F1 News: Ferrari Urged To Bring Back Legendary Character As Struggles Continue

Stuck in a situation where Scuderia Ferrari has to constantly fight Mercedes and Aston Martin for the second spot, it is quite clear that the team has been struggling quite badly in the past year. 1978 Formula 1 World Champion Mario Andretti has suggested a few ways that could help Ferrari fire up all its cylinders.

Adding to their problems is the drastic recovery of McLaren into the fight who has found its form and is currently the second quickest, despite a poor start to the 2023 season. Andretti has pitched in his views at a time when Ferrari needs the antidote the most, though the solution seems a bit off-beat. He has urged the team to bring back former Fiat and Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo who recovered Ferrari from sleep mode in the 1990s and got them multiple titles under team boss Jean Todt. Andretti said in an exclusive interview with PlanetF1:

“Ferrari need to bring Montezemolo back.

"That’s my take on it. That’s my opinion.”

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Speaking further on the rumors of Charles Leclerc's long-term contract renewal with Ferrari that extends beyond 2024, Andretti revealed his disappointment with the management by saying:

“I feel so badly for them, both [Charles] and Carlos [Sainz].

"He’s frustrated with what’s going on there at Ferrari. It’s hard to put your finger on that because it seems like something, even strategically, they’re not making all the best decisions.

"That shows frustration to some degree, but the drivers somehow seem like they don’t have enough say in what’s going on. That’s my opinion from the outside looking in, that’s all.

"Anyone that’s a Formula 1 fan, you have to want to pay attention to Ferrari – that’s always something, there’s always a soft spot for them.

"And, right now, I am disappointed in the management of the race team, very disappointed.

"It’s not the drivers, and I’ll tell you that. It’s not the drivers. They’re not providing the drivers with a winning situation at the moment. We’ll see at the next race but not at the moment. I think the drivers are capable of winning.”

A concerned Andretti also voiced his opinions on the options Leclerc has ahead when asked whether it would be right of the Monegasque to extend his contract with Ferrari considering the existing struggles within the team under the leadership of Fred Vasseur. He said:

“Where would he go, at the moment?

"Even if there was say, a Red Bull, why would you want to be next to Max Verstappen? Max will always be number one. Where do you go from Ferrari now?

"It looks like McLaren are looking pretty good, with Oscar Piastri coming on – he’s shown moments of brilliance in the last couple of Grands Prix. I think McLaren is OK in the setup for drivers, I can’t see a change there, so where else would Charles go?

"He’s probably thinking that, Ferrari has been down before… and sooner or later, they’ll be resurgent because they have the tools, seemingly as much as any other team to be able to perform at the top level continuously.

"I’m sure he’ll study the situation quite well before he does [signs a new long-term deal].”

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