferably being a woman (someone level-headed like Monisha Kaltenborn would be perfect). The machismo culture at Ferrari simply has no place in the 21st century.

Alonso and (from September on) Allison may drag them to one or two more championships if they are lucky, but the fact remains that Ferrari keeps blowing hundreds of millions on second and third places, and has, with brief exceptions, done so for the last fifty years.

 

[bptuna]

I rarely post something purely based on opinion, but ****'s hitting the fan at Ferrari, so here goes:

Truth be told, I think Sergio Marchionne (CEO of the Fiat group) should fire Di Montezemolo. During his whole tenure at Ferrari, Montezemolo hasn't made any contributions to the team except signing the cheques.

The success of the Schumacher years (+Raikkonen) was based on the infrastructure implemented by Schumacher, Brawn, Byrne, Allison, etc. Basically, all Ferrari did was to supply the cash.

Then you actually have to go all the way back until the late 70s to find more success. And yet again, the championships of Lauda and Scheckter were based on Lauda's brilliant work on the car, not that of Ferrari engineers. Since the emergence of Collin Chapman and aerodynamics as a major tool in F1, Ferrari has had exactly two brief periods of success.

Di Montezemolo's leadership style isn't exactly helping things. After the last race he actually sent every engineer a knife to put between their teeth. That behavior may befit Don Corleone, but for the president of a modern firm it's just plain ridiculous.

Hence, he needs to go. And as much as I like Domenicali, he hasn't achieved anything either and should be removed as well. Same thing goes for Massa. He's simply incapable, at this point I see no way of arguing that away anymore.

Montezemolo and Domenicali need to be replaced by non-Italian managers, with a more modern approach, with one (or both) of them preferably being a woman (someone level-headed like Monisha Kaltenborn would be perfect). The machismo culture at Ferrari simply has no place in the 21st century.

Alonso and (from September on) Allison may drag them to one or two more championships if they are lucky, but the fact remains that Ferrari keeps blowing hundreds of millions on second and third places, and has, with brief exceptions, done so for the last fifty years.

Honestly, I believe that if Ferrari don't get back into the championship hunt this year that Alonso will actually seriously consider Red Bull, who are proven to be winners. Will that entitled little German be happy, no, but clearly the team don't care if they're considering Alonso in the first place. If by some chance Alonso does go to Red Bull I think Ferrari will have no choice but to rebuild from the ground up.

 

[Metalfreaky]

I agree with you on Domenicali and Massa although I really like both of them, but I don't see a reason to fire Di Montezemolo. What does Mateschitz do at RB other then supply the team with cash?
Besides Ferrari's roadcars are selling better than ever so he certainly is doing something right. I also see nothing bad in sending a knife to the team members as a motivational action. It surely is unusual though.

If Alonso drives for RB next year, I'll eat my hat.

 

[ENDR]

Red Bull, who are proven to be winners.

Ooohhhhh, you wait until next season, when they'll be driving round Monaco with today's Monza level of downforce and MUCH more unpredictable (and probably less reliable) engines (how many turbo engines do Renault produce nowadays anyway?).

 

[bptuna]

Ooohhhhh, you wait until next season, when they'll be driving round Monaco with today's Monza level of downforce and MUCH more unpredictable (and probably less reliable) engines (how many turbo engines do Renault produce nowadays anyway?).

Somebody seems to be in denial. Red Bull have won both championships the last 3 years in a row, as I said, they are proven winners, like it or not. And I highly doubt that their performance is going anywhere next season. Realistically, with Ferrari's performance as of late, if Alonso wants a shot to tie Vettel his best bet is to be his teammate. And as for Alonso not wanting to be a number 2, I highly doubt the drivers would have anything but equal status weather its Vettel and Alonso or Vettel and Kimi. The reason why Webber was a clear number 2 is because that was the best he could do.

 

[ENDR]

And I highly doubt that their performance is going anywhere next season.

Are you sure?
What has been Red Bull's strongest point since 2009? Was it the acceleration or top speed? Definitely not. It was aero and the downforce it produced. And that is the exact area that is getting butchered next season.
In 2009 they turned up the regulations a notch to level up the field and reduce the gap between the two top teams (who had spent hundreds of millions on development and were too far ahead to be caught up with by anyone) and the whole rest.
Next year they're going even further - even LESS aero and more of the engine's influence on overall performance of the car. So Newey is going to have a REALLY hard time coming up with something outclassing all the other teams.