Question: How long will you wait and observe before you change something within the team? You cannot be happy with the way it is now…
Luca di Montezemolo: Of course I am totally unhappy. But the stability of the team and confidence with the team has been my main goal since1992 and I will continue, as this team is exactly the same team that passed the finish line in Brazil - not 20 years ago but a few months ago - to win the championship. So I have no problem. When I know the reason I am confident, but when I don’t know the reason I am worried. I know the reason, my people know the reason and they are fully committed, so I am very confident. Then I am upset for other reasons, but they have nothing to do with the team.
Question: What is the present situation regarding unity within FOTA?
Luca di Montezemolo: Well, I think the unity of FOTA is good. We will have a meeting in London on May 6 to discuss, as we did at the end of April, and we don’t know yet the exact rules for next year as stability is important to keep the costs down. We have made so many changes in the past year that now we need stability in the future. Some teams have taken the opportunity from very bad rules by making their own interpretation. What we will try to do is to get all the teams together as this is a very difficult moment.
Question: Can you clarify Michael Schumacher’s position with the team?
Luca di Montezemolo: This whole situation was a little bit invented by the press. Michael’s position has been very clear since the beginning. When Michael stopped I asked him: ‘Michael do you want to become a manager? Do you want for one year to be the right hand of Jean Todt and then replace Jean Todt? Yes or No?’ He said no. So we said: ‘Why don’t you come sometimes to the races.’ But his main engagement was to work on the development of the road cars. He has a very good connection with our technicians but he has no role inside the team because he has no time to be present in Maranello. Having said that, Michael is part of our family, Michael is part of our history and he has a good relationship with Stefano Domenicali and is always welcome to suggest an idea. No more, no less.
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