F1 | Montezemolo defends Mercedes: “The team orders? Ferrari won the World Championships with me like this."

Intervened at the microphones of BBC Sport, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo he expressed anything but banal concepts on the latest Italian Grand Prix and, in particular, on Ferrari.

The former president of the Cavallino, first of all, defended Mercedes from the copious criticism received in Monza for the team orders imposed on Valtteri Bottas: “I can tell you that when I was president we won championships this way” – began Montezemolo. “This is part of history and Bottas did nothing wrong. I would have done the same. I can tell you that when I was president and CEO we won championships this way, with Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa, with Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello and with Michael and Eddie Irvine. If I had been in charge of Ferrari, in the same conditions as Mercedes, I would have made exactly the same choices. So, it's over.".

Montezemolo then focused on the words released post-race by team principal Maurizio Arrivabene (“We hire pilots, not butlers”): “I heard someone criticize… This is normal, in life it is difficult to win, but it is more difficult to accept when you don't win”.

Finally, a reminder to public of Monza, guilty of having booed Hamilton on the podium: “I'm not happy with what I saw, even from the public” – the words of Montezemolo. “Lewis is a great champion, he was always very correct and had a fantastic race. What happened was very bad and I'm really angry.".