Ferrari chief defends team from attack

London: Luca di Montezemolo, the president of Ferrari, has responded angrily to criticism from a high-profile Italian politician over the Scuderia's failure to secure the drivers' championship last weekend.

Roberto Calderoli, a minister from the far-right Northern League party, said that Di Montezemolo should resign after a "demented strategy" cost Fernando Alonso a possible third title.

The Spaniard needed only to finish fourth to claim the championship, but a decision to pit him early in the race in an attempt to ‘cover' title rival Mark Webber saw him get stuck in traffic and he ended up seventh.

Such is Ferrari's iconic status to Italians that the team's self-confessed error became a national talking point, with plenty of fans demanding blood. Di Montezemolo, a political heavyweight who has been critical of Italy's Northern League in the past, reacted to Calderoli's comments in withering fashion.

‘A difficult day'

"When the statesman Calderoli will achieve in his life 1 per cent of what Ferrari has done for this country in terms of industry and sports, then he'll deserve an answer," Di Montezemolo said.

"For all of us it's a difficult day. The night hasn't lessened the bitter taste after the sad end to an extraordinary season.

"We're sorry to see that there are some politicians on the outside who are ready to push for the guillotine when things go badly. We don't understand anyone who revels in self-defeatism, who sinks into the culture of ‘everything's gone wrong, we have to start all over again'. They are vices that are very Italian, that we must learn to shake off."

Ferrari F1 team principal Stefano Domenicali, who pledged his team would do "a better job next year", is not thought to be in any danger of losing his job.

Unprecedented season

Meanwhile, Williams confirmed that Rubens Barrichello would stay on in 2011 for an unprecedented 19th season of F1 competition.

With Venezuelan pay driver Pastor Maldonado expected to join Williams next year, Brazilian Barrichello was battling with the now-axed Nico Hulkenberg for the second seat at the team.