A few days ago, Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo stated in an interview that he isnât too happy with Formula 1 these days. He specifically stated that the elite racing series "isnât working" and is "declining because the FIA have forgotten that people watch the racing for the excitement. Nobody watches racing for the efficiency, come on." Montezemolo, obviously, was specifically referring to this yearâs new turbocharged V6 engines, which, if youâve watched any of the races on TV, donât exactly sound like much of anything.
FIA didnât respond to the Ferrari chiefâs comments, but his message was made clear. He also complained about new rules that donât allow for engine development during the season. Ferrari is currently in third place this season, and not being allowed to improve the engine is obviously very frustrating. Several media sources took Montezemoloâs words as a sign that Ferrari could soon exit F1 entirely and focus instead on endurance races, such as Le Mans. In fact, Montezemolo said that Ferrari could possibly even return to La Sarthe by as early as 2020. It left Le Mans in 1972.
After the Montezemolo interview, however, Ferrari PR officials quickly stated that an F1 exit would be taking it "to extremes" and that the chairman's words were nothing but speculation. But if the FIA doesnât make some major changes in the near future, Ferrari may just follow through on its threat. "No one wants to watch a driver save gas or tires. They want to see them push from here to there. It's sport, yes, but also a show," Montezemolo concluded.
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