Italian Minister: Montezemolo Should Quit Over Title Loss

[Cynon]

Italian Minister: Montezemolo Should Quit Over Title Loss

Luca di Montezemolo should resign immediately as Ferrari president after the Italian marque blew Fernando Alonso’s title hopes in Abi Dhabi.

That was the emotional charge late on Sunday by Roberto Calderoni, a minister in the Berlusconi cabinet.

Despite being the points leader going into the 2010 finale and needing just a fifth place to be champion, Spaniard Alonso was pitted early by Ferrari in response to Mark Webber’s pitstop and finished seventh.

"Despite the ability of the excellent Alonso, Ferrari has managed to lose a championship already won," said Calderoni.

"We are ashamed of this insane strategy and he (Montezemolo) is guilty," said Calderoni.

"He should get out of Maranello immediately so he does no further harm to Ferrari," added the minister. "By the evening, we expect his resignation."

[Klon]

Oh, Italians, you are so goofy (no offense intended) and I love you for it.

[Aerospeed]

For a country that cares more about soccer than anything else, it sounds like the Italian Minister bet $5,000 and a new refridgerator if Ferrari won. What a sore loser!

Besides, if Alonso won by seven points or less, the title would have been tainted. I'm glad the title was won fairly.

[Warren Hughes]

BBC say that the minister in question belongs to the (presumably uber-nationalist) extreme right wing party. Not a statement to be taken particularly seriously then, I don't think. Maybe one of our Italian members could help us understand the situation a bit better?

[P_Friesacher]

I am not Italian, but what I found using Google is the folowing:

He is indeed Lega Nord - and has given his opinion about sporting events before after Italy won the football World Cup against France in 2006.
The article is in Italian but from my very limited command of that language I believe that the following Google translation is probably quite accurate.
http://translate.google.com/translate?j ... D1&act=url
However, If you are offended by such things, don't click. (Whith which I don't mean to say I'm not offended by what he is saying here - I am. What I mean is: don't click if you want to avoid reading offending things).

I, too, would be very interested in what our Italian forum members make of his comments.

[Tealy]

I am not Italian, but what I found using Google is the folowing:

He is indeed Lega Nord - and has given his opinion about sporting events before after Italy won the football World Cup against France in 2006.
The article is in Italian but from my very limited command of that language I believe that the following Google translation is probably quite accurate.
http://translate.google.com/translate?j ... D1&act=url
However, If you are offended by such things, don't click. (Whith which I don't mean to say I'm not offended by what he is saying here - I am. What I mean is: don't click if you want to avoid reading offending things).

I, too, would be very interested in what our Italian forum members make of his comments.

It's as if the Italian equivalent of the BNP are in power over there. No wonder Mario Balotelli moved to Manchester City citing racism as his reason for leaving Italy.

[CarlosFerreira]

BBC say that the minister in question belongs to the (presumably uber-nationalist) extreme right wing party. Not a statement to be taken particularly seriously then, I don't think. Maybe one of our Italian members could help us understand the situation a bit better?

I have an Italian friend who is involved in politics back home. She's also very keen on Motorsports (we've gone karting together, she watches F1 and MotoGP), so I've asked her about this last night. Here's what she's had to say:

I have 2 questions for Calderoli (the NL minister):

1) Do you think Ferrari and Politics are the same thing? If yes I can understand why you cannot understand anything about the government of the Country. If not I think you have some problem ...of connection between brain and tongue.

2) Do you think it is appropriate ask for Montezemolo resignation when the WHOLE Country (even politicians part of your Party) is asking for your resignation? Maybe Freud can help you (a lot).

Carlos in Italy we have clowns not politicians in the Government and they cannot logically differentiate a serious policy-making from a joke. Fortunately, Montezemolo, who is identifiable as a serious and professional person even if one doesn't share his ideas, can distinguish them.

Autosport also has a piece where Luca di Montezemolo dismisses the criticism, here. In passing, the article mentions our Luca has been critical of the Northern League in the past.

[Cynon]

So Italy has an equivalent to Glenn Beck? My condolences to all the Italian readers on this forum.

[ADx_Wales]

You have to remember that this is the same nation that wants to sentence patrick head and adrian newey for the manslaughter of ayrton senna.

[Ferrim]

You have to remember that this is the same nation that wants to sentence patrick head and adrian newey for the manslaughter of ayrton senna.

That case was closed years ago, and law is law. It could have been manslaughter, and therefore had to be investigated.

I wouldn't like this thread to become a stereotypical one about "those fools, mediterranean people"...

[CarlosFerreira]

You have to remember that this is the same nation that wants to sentence patrick head and adrian newey for the manslaughter of ayrton senna.

Every time there's a fatal accident on a race track in Italy, there's a criminal investigation. That's good. Rumour has it that every time there's a road accident in France there's an inquest, which means your CLK-LM takes off in Le Mans because Adrian Newey cocked up, and after walking out of the bushes you have to take an alcohol test. True story.

[P_Friesacher]

So Italy has an equivalent to Glenn Beck? My condolences to all the Italian readers on this forum.

Italy has several Glenns Beck. Ruling the country. Although, actually, they are not really comparable except for their obnoxiousness. And being on the far right.

I wouldn't like this thread to become a stereotypical one about "those fools, mediterranean people"...

I don't want that either. We have much more than our fair shrare of really depressing far-right politicians as well.

[Aerospeed]

And then the arrows sling back...

