Montezemolo wants end to political rows

With FIA president Max Mosley warning that the sport could face fresh trouble because he believes teams have gone back on the terms of an agreement reached this week to secure the future of F1, there have been renewed fears of a breakaway championship.

Di Montezemolo is keeping a positive outlook on the situation, however, and reckons that the focus should be on making the sport better rather than carrying on arguing.

Responding to a question about the positive response fans have made about this week's deal between the FIA and the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA), di Montezemolo told the official Ferrari website he shared their optimism about what was agreed.

"I am very pleased for the agreement, [and] I was not surprised because I understand the spectators, they are pissed off with all these polemics - the press releases, unclear rules, rules that change every six months," explained di Montezemolo.

"We need stability. We need peace. We need transparency. We love F1; we want a F1 as always extreme - extreme in terms of technology and competition. The best drivers, the best teams, the best cars, this is what we try to achieve.

"I am very pleased for this result and also for the very good atmosphere that I found in Paris with the World Council, the FIA. So I think together with the FIA we have done a good agreement looking ahead.

"Now, stop with all the polemics, because we love F1. We don't want to contribute to...take off the big charm and the unique elements of F1."

Mosley is seeking a public apology from FOTA about what he believes were deliberately misleading claims made to the media this week. Although such a statement has not been forthcoming, di Montezemolo's stance suggests the teams have no desire to get locked in a confrontation with the FIA president.

Instead, the head of FOTA says the focus is on making F1 better - by improving the on-track show and helping fans off it.

"First of all, I think that what we have obtained are three very important elements - stability, less costs - it means coming back to the level of the costs of the 1990s and also that F1, which is far more important, will remain F1 and does not become F3. This is crucial for us," he said.

"Of course we have to improve everything and this is why we want to be more involved in the decisions of the sport, because we want more spectators in the circuits, tickets less expensive because today the tickets are too expensive, and to have more show.

"Maybe the possibility to have some teams or all the teams to run even a third car, to have more possibility to overtake - but increasing technology research, extreme performance and overall competition."