Ecclestone considered Montezemolo for F1 chairman role
Bernie Ecclestone revealed that former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo was a leading candidate to chair Formula One, citing his public presence but questioning his appetite for daily management.
Bernie Ecclestone named Luca di Montezemolo as a serious contender to chair Formula One, saying the former Ferrari president would have made a strong public figure for the sport. Ecclestone, who led F1’s commercial operations for decades, made the remarks in an interview with The Times after Montezemolo’s departure from Ferrari in late 2014.
Montezemolo, who led Ferrari from 1991 to 2014, left Maranello following a power struggle with Sergio Marchionne. Since then, he has taken up roles outside motorsport, including leading Rome’s Olympic bid and chairing Alitalia. Ecclestone said Montezemolo’s experience and stature made him an obvious choice to represent F1 publicly, especially as chairman of the board.
Montezemolo’s strengths and limitations
While Ecclestone described Montezemolo as an ideal “front man” for Formula One, he doubted whether the Italian executive would have wanted the hands-on, administrative demands of the role. Ecclestone said Montezemolo was not the type to manage the day-to-day paperwork or operational details required to run the business side of the sport.
Ecclestone said that if Brabeck-Letmathe had stepped down, Montezemolo would have been his preferred replacement as chairman. In the end, Brabeck-Letmathe remained in place after recovering from health issues, and Montezemolo’s F1 leadership did not materialise.
The episode highlights the close links between Ferrari leadership and Formula One’s governance, as well as the value placed on public image in the sport’s top jobs. For more on Montezemolo’s views on F1 politics, seeMontezemolo: Ecclestone’s Monza Exit Threats Are Nothing New.
