The dude in the middle is Stefano Domenicali, the Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal. You probably knew that. But it’s unlikely you’ll recognise the other two. The guy on the left is Riccardo Verdelli and the bloke on the right is Gian Maria Lamberti.
They’re a couple of regular Ferrari fans who’ve been sticking it to the Scuderia lately via social media. So, Ferrari took the unusual step of inviting them in for a chat, which is where Domenicali stepped in, to play host for the day.
And actually they’ve helped to bring us some welcome insights. You can read Ferrari’s official account by following the source link below, but here’s some edited highlights:
I don’t like it when after a Grand Prix, there are incorrect jibes aimed at Red Bull that then fall apart. And then there’s Alonso complaining about his car after every race. I’d like to see him get his ears pulled about that, but instead you almost seem to share his sentiment.
Domenicali: You are in front of the most sportsmanlike person in the world. In all the races, whether you see it or not, I congratulate our rivals. If I have something to say to him [Alonso], as would be the case with my engineers, I would do it behind closed doors and in a harsh manner. But externally, I will always defend the team. When he crossed the line, president Montezemolo intervened and in private, so did I.
After four years without winning the championship are you still sure about your choice of taking on Alonso?
Domenicali: If in the past four years we have come close to the title twice, it is partly down to him. Unfortunately, we have not been capable of giving him a car that matches his talent.
Was there really the intention to take on Kubica and will he be back in F1?
Domenicali: Yes, we were keeping an eye on him. Unfortunately, I don’t think he will be back, because with his physical problem, he would struggle in certain limited situations which require reactivity. It’s a shame.
Interesting comments on Robert Kubica at the end there, perhaps the WRC is Robert’s best bet for top level motorsport?
As you can the fans didn’t hold back with their line of questioning and kudos to Domenicali for fronting up and providing some level of accountability. Although, we’d love to know the questions and answers that haven;t made it into the public arena!
[Source: Ferrari]