Lauda: Ecclestone and Montezemolo’s criticisms are “stupid”

We know it, the era of V6 engines and reduced consumption doesn’t please either the F1’s financial chief, unhappy with the new engine sound, or the president of Scuderia, dismayed at witnessing taxi races (at least before Bahrain).

Denigrating his own sport is an attitude that does not make Niki Lauda thrilled. And that’s an understatement, after the non-executive chairman of Mercedes criticized the two men in the columns of Autosport: « What we are doing right now, due to all these influences, is destroying our own sport ».

The Austrian takes the opportunity to draw a parallel with the film Rush, with which he was heavily involved and even appeared in person: « If Ron Howard had said ‘I’m making a film called Rush, and I can tell you it’s the worst film I’ve ever made’ – and that’s what happens in Formula 1 – (…), then no one would have gone to see it. »

Niki Lauda goes even further, describing the behavior of the detractors of the new F1 as stupid: “I have never seen such a stupid approach. How can you act this way? It should never have come to this point, as we are destroying our own sport. This is my greatest concern.”

One could obviously suspect that Niki Lauda is such an ardent fan of the new F1 since Mercedes has been dominating the podiums… The man himself defends against this accusation: « I speak as a normal person, not as an employee of Mercedes. It’s ridiculous. I don’t care about the identity of the winner, but it’s extremely unfair now if someone complains and protests because the first races were won by Mercedes. Red Bull and Vettel bored everyone during the second half of last season by winning nine races, and nobody said anything. »

Bernie Ecclestone, Luca di Montezemolo, as well as Sebastian Vettel, who had described the sound of the V6 engines as shitty, will appreciate it.