Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has assured team principal Stefano Domenicali his job is secure for next season.
Di Montezemolo confirms that Ferrari team boss is staying put
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has assured team principal Stefano Domenicali his job is secure for next season - but expects him to deliver on the promises he made earlier this week.
Di Montezemolo made his annual visit to Monza for Italian Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday as Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa respectively set the fourth and sixth quickest times.
In front of Ferrari's 'tifosi' fans, that was not exactly the performance they or Di Montezemolo would have wished for. Yet it was one that was consistent with what has arguably been a mediocre season to date.
Despite Domenicali having delivered only one title approaching the end of his fourth season in charge, and in light of mounting speculation as to his future, Di Montezemolo has confirmed he will remain at the helm in 2012.
Asked if he was committed to Domenicali for next season and beyond, Di Montezemolo replied: "The answer to the question, in one word, is yes.
"We won the championship (with Kimi Raikkonen) in 2007, and then we lost at the last corner of the last lap of the last race in 2008.
"Then last year we did something that I thought was impossible to do, but again we lost the championship at the last race.
"Don't forget that since 1997, except for 2005 and 2009, Ferrari has always won, or if we've not won, lost the championship at the last race. So Ferrari has always been at the top.
"When Todt (former team principal Jean) left the company (at the end of 2007), it meant a new era, new people, a new mentality.
"Domenicali is very committed, and I am sorry for him, for me and the tifosi we did not win last year, and that we do not have a competitive car this year.
"So the target for next year, as always, is to win."
Earlier this week, Domenicali said that foundations are being built for a new era of Ferrari dominance of the type seen when Michael Schumacher raced for them.
Despite putting himself in a position to fall, Di Montezemolo said of Domenicali: "I am very happy my team manager is so confident, and I look forward he will be in a position to deliver.
"I am happy to say this because it means he has a deep commitment to deliver, firstly to the tifosi, so he will be very busy doing that."
