Former Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo has delivered – and not for the first time – stinging criticism of the Scuderia’s state of affairs, lamenting a lack of leadership and stability as the team continues to endure a winless campaign in Formula 1.
Speaking at the world premiere of Luca: Seeing Red, a new documentary chronicling his life and career, the 78-year-old — now a board member of McLaren Automotive — admitted his heart remains firmly tied to Ferrari.
However, Montezemolo, who guided Ferrari through multiple eras of both triumph and hardship, said that he sees a team adrift without the strong figurehead required to restore its fortunes.
“It’s sad to see a Ferrari without a leader. It lacks a strong, determined soul,” he said.
“One of the things I learned at Ferrari, and that I’ve always tried to apply, is that when you win, you have to work even harder.
“Today, when we are not winning, this is even more true. It is crucial to choose the right people: in my day, I had highly valuable collaborators, number ones and number twos.”
The Scuderia’s 2024 season has been marked by dashed expectations following the high-profile winter arrival of Lewis Hamilton.
Instead of fighting at the front, the Maranello squad has struggled to challenge for race wins, while its title drought for the Drivers’ Championship stretches all the way back to 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen.
Stability lost after Binotto
Montezemolo was particularly critical of Ferrari’s revolving door of leadership, pointing to the departure of former team principal Mattia Binotto as a costly misstep.
“If Binotto could have continued, it would have been better,” he argued. “Constant change means losing one of the most important elements: a team’s stability.
“Every time you change, you have to start from scratch, and there’s a lot of work to do. Announcements are often made that create excessive expectations: you should achieve results first and then communicate them.”
Fred Vasseur’s appointment as team boss has brought flashes of progress, but uncertainty over his future earlier this year underscored Ferrari’s leadership turbulence before he was ultimately handed a new deal.
A warning to Maranello
Montezemolo contrasted Ferrari’s pre-race optimism at Monza with the continuing wait for victories and titles, offering a blunt reminder of the Scuderia’s obligations to its passionate fanbase.
“I saw the beautiful images of the fans at Monza and, at the same time, a team that, despite the many pre-race announcements, has yet to win a race,” he said.
“And even if they had won one, the fact remains that Ferrari hasn’t won the world championship for years. I myself have experienced some very difficult times, because I think we lost nine or ten championships in a final race.”
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He concluded with a stark warning for those in charge at Maranello:
“For too long, Ferrari hasn’t even been able to fight for the title at the last race with a driver in contention. I hope things change, first and foremost for those who were at Monza and who continue to show unwavering faith.
“Ferrari today has even more responsibility towards them.”
Montezemolo’s words carry weight given his history of leading Ferrari back to competitiveness in the 1990s and overseeing the dominant Michael Schumacher era.
But for today’s Scuderia, the former president’s message is clear: leadership, stability, and responsibility to the tifosi must once again become non-negotiable values.
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