Former Ferrari Chairman Reflects on Life and Legacy: “My film ‘Dreaming of Red’ is a story for everyone. My biggest regret is not having Senna.”
“Looking back at my life in a film, it always feels like I experienced nine things out of ten just yesterday. That means they left a mark, and I’ll never stop thanking Enzo Ferrari. He had the courage to bet on a guy who wanted to become an international lawyer.” Luca di Montezemolo, former President of Ferrari and Fiat, and former head of Confindustria, recounts a life full of achievements in “Dreaming of Red,” the documentary set to premiere on Sky on Friday.
What emotions did the film experience evoke, even captivating new Formula 1 fans?
“Years ago, a very important American publishing house approached me with a project for a book about my life. I declined, feeling I was still too young. Later, through those contacts, Manish Pandev (director of “Senna”) came to me with a film proposal, asking me to choose the actor who would portray me.”
Who suggested that?
“No one. I’ve never believed in acted racing films. Manish mentioned Hugh Grant, but I declined. Six months later, he returned with two pages of information about my life, details I’d even forgotten. I liked the script: 70% Ferrari and 30% everything else – Azzurra, the World Championships, and Italo, one of the projects I’m most attached to. It’s a film for everyone, not just enthusiasts.”
Bologna features prominently in the film, the home city of Kimi Antonelli. What do you see in him?
“His victory really moved me, he’s a 19-year-old constantly improving. He had problems with starts, yet he didn’t give up – he took the lead and drove confidently, only facing risks at the end. He demonstrated maturity and coolness, not typical of an Italian, and certainly not someone his age. He has his feet on the ground, I hope he always stays that way; the prerequisites are all there. But it bothered me a little to see him in a Mercedes.”
You would have preferred him at Ferrari?
“Exactly.”
But the Italian driver-Ferrari pairing hasn’t been particularly successful, unless we go back to distant eras. Why?
“Today, the conditions are different than years ago. They don’t just seem at results in karting, but at simulator numbers. Drivers are developed there. It’s easier to choose very young drivers. The only one who impressed me at the time was Verstappen – at 12 years old, he was the fastest of them all, but he was ‘occupied,’ I spoke about it with Helmut Marko. But taking someone like Antonelli and immediately putting him in Ferrari would have meant destroying him. Massa was parked at Sauber to gain experience.”
Really?
“Yes, it would have set immense pressure on him. I remember the times of Lauda and Regazzoni; they wrote that we gave Niki the better car, but that wasn’t true.”
What advice would you give to Kimi?
“I met him last year in Bahrain, I knew his father through racing activities. I called him to congratulate him. He’s a nice and shy boy. He’s fortunate to have a solid family, he understands the values. I would suggest he continue to improve, as, with all due respect, he was perfect on a clearly superior machine. I’ve seen several drivers who thought they were phenomenal after just a few Grands Prix. But Kimi is different, and Mercedes did a great job: last year he debuted in F1 on a non-winning car, without the pressure he’s facing now.”
Are there any other young drivers you admire?
“Bearman, he drives for Haas but is a Ferrari driver. He has great potential.”
In Ferrari, you brought in Lauda, Schumacher, Alonso, Raikkonen, Massa. What’s your biggest regret?
“Senna. It’s also one of the most beautiful scenes in the film, you see the armchair in my Bologna home where he sat just days before his death at Imola. We talked about everything, from the history of Ferrari to politics. It would have been a beautiful union. He once told me: ‘I arrive at Bologna airport with Alesi, and everyone goes to Jean, even though I’m the world champion. I want to drive a Ferrari.’”
Who was Senna?
“Someone who was always trying to improve himself, like Niki Lauda and Michael Schumacher. When I hear Sinner talk about the need to change his serve or response, it reminds me of Ayrton and other great champions.”
Success always seems to follow Montezemolo, the script writes itself. Where did you enjoy yourself the most?
“At Ferrari, without a doubt. Beautiful nights, but also sleepless ones. The night before the 2000 Suzuka race, Schumacher’s first World Championship. The second was when I was asked to become President of Fiat, which was then in the hands of the banks, but I couldn’t say no to the Agnelli family.”
The Documentary “Dreaming of Red”
Premieres on Sky Documentaries on March 20th
And Ferrari today?
“I’m sorry, at least from what the start of the season has shown, to see that they have a good car but not one capable of winning the championship. What hurts me most is that in the last ten years they have never been in the final race fighting for the drivers’ title. In my time, we lost 11 championships at the last race, I remember them as punches to the stomach, but we were there to fight for it.”
Is there at least some hope for this year?
“The gap is quite disconcerting, but the teams that are chasing can grow, and there will be long stops. Perhaps it’s not so certain.”
Do you like the new electrified F1?
“F1 must innovate without losing its essence. When I see a driver waiting to recharge the battery instead of overtaking, I’m perplexed. But I would wait before making a definitive judgment.”
Would you have built a Red electric car?
“Not even under drugs.”
