F1: FOTA Members Did Not Respect Rule, Says Montezemolo

Formula 1

F1: FOTA Members Did Not Respect Rule, Says Montezemolo

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo believes the team made the right decision in leaving FOTA...

Adam Cooper | http://www.speedtv.com | Posted December 23, 2011 Balen (BEL)

Luca di Montezemolo stands by Ferrari's decision to leave FOTA. (Photo: Getty Images)

Luca di Montezemolo says that Ferrari withdrew from FOTA because other members were not respecting the organization’s rules.

He insists that there was no collaboration on the decision with Red Bull Racing, which pulled out of the teams’ organization at the same time.

“We have left FOTA of our own accord and without consulting anyone else, because we were tired of the compromises dragging it down,” said Montezemolo at a media event at Maranello. “And let’s be clear: If one is part of a club then everyone has to respect its rules. Otherwise, what’s the point? However, I still believe that we can have a common vision between the biggest teams when it comes to the future, and I will push to the maximum to seek out common objectives.

“All we want are clear rules and interpretations. Situations like the one in Silverstone must not happen again, when the rules changed three times over the course of a Grand Prix weekend.

“On that occasion, Ferrari decided to sacrifice its own interests to avoid a fall out that would have damaged Formula One, with all the accompanying comments that we did not want the agreement because we were not competitive. ... However, there were some who preferred to only think of their own interests.”

Adam Cooper notched up his 26th season as a racing journalist in 2010. He has written about F1 for SPEED.com since 2005. Follow him on Twitter.