In what is odd given its timing, Luca Montezemolo has stated for the 2nd time that Alonso cannot drive for himself but for the team. He stated that Alonso must be a team player.
This is on the back of Stefano Domenicali’s recent comments on how they felt Alonso would lead the team at Maranello back to the top spots. This dramatic U-turn is not by accident or without purpose.
Luca making things very clear....
Allegations of neglect on Ferrari’s part to support Kimi Raikkonen and favouring Felipe Massa have not been helped due to the sudden upturn of Kimi’s performance in the absence of the Brazilian ace. Ferrari had similarly made the same accusations that Kimi drove for himself. The exact meaning behind this statement is cryptic at best.
What does it mean when a driver drives for himself? What does it mean to drive for the team? These are really tricky questions to be answered. Does Ferrari mean that a driver cannot think only for himself when he goes for the title? If true this goes against the notion of the ruthless will to win that many great champions have had as a common trait.
You cannot tell a top champion he has to play for the team, he always races to be the champion by hook or cook, some even bend the rules to achieve this, while this is not condoned or appropriate. This is one of the defining features or as some say ‘flaws’ of many greats.
“I spoke with him and I told him that if you come to drive for us, it’s because we want you, you drive for a team, you drive for a group, you don’t drive for yourself,” says Luca. Montezemlo has clarified in past that the driver is not above the team.
One can jokingly ask Luca, if that meant Alonso needs to drive for Massa? How else can a driver be a team player? He is after all there to do well for himself not for anyone else. That is what every driver who comes into F1 aspires for. Nobody comes into F1 claiming they will be glad to spend the rest of their short careers as supporting drivers to ‘help’ the team.
Alonso fans can’t be blamed for fearing it had the tones along the lines of being a 2nd driver to Ferrari’s preferred choices at times, whoever that maybe be. Be it Massa or someone else in the future.
Loading ...