Perez not yet ready for Ferrari drive - Montezemolo

[theforce]

http://en.espnf1.com/ferrari/motorsp...tml?CMP=chrome

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo does not think Sergio Perez is ready to drive for the famous Italian team and insists Ferrari has yet to make a decision about Felipe Massa's future.

Perez was linked to a Ferrari drive earlier this season, and after finishing second at the Malaysian Grand Prix in a Sauber there were suggestions he could replace Massa before the end of the year. Massa is out of contract at the end of 2012 and Ferrari is expected to replace him, but Montezemolo said Perez, who is a Ferrari development driver, still needs to prove himself before making the step up to the race team.

"Perez is a good driver but to drive a Ferrari you need more experience," he told Reuters. "I think he is one of the potential best young drivers for the future but before putting a young driver in a Ferrari I need more experience and more results."

At the Monaco Grand Prix, Massa showed signs of recovering from his poor start to the season with his first appearance in the top-ten qualifying shootout and a sixth place finish. Montezemolo said the Brazilian would have to maintain that form if he wants to be considered for a drive next year.

"I'm sure that, because we are improving our car, the car will be less difficult to drive," he said. "And I expect from Felipe better performances as I have already seen in Monte Carlo, because in Monte Carlo he was among the five quickest drivers on the track and in the qualifiers. So I hope he will continue like this. At the moment we are not taking any decision yet for the future, because it is too early."

That's one Massa replacement out of the picture

[Tifoso]

In related news, Mountprezzemolo has said that this guy may be only a few 10th's behind Felipe, and in inferior equipment, no less:

Go_cart_run.jpg

[Brad-Ferrari]

I'm surprised by Montezemolo comments. I think he's already proved himself as a strong driver.

Also I don't think experience is important. For example, Vettel only had one and a bit seasons at Toro Rosso before he went to Red Bull, and he was runner-up that season. Same with Hamilton, he was runner-up in his first season driving for a strong team. I think it would only do Perez good to drive for a strong team.

[Nova]

Well Im not sure about inferior equipment...mabey not now, but the 1st few races,
Sauber was faster than us.

[Infi24r]

I'm surprised by Montezemolo comments. I think he's already proved himself as a strong driver.

Also I don't think experience is important. For example, Vettel only had one and a bit seasons at Toro Rosso before he went to Red Bull, and he was runner-up that season. Same with Hamilton, he was runner-up in his first season driving for a strong team. I think it would only do Perez good to drive for a strong team.

worth noting, that was his first ever season, so its a bit different.

The problem Ferrari face is if they put Perez in Massa's seat and he does worse or makes no impact, it will tarnish his career.

[F2008]

I guess we will never see a rookie at Ferrari if even two years at Sauber isn't enough experience. I think the last exception was Gilles who only had one race under his belt before joining Ferrari.

[Hornet]

I think its time Ferrari take a different approach and take the risk with younger drivers (just like what McLaren did with Lewis). This is to ensure when our current leading driver retires, we already have a replacement ready to go. This may help avoid the situation we had after Schumi retired, and we took in Kimi only to find that the's not up to expectation and "fired" him later. What a few wasted years.

Alonso's replacement is going to be a huge shoe to fill. We need to have a very capable driver ready to take the lead the moment Alonso leaves that seat, and that will be impossible to do unless the new guy have already spend a couple of years in Ferrari to really know the team, settle down and ready to play his full role as the leading driver.

Thats just my opinion. But although Alonso contact is until 2016, I feel we have to start thinking about the future now. No top driver like Vettel or Lewis will be willing to commit themself that long to Ferrari. But a young driver might just do that.

[Kingdom Hearts]

But although Alonso contact is until 2016, I feel we have to start thinking about the future now. No top driver like Vettel or Lewis will be willing to commit themself that long to Ferrari. But a young driver might just do that.

I wonder what will happen if Alonso want to continue beyond 2016, will Montezemolo push him out like he did with Schumi in case he has already a plan?.

[Alonsomaniac]

I wonder what will happen if Alonso want to continue beyond 2016, will Montezemolo push him out like he did with Schumi in case he has already a plan?.

That's an interesting question.....I don't think it will happen though. First of all Montezemolo will be a little more careful I think, but I also think the problem will never arise. Alonso is no Schumacher. He does not need 7 titles or so, he just wants to be champion with Ferrari. To him that is the highest a racingdriver can ever achieve (and I agree strongly with that) and when he has reached that goal he will be satisfied.
The chance that Fernando wants to continue after 2016 is very small, because we can expect him to win at least one championship before that year.
He wanted such a long time contract just because of giving himself a good chance to end his career with what he feels is the best he can ever achieve in his life: being a Ferrari worldchampion.
That is also the reason he said from the beginning that he would end his career in red. Everything else is a step back for him.
Fernando is no Schumacher, when Fernando is ready he really is ready.

[Suzie]

That is also the reason he said from the beginning that he would end his career in red. Everything else is a step back for him.
Fernando is no Schumacher, when Fernando is ready he really is ready.

Hmmm, it's a nice thought but a lot of us Schumacher fans thought that too

He'll only be what, 35, at the end of the 2016 season? Don't see any reason why he couldn't continue if he still has the passion and drive for it. But then I don't like to think beyond our current drivers, who I like very much.

[Red passion]

Schuey couldn't make up his mind in 06 whether it was his last year or not, so Luca had to hire Kimi as a replace for him then he had to leave or Massa would be out of a job.

