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Ex-Ferrari chief has no ‘good news’ on Schumacher

Sombre ex-Ferrari chief Luca de Montezemolo admitted on Thursday that he did not have "good news" regarding the condition of stricken Formula One legend Michael Schumacher.

Published: 5 February 2016 08:46 CET

Ex-Ferrari chief has no 'good news' on Schumacher

Former seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher suffered head injuries in a skiing accident in December 2013. Photo: Orlando Kissner/AFP

Former seven-time world champion Schumacher suffered head injuries in a skiing accident in the French Alps in December 2013 and spent six months in an induced coma before returning to his home in Switzerland to continue his rehabilitation.

“I get news about him constantly, and unfortunately it's not good,” said Montezemolo when asked about Schumacher in Milan on Thursday.

Montezemolo did not elaborate on 47-year-old Schumacher's condition, but he added: “He was the most successful driver Ferrari ever had. He only suffered one accident in his entire career, in 1999, and it was our fault, not his.

“Unfortunately, a skiing accident ruined his life.”

Amid speculation Schumacher was at fault for the accident that has left him in a coma for over two years, Montezemolo defended the former champion.

“It's not true that Michael wasn't careful on his skis. When he went off piste, he was always careful,” he added.

“More than anything, on skis he was very careful.”

Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm declined to comment on Montezemolo's remarks when contacted by British TV channel Sky Sports.

Kehm's most recent official statement was issued last May when she said: “We're glad to be able to continue to say that he is making progress, as I always say, given the severity of his head injuries”.

In November, Schumacher was described by FIA president Jean Todt as “still fighting”.

“Michael was and remains a close friend of mine,” said Todt, who was Schumacher's team boss at Ferrari when the German won five titles between 2000 and 2004.

“His family is very close. I see Michael often and can tell you: Michael is still fighting. And his family are still fighting by his side.”

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IN PHOTOS: Ferrari unveils its new car for the 2020 season

The new Ferrari SF1000. All photos: AFP/Ferrari press office

Ferrari unveiled its new SF1000 car for the 2020 Formula One season, which they hope will deliver a first world drivers title since 2007, during a glitzy ceremony on Tuesday.

The single-seater's name acknowledges the fact that the Italian team will start its 1,000th world championship race during the coming campaign, which begins with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 15.

Narrower than last season's SF90, with a deeper red colouring the body, Ferrari is pinning its hopes on the SF1000 car earning them drivers and constructors titles that have eluded them for 12 and 11 years respectively.

“I like it very much,” said German driver Sebastian Vettel.”It's much narrower at the back than last year and it is also redder, it's even better. I'm impatient to drive it, that will be even more fascinating than looking at it.”

The Scuderia broke with tradition and presented its new racing car outside of its stronghold of Maranello, unveiling it instead amid of sea of red on stage at the Teatro Romolo-Valli in the nearby city of Reggio Emilia.

“This is a very important place for our country,” chairman of the Ferrari group John Elkann explained.
“It was in this city that the tricolour flag, which became that of Italy, was created. And Ferrari is proud of Italy and of representing Italy.”

“This is a very special year,” continued Ferrari Team Manager Mattia Binotto.

“It's 70 years of Formula One, we have been there from the start and we are going to reach the figure of 1,000 Grands Prix, which is something incredible.”

Barring a forced change in the calendar because of the deadly coronavirus in Asia, the milestone should be reached in June during the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

“Maybe it looks a lot like the SF90, but I can assure you it is very different,” continued Binotto.

“We still have to make progress, especially on reliability,” he added, recalling that Ferrari, like the other teams, had to face “the double challenge” of preparing the next season in parallel with the following one, when new rules will come into force.

Binotto stressed that this season veteran Vettel and 22-year-old Charles Leclerc, who impressed on his debut last season, would be starting on an equal footing.

“We have seen that they can both fight for the best results. They are both on the same level. It is up to them to race,” he added.

Last season, the association between the experienced Vettel and Leclerc often turned into a duel, coming to a head when the two drivers collided during the Brazilian GP.

But 22-year-old Leclerc, who won two races and finished fourth place in the world championship, said lessons had been learned.

“We have learned the lesson from Brazil. We are free to race, but we are teammates,” he said.

“A lot of people are working behind us, as a team, and things like Brazil should not happen.”

Both drivers said they were impatient to try out the new car, which will be on track next week for the pre-season testing in Barcelona.

“I felt emotional when I saw it,” said Monaco's Leclerc.

“Now I can't wait to be out on track and try it and to show all the work that has been done on this car. It's going to be a great challenge,” he added. “I'm ready to learn from my mistakes to become an even better driver.”

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