Giancarlo Fisichella has hit back at Bernie Ecclestone for suggesting he quit formula one.
In an open letter to the F1 chief executive, reproduced on the front page of his personal website in both Italian and English, the grand prix veteran took exception to Ecclestone’s claim that he should have done a better job in the past few seasons at Renault.
“You are the father of formula one and like a father you have talked about your children, including me,” Fisichella, who is 34, said.
“I wanted to remind you dear daddy, I mean dear Bernie, that I am the one who won the first Grand Prix in Melbourne in 2005 with Renault and therefore I was the one who first discovered the R25 as a winning car,” he added.
Fisichella also seemed to suggest that he was a victim of “the strategies of my team” alongside title winner Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006, explaining that, “given the circumstances I believe I could not do any better”.
Ecclestone had questioned the wisdom of Fisichella and fellow beleaguered veteran Ralf Schumacher’s test for the Force India team at Jerez next week.
“Next week I will bring my enthusiasm and my experience to Force India, a young team with an ‘old heart’ just like Giancarlo Fisichella who has still some talent to show!” he exclaimed.
