“You Know What I’m Sorry For?”: Michael Schumacher’s Boss Puts Ferrari Under Fire for Dismal Fall From Grace

Ferrari has massively fallen from grace in the past few seasons as they have gone from being championship contenders to just being happy with podium finishes. While both their drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, have repeatedly expressed their frustrations about how their side has become a laughing stock, the senior management does not seem too displeased with where the team stands at the moment. It is this reason why Michael Schumacher’s former boss, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, has slammed his former side for damaging the reputation of Enzo Ferrari, the man who helped build the Italian outfit’s glittering legacy.

The 75-year-old Italian businessman previously served as Enzo Ferrari’s assistant, following which he also served as the team’s chairman. He stepped in the role of chief soon after Enzo passed away, and headed the task of redirecting the team in the right direction in the 1990s.

A little Friday treat for you, #Tifosi 🫶 pic.twitter.com/KuMvCbs6he

— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) August 11, 2023

It did not take Montezemolo long to guide Ferrari in the right direction as he made some significant changes to help the Italian outfit return to the top by the end of the decade. Moreover, with the team also having signed legendary F1 driver Michael Schumacher, the side was able to win five consecutive Constructors’ Championships from 2000 to 2004.

Hence, considering that Montezemolo took the prancing horse back to where he believes they belong, he is far from happy to see the team celebrating just a few podiums this season. He believes that Ferrari should at least be contenders for the title each season even if they do not win it.

Montezemolo is sad to see Ferrari’s downfall after the glory days of Michael Schumacher

In a recent interview, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo expressed his frustrations after he saw Ferrari celebrate Charles Leclerc’s third-place finish at Spa. As quoted by sport.virgilio.it, he said, “I’m sorry that third-place is celebrated, like Spa. This is not like Ferrari and the Old Man (Enzo Ferrari, ed) would not have accepted it. Never“.

After stating the same, the 75-year-old added how he built a dream team with Michael Schumacher in his side back in the day. “As president I had built a dream team, from Schumi to Todt, from Brawn to Byrne. Have I ever heard John Elkann? Zero. Nothing“, added a furious Montezemolo.

While the Italian businessman is annoyed with the Prancing Horse, he has made it clear that the drivers have never been at fault in the team. He explained how Leclerc is a top talent, and how there are not many drivers that are as good as him. The drivers are perhaps not the problem indeed as the team too has acknowledged that they have failed to produce a quick enough car this season.

What are the mistakes that Ferrari have made this season?

Ferrari’s underperformance in comparison to leaders Red Bull has been clear from the first race of this season. Carlos Sainz believes that the same is the case because of the concept of the team’s car.

He believes that the team does not have enough potential to develop the car, compared to Red Bull. It is this reason why he believes that Ferrari have constantly been trailing the Milton Keynes-based outfit this year.

Another massive problem that Ferrari have had this year is their decision making when it comes to strategy. As quoted by racingnews365.com, Sainz has often vented out his frustrations this season about how the team has poorly executed their races.

However, he does believe that the team is doing their best to improve the car. Sainz is not the only person that has raised concerns with Ferrari’s strategy as team principal Fred Vasseur too has admitted that there have been problems.

However, as quoted by si.com, the Frenchman also made it clear that improving in such areas is a process and that they will not see improvement quickly. Thus, considering that both Sainz and Vasseur have admitted that Ferrari are facing concerns this season, it does seem that it will take a while before they can return to the top and fight the likes of Red Bull again for wins and possibly  championships.