Ferrari bosses heaped scorn on Italian politicians on Monday after some called for heads to roll over the team’s failure to win the Formula One championship.
Roberto Calderoli, a minister from the far-right Northern League party, had said that Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo should quit after a “demented strategy” cost Spaniard Fernando Alonso a possible third title.
“When the statesman Calderoli will achieve in his life one percent of what Ferrari has done for this country in terms of industry and sports, then he’ll deserve an answer,” Montezemolo said on the company’s Web site.
Piero Ferrari, son of the carmaker’s late founder Enzo, said he was “astonished and saddened” by certain statements some politicians and a minister of the Italian Republic made after yesterday’s race.
“It has never happened in my entire life at Ferrari that politicians intervened during good and bad moments in our life in motorsport and I want it to stay like this, but if we want to have a look at how much Ferrari has done for Italy’s image around the world, then I can only say that it is definitely much more than certain politics have done,” he added.
Alonso had started Sunday’s race with an eight point lead over Red Bull’s Australian Mark Webber and 15 clear of the Red Bull’s other driver, Sebastian Vettel.
Germany’s Vettel won the final race of the season to become the youngest champion at 23, while Alonso finished seventh and missed out on the championship by four points.
Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali said the team had made a strategic mistake in bringing Alonso in for an early pitstop shortly after Webber. Both dropped down the order and became stuck behind other drivers who had also already pitted.
However he said one mistake should not define a strong season for the team.
“It’s like when you get to the final of the [soccer] World Cup and it goes to penalties: If you manage to put away all five spotkicks you’re a hero — if you miss one you’re a donkey,” he said.
Meanwhile, Williams announced that Nico Hulkenberg is out, but Rubens Barrichello is staying with the team.
The 23-year-old Hulkenberg finished 14th in the drivers’ championship in his debut season.
The team announced on Monday he would not be back for next year’s season.
“We have for many years tried to bring new talent into the sport and we are convinced that Nico will go on to great things,” William team principal Frank Williams said.
The team says Barrichello has agreed to stay with Williams for another season after finishing 10th in the championship.
Williams says the 38-year-old Brazilian “has delivered everything we could have hoped for this season.”
The second driver will be announced before the end of the year.
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