Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo says team is poised for resurgence

In a pre-Christmas speech to the team at Ferrari's Maranello headquarters, di Montezemolo said he had been encouraged by the efforts he had seen at the factory, and felt that the team now had the right personnel in place and the approach needed to take the fight to Red Bull once again.

"I want to be optimistic, because I can see the concentration and the attention to detail which characterises the efforts being made by [Stefano] Domenicali and his people, by [Pat] Fry, [Luca] Marmorini, [Corrado] Lanzone and [Nikolas] Tombazis," said di Montezemolo.

"Work is going on in all areas to improve: from the design of the new car, to the simulation work, from preparing for the pitstops, to the starts and so on.

"We cannot be happy with the way this year went and there is a great desire to redeem ourselves, because results don't come on their own, they are not delivered by a stork: it will take hard work from every one of you, it will come from the ability to be perfect, to start from pole position and that ability is the strength of this company. Behind amazing products there are amazing men and women.

"All the ingredients are in place to start winning again."

Di Montezemolo also reiterated his belief that 2012 will see Felipe Massa back to his best form after two years of being comprehensively beaten by team-mate Fernando Alonso.

"Great things are also expected from our drivers for next season," said di Montezemolo. "Felipe knows next year is very important for him, but it is up to us to give him a competitive car. If we manage it, then I am sure we will rediscover the Felipe who delivered so much and who could be quicker than Michael [Schumacher] and Kimi [Raikkonen].

"Fernando has had an amazing season, even though he did not have a competitive car and he made us all happy at Silverstone, with an emblematic victory, given it came at the same circuit and in the same month in which, sixty years ago, Ferrari took its first ever Formula 1 win.

"What I like about our drivers is their ability to work with the team: I knew that about Felipe and it was a pleasant surprise to find out the same applied to Fernando. I don't like drivers who turn up at the track with their briefcase and do not share in the daily life of the team: they are not Ferrari people."