As has become more recurring these days, Luca Di Montezemolo has offered his thoughts on the KERS system concept due to be functioning in 2009. FIA President MAx Mosley has made eco-friendlyness a prime mover for some of his most recent initiatives and pressed the KERS system into existence for the 2009 series championship. While some, I’m looking at you BMW, have embraced the concept, others are not too sure. One can include Ferrari in this “not too sure” group:
“It’s not possible in one night to do everything. It’s a process. Year on year. The KERS is a mistake,” said di Montezemolo. “Whatever we discover there is nothing in common between F1’s KERS and road car KERS.
“But for 2012 KERS can be an important part of a new package that addresses properly the environmental concerns. KERS is the biggest part of F1 spending for 2009.
“I’m not against the principle of KERS – it’s very important to put in front of the teams research that benefits the environment – but the way it is at the moment is a mistake. It has to be a package looking ahead and we have three or four years to work on the whole engine/KERS package.”
But is it really odd to have a more vocal Luca these days? In my opinion, no. He is the chairman of FOTA and has raised the ire of Bernard Ecclestone in recent weeks with his suggestion that the revenue is not divided properly. John Howett has supported Luca’s position by claiming Bernie will have to work harder than exposing Ferrari’s cream puff on-top-of payment to foil the unity and power FOTA is gaining. With that in mind, Luca also shared his thoughts on Bernie’s most recent venues he has added the F1 calendar.
“Having two or three Monte Carlos is too much,” he added. “Next time we can race inside the Coliseum, or maybe inside the Papacy. This is not racing.
“I don’t think we need more boats, historic skylines. I think we need more race tracks where it’s possible to overtake, where the public can enjoy the competition, not a place where a crash like Piquet had can destroy the whole race. One of the problems F1 is facing, is we need to improve competition, so that the racing is good not only when it rains or the safety car creates a situation.
“If we look at the last 10 years we change many times the technical and sporting rules. Sometimes it’s important to change, even if just to start the competition again from a blank page.
“But it’s like asking a football player to play in the rain with just training shoes, so he slips all over the course. It’s artificial. I think we need the tech rules to improve he possibility to overtake.
“New tracks, with good opportunities for overtaking. Real tracks, not touristic tracks. At least Monte Carlo has history. Having two or three of them is too much.”
