Let’s face it: Formula One is boring to watch (and more recently listen to, as well), and all that’s keeping it together are the financial interests of those involved in running it. It’s no longer a competition about on-track excitament like it was in the days of Fangio, Moss or Senna… This seems to be seriously affecting the teams, even the ones who are the sport, like Ferrari.
In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, company chairman Luca di Montezemolo explained that they are seriously considering looking elsewhere for their top-class racing thrills, since F1 is clearly no longer able to provide them.
In his own words, “Formula One isn’t working. It’s declining because [the Federation International d’Automobile, the sport’s governing body] have forgotten that people watch the racing for the excitement. Nobody watches racing for the efficiency, come on.”
When he says efficiency, he is referring to the changes to the regulation regarding engines and the recent mandatory introduction of turbocharging (detailed in the video below), in conjunction with a drop in displacement and the number of cylinders from 8 to 6.
Asked if Ferrari could compete in both F1 and some other sports car discipline of their choosing, through a fully-factory-backed effort, Montezemolo replied that “we cannot do sports-car racing and Formula One. It’s not possible.”
By Andrei Nedelea
VIDEO