Would that be a fair statement

[Kingdom Hearts]

That's an interesting question.....I don't think it will happen though. First of all Montezemolo will be a little more careful I think, but I also think the problem will never arise. Alonso is no Schumacher. He does not need 7 titles or so, he just wants to be champion with Ferrari. To him that is the highest a racingdriver can ever achieve (and I agree strongly with that) and when he has reached that goal he will be satisfied.
The chance that Fernando wants to continue after 2016 is very small, because we can expect him to win at least one championship before that year.
He wanted such a long time contract just because of giving himself a good chance to end his career with what he feels is the best he can ever achieve in his life: being a Ferrari worldchampion.
That is also the reason he said from the beginning that he would end his career in red. Everything else is a step back for him.
Fernando is no Schumacher, when Fernando is ready he really is ready.

I don't think one title should be enough, maybe it is, were are not inside his head, but he has losted many years between McLaren, Renault and a bad year in Ferrari (2011), he should go for 2 more titles, I think that's what he deserves, but it's easy to say and hard to do.

[Ferrarichamp]

I think Alonso said his minimum target is 3 WDC. It would be disappointing though if he only managed 1 in a Ferrari.

[steelstallions]

Ferrari really annoy me about always wanting seasoned drivers. Yes it worked well with MS and its going ok with Alonso, but in the past, seasoned driver meant, their hunger was gone and they did a few tricks for plenty of cash, Mansell, Prost even Kimi gave up the ghost from his second year. Perez would race his heart out in a Ferrari and then he will develop and grow with the team.

[Red passion]

MS is a unique person, highly motivated even now that's why he appealed to Ferrari

[Greig]

I wonder what will happen if Alonso want to continue beyond 2016, will Montezemolo push him out like he did with Schumi in case he has already a plan?.

Schumacher made his decision, he had a contract offer from Ferrari, he was not pushed out in the slightest.

[brembo man]

Ferrari really annoy me about always wanting seasoned drivers. Perez would race his heart out in a Ferrari and then he will develop and grow with the team.

Perez has to know he could race his heart out in a Ferrari, but he would come in as a #2 driver and go out the same. IMO there are no graduation ceremonies at Ferrari. We get an Alonso and we get a driver who wants to drive for the best team as a#2 guy. The likes of a Hamilton, Vettel, even Nico, don't want that seat. If Perez feels he's a #1 kind of driver, well he's not comming to us. Senna to me fits the bill. He's not thinking WDC, so the next best thing in F1 is the #2 seat @ Ferrari. Follow the leader and love your team as there wing man. Three Brasilians in a row is also some kind of record if he want's to think that way. He just ain't Ayrton, but the boy is got some points so far.

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Of course Perez isn't ready. All the Ferrari talk is rubbish started from gossipers & the media. I think Checo has plenty of talent but he hasn't even completed 2 seasons in F1 nor has he won a GP. He didn't even compete in every race on last years calendar. I think it's obvious he needs more seat time. For better or worse, the pressure on a driver for Ferrari is far greater than at other teams. This pressure could absolutely ruin a young drivers career if the results don't come. Plus it's not like top teams make habits of bringing on rookies to their team. In a couple of more years I think we'll see Checo in a Ferrari but now isn't the time as Montezemolo said.

[Red passion]

Does Ferrari have a checklist on what they need a driver to have before we will hire them i.e

At least have won X races.
Be more dominant than their current or former team mate(s)
be in the sport X years. etc etc etc

When Massa leaves us, we need a young hungry driver with oodles of talent........ to me Perez has this just to fine tune him.
Massa was accident prone and a little erratic in Sauber b4 he came to us.

[sav_pap]

Luca just paying back Checo's comments. If I'm not mistaken he said that he wouldn't leave Sauber for Ferrari within 2012.
Very Good Luca!

And don't forget:

when Luca says: "this cannot happen" it usually happens.

[Rishu]

I don't know but I have a feeling the Alonso's teammate for 2013 will be a tie between Massa & Hamilton, Ferrari will take this decision depending upon how Massa performs in next 4-5 races. He is under the microscope, lets hope he delivers.

[vcs316]

I'd like Kobayashi to join the team in-case Ferrari decide to replace Massa.

[FFFerrari]

and we took in Kimi only to find that the's not up to expectation and "fired" him later. What a few wasted years.

A few "wasted" years with 1 WDC and 2 WCC

[Katu]

I don't know but I have a feeling the Alonso's teammate for 2013 will be a tie between Massa & Hamilton, Ferrari will take this decision depending upon how Massa performs in next 4-5 races. He is under the microscope, lets hope he delivers.

i'm not religous, but i pray that hamilton wouldn't ever come to ferrari

[Hornet]

A few "wasted" years with 1 WDC and 2 WCC

I am happy we won those title of course, I don't mean wasted in terms of result. But what I'm thinking is the long term work Ferrari needed to do to get back to their dominating form.

Even when Schumi retired from Ferrari at that time, Ferrari was already starting to face a challenging time as many other teams have started to get ahead of Ferrari. And then after Schumi retired, many people slowly left Ferrari, like Ross Brawn and Jean Todt, all the key people that were there during Ferrari's success.

So its obvious Ferrari need to rebuild the team, this time with new people, and this takes many years. Would have been great if Kimi was that driver Ferrari need over the long term, but he wasn't. If Ferrari managed to get Alonso at that time, maybe now we would have started winning the titles again.