Montezemolo: Mistake to find one man to replace Ecclestone

Former Ferrari big boss Luca di Montezemolo believes that Bernie Ecclestone is irreplaceable at the helm of Formula 1, suggesting that splitting the roles required to lead and manage the sport will be the best solution for the future.

Montezemolo told CNN, "Sooner or later, F1 has to think how to replace Bernie. He is a fantastic person. It will be impossible and a mistake to find one man to replace him. It's important to think of a new governance."

The Italian businessman who presided at Ferrari during Michael Schumacher historic dominance of F1 from 2000 and 2004, suggeested, "For F1 it is better to have three different but clear owners."

"One is the FIA, which is mainly in charge of rules and political power like a football federation, then the teams, who are the players, and then a commercial owner to promote the sport and increase its clients. To overlap is a big mistake."

"You need a small group of people, very strong in each department with someone in charge who knows F1, who has a feeling of what the market needs, of what the tifosi, the fans need."

Montezemolo was toppled as Ferrari chief in a coup led buy Sergio Marchionne, but this has not dimmed the former Maranello team president's passion and views regarding the sport.

"You need social network activities, a novel way to bring F1 closer to the public, a marketing plan to become popular in the United States," he said, "America is the key market to work on but you need to maintain a strong presence in historic countries like Germany, Italy, Belgium, Japan and the UK."

"We need to put this together with awareness of history but with a lot of innovation. With clear goals and good people."

"F1 has to remain an extreme sport," Montezemolo insisted. "Today the cars are too slow. I was totally unhappy when I heard the music of the engine was not as in the past, not because I'm nostalgic but because every sport has its ingredients. Can you imagine Italy without pasta?"

"F1 is extreme technology and extreme performance. Safety is our first goal, but you need the music of the engine, you need more contact between the public and the drivers... there are lots of ingredients."

Asked by CNN if he would be the right man to get F1 back on the right track, the 68-year-old responded with a grin, "I would be the best in the world to do this, but maybe it's time for someone else."