Domenicali: “Ferrari wanted Kubica”

It was a special day for two thirty-year-old Italians, great fans of Scuderia Ferrari but certainly not inclined to spare it criticism, almost like football ultras. They were the ones chosen to experience a day in Maranello but, above all, meet one of the major targets of their attacks via social networks. And yes, because Riccardo Verdelli, designer from Arezzo, and Gian Maria Lamberti, web marketing manager of a company from Mantua, have not been gentle with Ferrari in recent months: precisely to give the opportunity to speak directly with the team without "virtual" filters for those who are perhaps more critical, the Scuderia has chosen to organize this meeting together with the "Gazzetta dello Sport", in order to make people feel in the most incisive way possible how important the fans are to it and how carefully they are listened to .

In the hour of open chat, Riccardo and Gian Maria were able to ask all the questions they wanted, even the most uncomfortable ones: this is the faithful account.

The first one starts, calling himself "the most poisonous", and talks about various topics: "I don't like it when after a Grand Prix jokes are made about the wrong Red Bull breaking down. Nor that Alonso complains about the car after every race. I would like you to listen to him more, while she almost seems to be siding with him. It's also not nice that last year in Austin you sabotaged Massa's change to favor Alonso. Ferrari is a legend and I would leave certain style slips to others. More sportsmanship." Domenicali: «You are facing the sportiest person in the world. In all races, whether you see it or not, I compliment my opponents. In Austin we didn't sabotage the gearbox, but exploited an article in the regulation that allowed the seals to be broken. Ferrari's interest comes first of all: if we had lost the World Championship due to the points we would have left there, the evaluation would have been different. Unlike others, we openly say the things we do. The Red Bull jokes? They were a way to defuse tension and lighten things up, you could tell from the tone. Alonso? If I have to say something to him, like to my engineers, I do it within four walls, and even in a harsh way. But on the outside I will always defend the team. When things went over the top, President Montezemolo intervened and so did I in private."

It's the second guest's turn: «Why have you kept Massa until now? After the accident in 2009 it was never the same for me and I'm happy that Raikkonen is back." Domenicali: «There are two reasons. From a medical perspective, there was no evidence that the accident had left any permanent damage, such as vision or reflex problems. And then the elegance: we seemed to give an unlucky driver the chance to demonstrate that he deserved to stay with us. If Felipe didn't achieve the desired performances, it was mainly due to a certain hypersensitivity to a car that was too nervous at the rear but in 2008 he came close to the title and I consider him a world champion. We signed Raikkonen because we want more. When we replaced him with Alonso he wasn't happy, so he comes back with a great desire to do well."

We start again from Verdelli: «Does Ferrari consider Italian drivers? Do you see anyone from F.1 on the horizon? Domenicali: «We feel this responsibility, so we created the Academy for young people. With Antonio Fuoco and Raffaele Marciello, in whom we are investing, we have won two championships this year. Will they drive Ferrari one day? I hope so. But you have to find the right categories to get there. Furthermore, it will be important to work with CSAI for a growth path at affordable costs. We started by creating the F4 as the first step after the kart." Lamberti again: «What does Red Bull have more than you? I hear about strange mappings...". Domenicali: «We are all trying to understand it. But it is useless to make accusations if there is no proof. The FIA ​​can check the control units if the Red Bull people don't find anything good."

Verdelli continues: «After four years without the World Cup, are you still sure about the choice to hire Alonso?». Domenicali: «If in four years we have come close to the title twice, it is also thanks to him. Unfortunately we were not able to give him a car suited to his talent. You compare him with Vettel, but when you have a superior car everything is simpler." Finally, a curiosity: «Was there really an intention to take Kubica and will he return to F.1?». Domenicali: «Yes, we were following him. Unfortunately I don't think he will return, because with his physical problem he would have difficulty in certain extreme situations that require reactivity. Sin".