Alonso: Vettel rumors don't help Ferrari

Scuderia Ferrari is at the heart of speculation after competing in the Italian Grand Prix a few hours before the announcement of the departure of Luca di Montezemolo, former President of the Prancing Horse replaced by Sergio Marchionne. The poor results of the stable Maranello place the latter at the center of all the rumors, the latest speculations evoking a replacement of Fernando Alonso by Sebastian Vettel.

“These rumors created in Italy are regrettable”, replied the double world champion in the paddock of the Singapore Grand Prix. “It’s all the more unfortunate as it doesn’t help Ferrari. This manufacturer is a bigger brand than any or even the F1 generally. I have a lot of respect for Ferrari and I try to maintain a good atmosphere within the team so that it is particularly united. This is what we need and this is what the public expects of us. The reasons for these rumors coming from Italy are therefore not very clear to me. »

On the other hand, Fernando Alonso was more relaxed in addressing the subject of measures taken on radio conversations where teams will no longer be able to give indications on performance to their drivers from this weekend in Singapore. “It won't make a big difference, it shouldn't have a big impact on the race itself or the preparations for the weekend. In any case, we are not in the habit at Ferrari of using the radio for performance reasons. We use it for temperature control, traffic management and strategy. I don't know how this will affect other teams. Like any change in general, there was a lot of media interest. This was already the case for the FRIC, but we saw that the impact was not obvious. I think it will be the same with the rules taken on the radio. It's like coaching a football or basketball team without being able to talk to your players: in the end it's the player who shoots the ball. Our driving will not be changed and it's not as if we don't know how to drive on a circuit. »

Finally, Fernando Alonso could not conclude without mentioning Luca di Montezemolo who made one last stand at Monza before having to give up his seat. “He was our leader for many years and it was a fantastic moment for Ferrari. I wish him good luck for his future projects (Alitalia is mentioned). »