Montezemolo wants Vettel if Alonso leaves Ferrari and keeps an eye on Grosjean
In the event of Fernando Alonso's departure, Luca di Montezemolo tells the German press that Sebastian Vettel would be the favorite to replace him, ahead of Lewis Hamilton. In the meantime, the Ferrari president is already focusing on the drivers who will mainly capture his attention in 2013, namely Nico Hülkenberg and Romain Grosjean.
If the 2012 Formula 1 season was marked by the duel between Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel on the track, right up to the last Grand Prix, it was also shaped by the saga surrounding the possibility of the Heppenheim native joining Maranello, in the short or long term. Earlier this season, Luca di Montezemolo ruled out the possibility of having two roosters in the same henhouse, but he does not dismiss the idea that the German might one day succeed the Spaniard: “If tomorrow Fernando retires for some reason X or Y—let’s imagine he goes to Hawaii with his fiancée—then I would want Vettel,” the Italian confides to the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport. “He is young, he has his feet on the ground, and he has an unquenchable desire to win. Schumacher drew my attention to him a few years ago because he knew him from karting. I must say Michael was right.”
However, it remains to be seen whether the now triple world champion will show a desire to settle in Italy, as Helmut Marko believes that the German might hold a grudge against Scuderia for the clarifications they requested from the FIA regarding his overtaking of Jean-Eric Vergne during the Brazilian Grand Prix: « Sebastian has the memory of an elephant. He remembers everything and will recall exactly how Ferrari behaved after the last race, » the Austrian told Sport Bild. Sebastian Vettel himself didn’t fail to comment on Ferrari’s behavior with a hint of bitterness: « Nobody likes to lose, but one must know how to lose. You must respect your opponent and acknowledge their good performances. »
In any case, for Luca di Montezemolo, Sebastian Vettel is ahead of Lewis Hamilton on the list of Scuderia’s targets to compensate for the hypothetical departure of Fernando Alonso, « because he is young and Ferrari would be Hamilton’s third team » according to the Ferrari president. And the Italian clarified his thoughts, not forgetting that Scuderia was Fernando Alonso’s fourth team: « If you join your third team, it means your career is already in its second half. »
In the meantime, Fernando Alonso currently has a contract until the end of 2016 and meets all the expectations of his president: “I am happy with him. He is more than a driver.” Luca di Montezemolo, in fact, does not hesitate to compare the native of Asturias to two of the Scuderia’s iconic figures, Niki Lauda and Michael Schumacher, of whom he believes he “has a bit of both.”
The question of Fernando Alonso’s succession is even less relevant given that the matter surrounding Felipe Massa’s future seems more pressing. Although the Scuderia has renewed its confidence in the Brazilian until the end of next season, Luca di Montezemolo, who expects a lot from the “new” Massa, will still be keeping a close eye on the young hopefuls of the discipline, who will need to confirm the potential glimpsed in 2012 in the 2013 season: “I am very curious to see how Hülkenberg will perform with our engine at Sauber and also the young man who, on the first lap this year, was sometimes a little too fast,” the Italian confided, referring to Romain Grosjean.
From then on, it wouldn’t take much more to make the German and French contenders for Felipe Massa’s succession, as the Brazilian’s contract will come to an end in late 2013, just as it will be for Hülkenberg and Grosjean with their respective teams.
