Montezemolo demands re-think on F1 tracks

As predicted, this year's manufactured off-season controversy to keep F1 in the news would be a war of words between Luca di Montezemolo and Bernie Ecclestone. Here the Ferrari boss slams Ecclestone's street circuits

Luca di Montezemolo has once again taken issue with the amount of "touristic tracks" on the Formula One calendar.

The Ferrari president was highly critical of the Singapore street circuit in the aftermath of F1's first-ever night race, saying the track would be better off "staging a circus".

The other new street circuit on the 2008 calendar, Valencia, also didn't quite live up to expectations and was largely processional.

Di Montezemolo believes "real tracks" should provide a lot more overtaking opportunities.

"Having two or three Monte Carlos is too much," he said. "Next time we can race inside the Coliseum, or maybe inside the Papacy. This is not racing.

"I don't think we need more boats, historic skylines. I think we need more race tracks where it's possible to overtake, where the public can enjoy the competition, not a place where a crash like (Nelson) Piquet had can destroy the whole race. One of the problems F1 is facing, is we need to improve competition, so that the racing is good not only when it rains or the Safety Car creates a situation.

"If we look at the last 10 years we change many times the technical and sporting rules. Sometimes it's important to change, even if just to start the competition again from a blank page.

"But it's like asking a football player to play in the rain with just training shoes, so he slips all over the course. It's artificial. I think we need the tech rules to improve the possibility to overtake.

"New tracks with good opportunities for overtaking. Real tracks, not touristic tracks. At least Monte Carlo has history. Having two or three of them is too much."