Montezemolo Resigns

[Liquid]

BBC

Preliminary report from the Beeb saying Montezemolo has quit and been replaced by Fiat chairman Sergio Marchionne.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

F1 Fanatic is reporting the same thing.

In truth, this probably should have happened months ago. They've changed just about every key staff member, to no avail. They have desperately needed change at the very top.

 

[Liquid]

He must be one of Ferrari's longest serving employees. He began working for the Scuderia in 1971, not sure if he'd been with them any earlier than that. Piero Ferrari wasn't even acknowledged until after Enzo died; Montezemolo has been there for yonks.

But it's true, Ferrari have been going backwards once again. I see a lot of parallels to the Ferrari team of the early 1990s. The team needs a new Brawn/Byrne/Todt core to work and work freely. Who those people might be in 2014? I don't know.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I think Ferrari's problem is that while they've chased after the results of old, they haven't been willing to risk what they already have.

 

[ShiftingGears]

I, for one, won't miss him.

 

[Legro]

Five years late.

 

[mustafur]

Blame culture solves everything.

Ferrari will get no where unless they look on who to hire rather then who to remove.

 

[GTPorsche]

I don't see this getting them anywhere good.

 

[MarchingSaint]

Marchionne did not too well for Fiat, hoping he is just transitory

 

[Hun200kmh]

The suits took over yet another brand. Lancia is gone, Alfa Romeo on the way out, Fiat is the Cinquecento and Ferrari is just too good to be kept away from the hands of "the group".

I never thought I'd say this but I think I'll miss Luca di Montezemolo. When Enzo sold out to FIAT I though Ferrari was over. Then it wasn't. Now it's come full circle, the head of Ferrari is the head of FIAT CHRYSLER. Yuck.

 

[IforceV8]

So can we expect to see Ross Brawn driving around in a Jeep based Ferrari SUV soon going to work at his new job in Maranello?

 

[physans]

SM will surely dilute the brand with high volume low performance cars, SUVs, sedans, and destruction of the brands great history. Not to mention taking the company public next month - that will not be good for brand exclusivity. LdM served directly under Enzo for years. This is clearly bad news for the future.

Using F1 results as an excuse to have him removed was a cheap play, LdM turned the road car division into the most profitable division of Fiat. Now it will be bled for crappy new V6 turbo models & more, for everything its worth in the name of the company going public.

 

[GTPorsche]

Who said Ross Brawn is returning to Ferrari?

 

[zippy_the_cat]

LdM had to go. I don't know how it will work out for Ferrari as a sport-car company, but he was clearly part of the problem when it came to the F1 team. "Autocratic meddler" is not the sort of person the top talents in the sport want to work for, or can flourish under.

 

[mustafur]

LdM had to go. I don't know how it will work out for Ferrari as a sport-car company, but he was clearly part of the problem when it came to the F1 team. "Autocratic meddler" is not the sort of person the top talents in the sport want to work for, or can flourish under.

Because you know, winning 6 straight WCC titles and 5 Drivers titles never happened, nor is it a record that has ever been matched by any team.

 

[RACECAR]

Well one of two things is gonna happen:

- Ferrari will shock everyone and suddenly become competitive again (and make all the critics look ridiculous)

- Ferrari's F1 participation will finally die the slow and painful death its already been heading towards.

if I'm honest, I'm not at all optimistic about choice 1.

The suits took over yet another brand. Lancia is gone, Alfa Romeo on the way out, Fiat is the Cinquecento and Ferrari is just too good to be kept away from the hands of "the group".

If we're honest, they were already dead a long time ago. The last time they were alive was when cars like the Delta were being made.

 

[Liquid]

Because you know, winning 6 straight WCC titles and 5 Drivers titles never happened, nor is it a record that has ever been matched by any team.

Many people seem to think that it was isolating Montezemolo, keeping him away from the Scuderia and allowing Brawn, Byrne and Todt to do their own work enabled such a period of success.

But still, there are two people here:

Luca Montezemolo, Ferrari Chairman - Turned the road car business around, made solid profits and good cars

Luca Montezemolo, Scuderia Ferrari Senior Manager - A 43 year period which at times saw incredible success by hiring right people with the right skills and merit, but also significant barren periods of woeful machinery and hiring people just because they're Italian, and not necessarily the most qualified

But even old man Ferrari wasn't immune to that last part. I don't think it's fair to say that Ferrari have been rubbish 1984-1989, 1991-1995, 2009-2014 just because of him. It's a team effort but as the head honcho, the buck ultimately stops with him.

Zuma has had good innings, but it's about time for a change. Of course one hopes that it's not a case of "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss"

 

[JMoney]

Events like this can be the consequences of global automotive industry. Meanwhile, Lamborghini and Porsche prosper at the VAG.