Montezemolo dismisses Alonso and Raikkonen rumours

Tomorrow is the 26th anniversary of the death of Enzo Ferrari, the founder of what is today a successful company, which according to the independent British company Brand Finance, has been the strongest brand in the world for the past two years.

Enzo Ferrari would certainly have been proud of how his creation has grown in strength, producing ever better financial results. He would also approve of the way Ferrari is tackling the changes going on in Formula 1.

“I spent many years alongside him” – President Luca di Montezemolo told ferrari.com – “And in 1991, when I returned to the helm of the company, I applied many of his principles: consistently innovating, never settling for second best and making decisions quickly. I’m sure Enzo would be happy to see how we have grown: we are present in 62 countries, investing heavily in the product and in technical innovation, always putting our people first, because it is thanks to their abilities that again, in 2014, we will end the year with record financial results. Behind an outstanding product there has always been the support of these exceptional men and women. On the subject of our range of models, this year too, after the incredible success of LaFerrari, we have some amazing surprises for our customers”.

Luca di Montezemolo believes Enzo Ferrari would also have approved of the new direction being taken by the Scuderia. “We are making in-depth changes on both the organizational side, in our approach and culture” – said the President. “We have taken important decisions and have made significant progress, even if, at the moment, the results of all this work are not always visible. The aim is to get back to being as competitive as we were before in the shortest possible time, while at the same time putting everything in place so that we can embark on another winning cycle. As for our sport in general, we are pleased to see that all the major players share the views we first put forward regarding the need to revamp Formula 1. We have proposals aimed specifically at improving the show, starting with more straightforward regulations, which put the spectators first, especially the younger generation”.

Montezemolo’s attention also turned to the Scuderia drivers. “We are lucky to have two great champions, who are working with the whole team to get back to being competitive again. Of course, as is the case every summer, there is unfounded gossip about alleged problems with senseless rumours bandied about, such as the ones relating to Alonso’s contract or those of drivers’ salaries. We know that the summer heat always produces silly stories. Our drivers must now relax in order to return in top form. The season is still long and we need Fernando and Kimi to be in great shape. And on the subject of Kimi, I wish him all the best as he is soon to become a dad.

“Finally” – concluded Montezemolo – “I want to thank all our fans for their continuous support and wish everyone a good summer.”