Montezemolo Blames Rules for Poor Crowd
Formula One's current regulations are to blame for the dismal attendance at the Italian Grand Prix, according to Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo
An estimated 60,000 people attended the Grand Prix on Sunday, with the total number of people visiting Monza during the weekend not reaching 100,000, a considerable drop from last year.
Di Montezemolo said the tickets prices, as well as Ferrari's poor form, were among the reasons for the poor figures. The Italian, however, criticised the regulations and said they are the main reason why the tifosi did not attend Ferrari's home race.
"It's down to the absurd regulations, to the price of the tickets, and to the fact that Ferrari isn't here to win has it has been since 1996," di Montezemolo said. "F1 is extreme technology: one should be able to change tyres every lap, if he wanted to, in order to obtain maximum competitiveness.
"When we won a GP with four tyre changes we did something technically and sportively exceptional. I don't like a dumbed down F1, with taxi drivers on worn out tyres. I'm against this version of F1. Ferrari won like no one else and accepted that regulations got changed every season.
"This year Ferrari didn't win; let's hope it's the occasion to look again at the regulations. I spoke about it to Mosley and Ecclestone. To cut costs is useful, but so is giving back to F1 overtaking, extreme technological research, exciting qualifying and spectators."
Ferrari failed to scored on Sunday, with Michael Schumacher finishing down in 10th place and Rubens Barrichello in 12th.
Pizzonia: I Need Another Chance Soon
Schumacher: Give Me a Winning Ferrari
The “solemn promise” that cost quiet hero Brooks an F1 title
After two terrifying crashes, one of the best British racers of the 1950s retired before his career peaked. But that’s why GP Racing’s MAURICE HAMILTON was able to speak to Tony Brooks in 2014. Like his friend Stirling Moss, Brooks was regarded as one of the best drivers never to have won the world championship. Here, as our tribute to Brooks who died last month, is that interview in full
Inside the Faenza facility where AlphaTauri’s F1 pragmatic vision is realised
AlphaTauri’s mission in F1 is to sell clothes and train young drivers rather than win the championship – but you still need a cutting-edge factory to do that. Team boss Franz Tost takes GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV on a guided tour of a facility that’s continuing to grow
Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons
Gilles Villeneuve's exploits behind the wheel of a Ferrari made him a legend to the tifosi, even 40 years after his death. The team's current Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc enjoys a similar status, and recently got behind the wheel of a very special car from the French-Canadian’s career
How a 30cm metal wire triggered open warfare in the F1 paddock
Porpoising has become the key talking point during the 2022 Formula 1 season, as teams battle to come to terms with it. An FIA technical directive ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix and a second stay appearing on the Mercedes cars only served to create a bigger debate and raise tensions further
Does Verstappen have any weaknesses left?
Having extended his Formula 1 points lead with victory in Canada, Max Verstappen has raised his game further following his 2021 title triumph. Even on the days where Red Bull appears to be second best to Ferrari, Verstappen is getting the most out of the car in each race. So, does he have any weaknesses that his title rivals can exploit?
How F1's future fuels can shape the automotive sector
In 2026, Formula 1 plans to make the switch to a fully sustainable fuel, as the greater automotive world considers its own alternative propulsion methods. Biogasoline and e-fuels both have merit as 'drop-in' fuels but, equally, both have their shortcomings...
The breakthrough behind Sainz’s best weekend of F1 2022 so far
OPINION: Carlos Sainz came close to winning in Monaco but needed that race’s specific circumstances for his shot at a maiden Formula 1 victory to appear. Last weekend in Canada, he led the line for Ferrari in Charles Leclerc’s absence from the front. And there’s a key reason why Sainz has turned his 2022 form around
Canadian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
Plenty of high scores but just a single perfect 10 from the first Montreal race in three years, as Max Verstappen fended off late pressure from Carlos Sainz. Here’s Autosport’s assessment on the Formula 1 drivers from the Canadian Grand Prix