DI MONTEZEMOLO CONCERN MISGUIDED
Ferrari president Luca Di Montezemolo may claim to have the interests of Formula One at heart, but he would be wise to look inwardly at his team's failings first before attempting to address those of the sport.
Di Montezemolo remarked this week he felt it his "duty...to recover the lost charm of Formula One" as he believes there are inherent flaws that are in imminent need of correction.
There is some truth to Di Montezemolo's comments, but then this is F1 - when has there not been a time when something needed fixing?
But then over the past few years the sport's rule makers, primarily the FIA, have far from buried their heads in the sand.
We have witnessed the arrival of DRS (the drag reduction system) to aid overtaking, similarly with KERS (kinetic energy recovery system), a power-boost button strategically designed to assist a driver either to defend or attack.
This season alone we have had the biggest shake-up to the regulations for many a year, with teams pushing the boundaries of technology with the creation of the power unit.
With F1 there will always be winners and losers, and I do not mean on the track itself, but off it as the very essence of the sport rewards innovation and clever creativity for those able to think outside the box.
For four consecutive years from 2010 to 2013 it was Red Bull in the ascendancy, spearheaded by design guru Adrian Newey whose ingenuity - in terms of trophies won - has no equal.
Now Mercedes have come to the fore, pushing to the limit their power unit that has given them a distinct advantage over their manufacturer rivals in Renault, and of course, Ferrari.
What has to be remembered is F1 has never been about teams competing on an equal footing, either financially, behind the scenes, or out on the circuit.
There are those who believe that should be the case, but that is why there are series such as Formula Renault 3.5 and its ilk.
If you want that kind of racing then go and watch that.
The phrase 'everybody is equal, just some more equal than others' has never been more apt when it comes to Ferrari.
Di Montezemolo's marque is heavily financially rewarded as the 66-year-old's team receive a 'historical payment' to the tune of an estimated £70million in recognition of Ferrari's longevity in F1.
True, Ferrari have been involved since day one, and perhaps deserve acknowledgement for such an achievement.
But their incomings from F1 dwarf those of their fellow competitors, so where does that money go?
Certainly not on a winning team that's for sure as it is now 23 races since one of the iconic red machines last took a chequered flag - Fernando Alonso in the Spanish Grand Prix in May 2013.
For all the money Ferrari possess, they have not been able to turn that into creativity, and with it a winning car.
They did so over a decade ago when they won six constructors' titles in a row and five successive drivers' championships with Michael Schumacher at the wheel.
Did F1 need fixing then in Di Montezemolo's eyes? Not a bit of it.
So whilst his intentions may be honourable, they are also misguided because it is not F1 that requires a cure.
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It was at Hockenheim four years ago nine words were uttered that will likely haunt Felipe Massa to his grave.
Leading the German Grand Prix and on course for a highly-emotional win one year on from an horrific accident that almost claimed his life, Massa's role at Ferrari was laid bare for all to see.
When engineer Rob Smedley took to the radio to inform Massa 'Felipe, Fernando is faster than you. Do you understand?', it was a black moment for the Brazilian.
The message was code, banned at the time, instructing Massa to let pass team-mate Alonso and allow the Spaniard to take the chequered flag.
It was a sentence that had to be repeated as Massa perhaps failed to initially comprehend what he had just heard.
Massa ultimately obeyed, reluctantly so, and in that instant the dynamic within Ferrari was comprehensively altered.
Massa has since found a new lease of life this season following his arrival at Williams, and whilst luck has undoubtedly not been on his side so far, it is clear he has the car beneath him to do well.
With Smedley now Williams' head of vehicle performance there would be a certain sense of justice if the man from Middlesbrough again took to the radio at some stage in Sunday's return and with a wry smile told Massa 'Felipe, you are faster than Fernando. Do you understand?'
