Ferrari praise Lewis and vow to fight back

Tuesday 4th November 2008

Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo has hailed Lewis Hamilton's Formula One triumph - but has vowed his team will leave no stone unturned in their bid to wrest the number one from the front of his McLaren.

Di Montezemolo has graciously accepted Hamilton's success, a sign of the entente cordiale that exists these days between Ferrari and McLaren in the wake of the bad blood created last year over the spy saga.

Like everybody watching, di Montezemolo was left spellbound by the dramatic conclusion to Sunday's thrilling Brazilian Grand Prix as Hamilton became the sport's youngest Champion in the dying stages.

For a few fleeting moments di Montezemolo believed Felipe Massa was poised to take the title in front of his own fans at Interlagos.

That was until Hamilton's penultimate corner manoeuvre on Toyota's Timo Glock elevated him to fifth, so clinching the crown by a single point from Massa, who was just 18 seconds away from glory.

Describing the denouement to the season, di Montezemolo said: "In all my years in Formula One, I haven't seen such an incredibly exciting finish to a Championship.

"I would like to send my congratulations to Lewis, the youngest ever World Champion in the history of Formula One.

"He was a very powerful rival, and his win, close though it was, was well deserved.

"He'll have the number one on his car next season, but he can rest assured of one thing, we'll be doing our very best to put it back on a Ferrari.

"Understandably, though, di Montezemolo was left heartbroken for Massa, who was in tears following the race after going so close

"Felipe is in my thoughts as he crossed the finish line as World Champion, only to see the title slip through his fingers a few seconds later," he added.

"I can only imagine how painful that moment must have been for him.

"However, I would like to give him my very special compliments, not only for dominating the running out there on the track in front of his fans and for proving he is worthy indeed of the World title.

"But also for his maturity and sportsmanship off the track. He's a great Champion and a great man."

The one consolation for the Scuderia boss is that for the eighth time in the last 10 years, Ferrari again won the Constructors' title.

As far as he is concerned, such a feat underlines the strength of the team as a whole.

"I always said we'd be fighting until the last corner of the last grand prix, and that's exactly what happened at the end of a brilliantly tense competition," reflected di Montezemolo.

"Winning the 16th Constructors' title since our foundation is an important milestone.

"Not only because it is the fruit of the work put in by the team and drivers throughout the entire Championship, but also because we will again be able to put the world champion symbol on our cars.

"Winning for the eighth time in 10 years - a feat unequalled at world level in any other team sport - proves beyond a shadow of a doubt what an extraordinary group we are.

"We won thanks to a team that has undergone many profound changes over the last two years, changes that have brought on many young people from inside the company.

"There were mistakes and difficult times, but we responded to both by remaining united and refusing to give in."

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