Luca clarifies 'favouritism' report.
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has attempted to clear up accusations that his team will favour Michael Schumacher in the run to the world title.
Questioned endlessly about quotes attributed to him in the international press last week - in which he was alleged to have said that anyone expecting German GP winner Rubens Barrichello to challenge Schumacher for the title was 'watching the wrong film' - di Montezemolo explained that his interview had been taken out of context.
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has attempted to clear up accusations that his team will favour Michael Schumacher in the run to the world title.
Questioned endlessly about quotes attributed to him in the international press last week - in which he was alleged to have said that anyone expecting German GP winner Rubens Barrichello to challenge Schumacher for the title was 'watching the wrong film' - di Montezemolo explained that his interview had been taken out of context.
Instead of barring the Brazilian from attempting to lift the crown, the president pointed out that he only expects his two drivers to work as a team with the aim of bringing the title back to Maranello for the first time in 21 years. Naturally, he intimated that he expected Schumacher to be the faster of the two, but insisted that, should Barrichello turn the form book upside down, he would not be stopped from winning the title.
''I want both cars to race for the championship, without damaging each other,'' di Montezemolo said, ''For me, I just want to see a Ferrari driver win, and will not give preference to one or the other. If Michael is ahead, he will get priority, but if Rubens is ahead, he will get it.''
Schumacher's second place in Hungary might have cost him the series lead to Mika Hakkinen - who won the race - but lifted him an extra three points clear of his team-mate, who now trails the German by 13 points.