The thought of Ferrari walking away from F1 sounds ridiculous now, but that was not always the case — particularly on this day 22 years ago.
On 29 April 2004, Ferrari issued a threat to quit Formula 1 due to tensions over a proposed breakaway series by rival teams.
The disagreement arose from differing views on the future of the sport, with Ferrari’s president Luca di Montezemolo indicating the team’s willingness to depart if necessary.
Montezemolo made it clear that finding an alternative solution seemed unrealistic, suggesting that stakeholders must make individual decisions to either continue or cease their involvement in Formula 1.
He emphasized that Ferrari’s contractual obligations would expire at the end of 2007, leaving the team free to act independently thereafter.
When directly asked about the possibility of Ferrari leaving Formula 1, Montezemolo replied, “Yes, why not? This could be one idea.”
