Former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo believes the team could end its decade-long wait for a Formula 1 title this year as Mercedes are less competitive this season.
Sebastian Vettel took a one-point lead in the drivers’ championship over Lewis Hamilton in Canada. Ferrari remains 17 points behind Mercedes in the constructors’ championship.
But di Montezemolo is encouraged by Vettel’s position compared to 12 months ago, when he was leading the championship but faced a stronger Mercedes. “If you look at last year, I hope that Seb will not have too much pressure on him,” said di Montezemolo.“He’s strong, the car is good. Mercedes until now doesn’t seem to be so competitive. So there are a lot of chances. Maybe this could be the good year.”
Montezemolo wants to see Vettel succeed Michael Schumacher as Ferrari’s next multiple champion.
“Michael has won many championships with us. Seb, unfortunately, no. I hope he will soon start a new era winning in a row championships like Michael.
“I think Seb is a very good driver. Michael always [had] a very good opinion of him. I hope that he can follow Michael [but] to achieve the same results of Michael is not so easy even if he is young, strong, a good driver”
“When I hired Sebastian – because I was the guy who just a few weeks before leaving the team signed the deal with Vettel – Michael was for sure pleased,” di Montezemolo added. “He told me since a few years before that Vettel in his opinion was a good driver for Ferrari.”
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2018 F1 season
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Pippa
22nd June 2018, 8:41
The fix is on. Ferrari will win the title while Merc suddenly develop tyre and engine problems after years of near perfection .
Understeer (@abdelilah)
22nd June 2018, 8:45
Lewis isn’t as competitive.
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
22nd June 2018, 9:08
I swear I kept hearing this when Ferrari was led by…..
huh, no wonder.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
22nd June 2018, 9:24
@davidnotcoulthard LOL, so he’s jinxed it, then?
eljueta (@eljueta)
22nd June 2018, 10:15
Yes. 1 point from each other and already making predictions. It’s almost like Ferrari don’t want people to like them.
Understeer (@abdelilah)
22nd June 2018, 12:48
@eljueta Mercedes and Lewis aren’t that competitive this year, Lewis is closely matched by Bottas, and Mercedes failed to bring an upgraded engine in Canada and maybe in France, this never happened before in this hybrid era, even Rosberg who was way faster than Bottas wan’t that close to Lewis, his reliability won him the championship in 2016, but on paper he was hopeless against Lewis.