Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has shown firm and unequivocal support for the new engine regulations that come into force in 2014.
Speaking on a visit to the Far-East, Di Montezemolo said that he is fully behind the switch from the current V8 powerplants to the new V6 turbos, quashing any speculation that Ferrari was against the switch.
“The choice of having a V6 turbo engine as from 2014 is the right one and I am pleased to note that common sense prevailed,” said Montezemolo. “It shows we are working together without pointless counterproposals or diktat, if it leads to the best outcome for the good of this sport.”
Speaking more generally about the Formula 1 season that is currently unfolding, the Ferrari president has plenty of praise for Pirelli: “I think that it's been a positive start to the season for Formula 1,” he said. “I have to say the races are all unpredictable and full of overtaking and interesting for the public, both in the grandstands and in front of the television, right to the end. That was one of the objectives this sport had set itself and I believe it has been reached.
“I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Pirelli on its return to Formula 1. In fact, I'm not surprised: we have a great relationship with them and we have known them for a long time, given that historically they have been one of our suppliers for our extreme high performance road cars.”
Ferrari are yet to win a race so far this season, but have been finishing much higher in recent races, including second places for Fernando Alonso in Monaco and Valenica. Di Montezemolo is determined to see improvements, and is not yet writing off the 2011 season.
“In the past few days, I have gone over the situation with (team principal) Stefano Domenicali and his engineers,” he said. “We are working flat out and one can see improvements compared to the early races and this is partly down to adopting a different approach to the development of the car.
“We know the situation in both championships is very difficult, but I don't want to hear any talk of giving in: we must try to progress continuously and to fight for the win at every race, which is a must for Ferrari. Obviously, we have also started talking about the 2012 car, which is normal for this time of year. I
“have faith in what Domenicali and his team are doing and I am convinced we will see the results of their work.”
