Ferrari chairman steps down days after FIAT boss Sergio Marchionne said the Formula 1 results were unacceptable.
One of the most noted personalities associated with Ferrari for over two decades, di Montezemolo, the Chairman of one of the best known supercar brands in the world, has quit. The moves comes only a few days after Ferrari failed to impress at their home Grand Prix at Monza in Italy, with Fernando Alonso’s car having an ERS failure and retiring, while Kimi Raikkonen could only manage ninth place. This was the first time in four years that Ferrari didn’t have Alonso on the podium. Rumours of his departure began floating even then, as he led the drivers and held an impromptu news conference at the team’s motorhome.
One of the most prominent memories of Monza in recent history came 12 years ago at the 2002 F1 Grand Prix when Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello finished 1-2 and stood atop the newly created podium celebration area towering over a sea of Tifosi and fans alike, spraying the bubbly and celebrating with them all. That is now a far cry for a team which just got displaced from third place in the constructors’ standings by Williams. Not the best place for all of these things to happen.
For now, the move comes as a surprise to many and we await to see how things pan out for Ferrari.
Story: Jim Gorde
