5 Reasons Why Ferrari Is Stupid To Let Luca Di Montezemolo Quit

Legendary Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo will officially leave Ferrari on October 13th and will be replaced by Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne.

In a statement announcing the news, he said his resignation has been prompted by the planned flotation of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles on the New York Stock Exchange, adding that it “will open up a new and different phase which I feel should be spearheaded by the CEO of the Group”.

It’s been a long and largely successful era for Ferrari with di Montezemolo at the helm, so we’ve rounded up his greatest achievements at Maranello:

Titles with Lauda

The Italian’s association with Ferrari first started in the 1970s, becoming Enzo Ferrari’s assistant in 1973 and the F1 outfit’s team principal in 1974. He played a big role in Niki Lauda’s two titles in 1975 and 1977, bringing the Scuderia back to its winning ways.

Building the foundations

After moving on to other projects in the 1980s, di Montezemolo was recalled to Ferrari to bring the F1 team back to championship winning glory.

He hired Jean Todt from Peugeot’s endurance racing outfit, and the arrivals of Michael Schumacher and Ross Brawn a few years later laid the foundations for Ferrari’s rise to the top.

Domination

Under his leadership, Ferrari returned to winning F1 championships in the early 2000s. It turned out to be one of the most dominant spells in the history of the sport. The Maranello-based team won six consecutive constructors’ titles (1999-2004) as well as five drivers’ championships with Schumacher (2000-2004).

Reviving the road car business

Di Montezemolo also played a major role in the revival of Ferrari’s road car business in the 1990s, turning debt into profits and helping build the iconic brand that we all see today.

Product expansion

In recent years he has helped Ferrari increase its road car line-up, expanding the product portfolio and moving the manufacturer from a supercar specialist to arguably the most famous sports car company in the world.

The current Ferrari line-up is one of the strongest it has ever had, featuring the likes of the stunning LaFerrari, the 458 and the FF. It’ll be interesting to see what changes Marchionne makes. Rumour has it he’ll usher in a new phase of larger volumes and potentially even a Ferrari SUV. The boys from Maranello need to make money, but it’ll be interesting to see if a dilution of the brand affects its image - Porsche hasn’t exactly suffered with the Cayenne, after all.