Zoom Montezemolo happy with FIA - FOTA compromise

Four or five more teams, as well as Ferrari, would have followed Honda out of the sport had the FIA imposed a standard engine formula.

That is the revelation of Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo, who as Chairman of Formula One Teams’ Association oversaw the cost-slashing compromise solution with the FIA President Max Mosley.

"If one engine for all the teams had come in, at least four - maybe five - teams would have left. And I mean four or five in addition to Ferrari," the Italian is quoted as saying by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Instead, FOTA and FIA came to a compromise where millions of Euros will be cut out of annual budgets by de-tuning the current engines, and introducing radical measures including a total in-season testing ban.

Montezemolo also responded to Lewis Hamilton's recent claim that he has no desire to ever switch to Ferrari.

"Without doubt, he is a great driver, able to fight for the title in his first year and then win in the second. But, with all due respect, I would not swap him for Felipe Massa."

As for Hamilton's apparent lifetime Ferrari snub, Montezemolo added: "Usually, it is Ferrari that makes the choices. Kimi Raikkonen came to Ferrari and won the championship. And it was because of our mistakes that Massa did not win this year."

Source: GMM
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