Montezemolo plays down 'excessive' rumours
Luca di Montezemolo denies rumors that he is stepping down from his duties at Ferrari.
Sep.6 (GMM) Luca di Montezemolo was coy on Saturday as he played down swirling speculation about his future.
The long-time Ferrari president arrived at Monza for his traditional qualifying visit amid intense rumours that it will be his last.
Some reports suggest the charismatic Montezemolo, 67, is at loggerheads with fellow officials over policy, while others think he is poised to quit Ferrari to become the new chief of the Italian airline Alitalia.
The rumours about me? I have seen a great fuss in recent days, but I have found it excessive
Luca di Montezemolo
"Alitalia?" Italian reporters quote Montezemolo as saying at Monza. "I hope to take one one of their planes tomorrow afternoon," he joked.
"The rumours about me? I have seen a great fuss in recent days, but I have found it excessive.
"I'm here to work -- today, tomorrow, the next months.
If there is any news, I will be the first to tell you
Montezemolo
"We are preparing a big event for Ferrari in Los Angeles in October, for the Paris motor show with our cars, and I gave my commitment to shareholders and to the people of Ferrari in March to stay another three years.
"If there is any news, I will be the first to tell you," Montezemolo insisted.
Meanwhile, in what looked like a photo opportunity, Montezemolo gave Ferrari's lead driver Fernando Alonso a long embrace in the Ferrari garage before qualifying.
It could have been a message to rival teams, like McLaren, who have been eyeing the Spaniard.
"He has a contract until 2016," said Montezemolo, "and wants the same thing I want: a more competitive car."
Share Or Save This Story
The season is still very long - Rosberg
Jules Bianchi's father speaks of family's continued hopes
Sauber under no illusions about constructors' position
Fernando Alonso's only goal in no-hope Baku: Save parts for F1's triple-header
F1 driver contracts: How long is each driver tied down for?
Fernando Alonso’s idea to ‘save’ F1 before the V8 return – and how realistic it is
"Mr Horner is looking for a job" – Frederic Vasseur claps back at Ferrari rumours
Lewis Hamilton: ‘I towed Charles the whole time’ and ended up 0.5s slower
How the chase to catch Mercedes is unfolding
Conor Daly earns career-best NASCAR Truck finish in chaotic Kansas race
After five-hour rain delay, Kaden Honeycutt wins dramatic NASCAR Truck race at Kansas
Frankie Muniz earns another GT4 America win with co-driver Tyler Stone at Barber
Isack Hadjar earns "team-mate points" after "exceptional comeback" in Baku, says Alex Brundle
Baku late-race chaos almost costs George Russell victory over Max Verstappen
How George Russell claimed his career-best pole margin in F1 Azerbaijan GP qualifying
How the chase to catch Mercedes is unfolding
What we learned from Thursday practice at the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments