Milan Hosts Premiere of Luca di Montezemolo Film

The English idiom see red is commonly understood to mean “to lose one’s temper,” yet in the title of a new documentary about Luca di Montezemolo, it conveys something quite different. Directed by Christopher Armstrong and written by Manish Pandey, Luca:Seeing Red explores the story of the iconic Ferrari executive whose legacy is inseparably tied to the Scuderia’s greatest triumphs of the 1970s and the turn of the millennium.

The film charts the remarkable life of Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, who recently celebrated his 78th birthday. Passionate about motorsport from his student days, his career-defining moment came in 1973 when Enzo Ferrari invited him to join as an assistant. Within a year, at just 28 years old, he was appointed Sporting Director. From then on, his destiny was intertwined with Ferrari: under his guidance, the team captured 19 world titles, including five consecutive championships with Michael Schumacher.

Pandey first encountered di Montezemolo in 2012, a meeting that left a lasting impression of his unique charisma. The documentary intertwines personal anecdotes with historical milestones: an old armchair where Ayrton Senna once sat only days before his fatal accident at Imola, and the tale of a 300-year-old oak tree at Montezemolo’s villa that he fought to preserve against all odds. Such stories reveal not only his respect for tradition but also his profound attachment to his homeland.

Notably, the production was denied permission to film in Maranello,as Ferrari’s current chairman, John Elkann, withheld approval. Serving as the film’s presenter is Chris Harris, well known to audiences from Top Gear.The documentary will premiere in the United Kingdom on September 25 before rolling out across European cinemas.