Montezemolo: I wanted a Ferrari man, not a mercenary

Ferrari president has said that he has complete confidence in new team principal Marco Mattiacci and added that his Ferrari heritage is more important than F1 knowledge and he has vowed to spend more time in Formula 1 personally.

"I decided to appoint a young manager in whom I have a great deal of confidence and someone from the Ferrari family, rather than going around the world looking for some mercenary," Montezemolo said yesterday.

"We are full of talent with quality and capability and and we are full of technical people from whom I now expect an immediate reaction. (Mattiacci's) appointment, above all, was made in full agreement with (FIAT CEO Sergio) Marchionne.

"I will help him, like I have done in the past I will be closer to F1, I will spend more time there. Let's look ahead, everyone must do everything they can to return us to competitiveness."

It is interesting that Montezemolo has said that he will be "more present" in F1, as we have seen with the return of Ron Dennis at McLaren, the big beasts are returning to the jungle, sensing a change in the natural order.

There is a clear sense that F1 is entering a period of change with Bernie Ecclestone's trial starting next week on bribery charges and - whatever the outcome in Munich - Ecclestone saying that he will step back from full control of the running of the sport to take a more strategic role. Main shareholder CVC wants to retain a stake in the business and grow the commercial revenues significantly and the big beasts want to be involved in what comes next.

Montezemolo and Ferrari have a powerful position in the sport with a veto right and a say in who replaces Ecclestone as Formula 1 CEO. Montezemolo clearly senses that he needs to stay close to the sport in this next period to be able to take advantage of uncertainties and changes in situation.

This is also because he believes wholeheartedly that the sport is on the wrong track in terms of the regulations, as he said in Bahrain, "They are ruining a great sport through the regulations, we will not allow that." he said. "For us F1 is our life."