If there's an italian reader on here, you minus well grant yourself as the only italian reader on F1 Rejects.
I ask you this: Do you like Jenson Button?

[patrick]

They should both resign. it would be good for italian politics and formula one respectively.

[muttley]

And then the arrows sling back...

If there's an italian reader on here, you minus well grant yourself as the only italian reader on F1 Rejects.
I ask you this: Do you like Jenson Button?

Well, he seems like a decent guy to me. I think he was more than an accidental WDC than a bona fide champion, but his 2009 season was very good. So the answer is yes. His teammate, on the other hand...


And to be clear: Calderoli's party is not nationalistic at all, quite the opposite! They claim that the North of Italy has nothing to do with the southern regions, neither economically, historically, ethnically etc and they campaign for federalism if not outright secession. For a british equivalent, think about the SNP run by racist bathplugging morons, or Haider's party in Austria, etc...

Calderoli is also what on internet would be defined a troll, and a very stupid one at that.

[ADx_Wales]

And then the arrows sling back...

If there's an italian reader on here, you minus well grant yourself as the only italian reader on F1 Rejects.
I ask you this: Do you like Jenson Button?

Well, he seems like a decent guy to me. I think he was more than an accidental WDC than a bona fide champion, but his 2009 season was very good. So the answer is yes. His teammate, on the other hand...


And to be clear: Calderoli's party is not nationalistic at all, quite the opposite! They claim that the North of Italy has nothing to do with the southern regions, neither economically, historically, ethnically etc and they campaign for federalism if not outright secession. For a british equivalent, think about the SNP run by racist bathplugging morons, or Haider's party in Austria, etc...

Calderoli is also what on internet would be defined a troll, and a very stupid one at that.

I think you mean the BNP, the Scottish National Party are a great deal different, I think, and a might less racist than those idiots, who if they WERE put into power, the only thing they'd be able to make different is special traffic lanes for white vans.

[eagleash]

No. I think the previous poster did mean the SNP. I.e. a separatist(ish) party for the North of the Country. He's not meaning to imply any disrespect or criticism of the SNP but making a comparison to what it could be like IF it were run by racist morons. (Which the BNP could easily be accused of, but is not a separatist party).

[Whis]

1) Lega Nord is utter s**t.

2) Lega Nord is absolutely not nationalist. it's racist, ignorant, but not nationalist. they want the independence of the Padania (LOL) from the rest of Italy. their slogan it's "Roma Ladrona" (Thieving Rome) even if their money comes from it and from every taxpayer in Italy and they're even ministers in the italian republic based in ROME.

3) Lega Nord is the one that usually supports the nation that's playing against in a football match of the national team.

3) here in italy seems that politicians can talk about everything, even if the matter of the discussion is totally out of the competence of who's talking.

4) sometime ago there was a proposition to nominate Montezemolo (a nonsense proposition, IMHO) as the leader of Partito Democratico, the major opposition party in italy, so i think this wasn't a matter of real sporting nature, but just a political one.

5) politics here sucks way more than everywhere else.

(probably there are some errors in what i've written but i hope you understood totally how distressing is the situation here.)

[ADx_Wales]

5) politics here sucks way more than everywhere else.

Politics sucks everyhwere, its an Universal suction.

[muttley]

No. I think the previous poster did mean the SNP. I.e. a separatist(ish) party for the North of the Country. He's not meaning to imply any disrespect or criticism of the SNP but making a comparison to what it could be like IF it were run by racist morons. (Which the BNP could easily be accused of, but is not a separatist party).

Yes, that was what I meant. I lived in Glasgow in the 90s and the SNP folks looked decent to me. So the Lega Nord is the SNP as if were run by BNP militants.

[CarlosFerreira]

5) politics here sucks way more than everywhere else.

Politics sucks everyhwere, its an Universal suction.

No. Politics is an important, valid, relevant and fundamental tool in society. I remind you all of the importance of contributing, by voting thoughtfully and making your preferences felt when and where appropriately.

Also: this is going out of the remit of the forum. I know, I mostly contributed to winding it up by quoting my friend, but the discussion seems as agreable and polite as usual. It feels good to look at the things that surround out little F1 world every once in a while.

[Whis]

5) politics here sucks way more than everywhere else.

Politics sucks everyhwere, its an Universal suction.

No. Politics is an important, valid, relevant and fundamental tool in society. I remind you all of the importance of contributing, by voting thoughtfully and making your preferences felt when and where appropriately.

Also: this is going out of the remit of the forum. I know, I mostly contributed to winding it up by quoting my friend, but the discussion seems as agreable and polite as usual. It feels good to look at the things that surround out little F1 world every once in a while.

i agree with you, but here everything went downhill in the last years, trust me.

[ADx_Wales]

5) politics here sucks way more than everywhere else.

Politics sucks everyhwere, its an Universal suction.

No. Politics is an important, valid, relevant and fundamental tool in society. I remind you all of the importance of contributing, by voting thoughtfully and making your preferences felt when and where appropriately.

Also: this is going out of the remit of the forum. I know, I mostly contributed to winding it up by quoting my friend, but the discussion seems as agreable and polite as usual. It feels good to look at the things that surround out little F1 world every once in a while.

There's no denying its important, but it still sucks.

[ANZ_TF110]

The italian government sure take F1 so seriously. Its just a sport....get over it

[LukeB]

Someones doing something wrong when Ferrari come across as the unjustly maligned good guys in a story.