Montezemolo denies any role in McLaren’s F1 team

Luca di Montezemolo has clarified that his new role at McLaren has nothing to do with the team’s Formula 1 operation.

The 77-year-old, who led Ferrari through its golden era alongside Jean Todt and Michael Schumacher, has long been estranged from the team he once personified.

He was ousted in 2014 and replaced by the late Sergio Marchionne, a departure that left deep scars.

"They can remove me from Ferrari, but they can never remove Ferrari from me," Montezemolo famously said at the time.

That sense of bitterness lingered over the years, with Ferrari seldom acknowledging his tenure.

In a more recent interview with Blick, Montezemolo lamented the team’s current direction, saying: "Ferrari has become a team without a heart."

So news this week that he has joined McLaren - Ferrari’s long-time on-track rival - came as a shock to many in the paddock and beyond.

Montezemolo has been appointed to the board of McLaren Automotive, the company’s road car division.

He insists, however, that the appointment has nothing to do with racing.

"I have become a member of the board of directors of McLaren Automotive, which manufactures cars and is not involved in Formula 1," he told Italy’s Ansa news agency.

In April, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund SYVN Holdings took control of McLaren Automotive and also acquired a minority stake in the McLaren Formula 1 team, but Montezemolo says that has no bearing on his involvement.

"My heart will always remain red," he added. "My involvement with McLaren is limited to road cars and has nothing to do with racing."

Meanwhile, speculation continues to swirl around current Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur, whose three-year deal is believed to be under review.

Former Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger said the team’s inability to finish the job is frustrating for fans.

"The Scuderia is always seemingly close to the finish line, but then it doesn't get there," Berger told Kleine Zeitung at the Red Bull Ring.

"It's hard for the Italians and their fans to swallow, and it's why the people keep getting swapped out. But that only leads to further turmoil within the team.

"They simply can't seem to bring consistency to the track," he added.