Though a board member at McLaren Automotive, it is clear where former Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo's heart remains.

Di Montezemolo was personally appointed sporting director by Enzo Ferrari in 1974, subsequently overseeing Niki Lauda's title wins in 1975 and 1977.

Though he headed off to lead various factions of the Fiat empire he returned to Maranello in 1991 as president of Ferrari, which was still seeking to recover following the death of its founder in 1988.

As well as putting the road car division back on its feet, Montezemolo gradually put in place the various factors that would lead to the Scuderia's domination of the sport in the early to mid-2000s.

Replaced by Sergio Marchionne as chairman of Ferrari in late 2014, in June this year he was reported to have been appointed a director of McLaren Group Holdings Ltd.

Having led such a full and colourful life it is only natural that, like so many others, a documentary has been put together and it was at the premiere of Luca: Seeing Red, that the 78-year-old expressed his concern for the team that clearly remains one of the loves of his life.

"It's sad to see a Ferrari without a leader," he said. "It lacks a strong, determined soul.

"One of the things I learned at Ferrari, and that I've always tried to apply, is that when you win, you have to work even harder," he continued. "Today, when we are not winning, this is even more true.

"It is crucial to choose the right people," he insisted, "in my day, I had highly valuable collaborators, number ones and number twos."

The Italian is particularly concerned at the numerous management changes over the years, believing that stability at all levels is vital. He particularly feels that losing Mattia Binotto - now with Sauber - was a mistake.

"If Binotto could have continued, it would have been better," he said. "Constant change means losing one of the most important elements, a team's stability. Every time you change, you have to start from scratch, and there's a lot of work to do. Announcements are often made that create excessive expectations, you should achieve results first and then communicate them.

"I saw the beautiful images of the fans at Monza and, at the same time, a team that, despite the many pre-race announcements, has yet to win a race," he said. "And even if they had won one, the fact remains that Ferrari hasn't won the world championship for years.

"I myself have experienced some very difficult times, because I think we lost nine or ten championships in a final race," he admitted. "But for too long, Ferrari hasn't even been able to fight for the title at the last race with a driver in contention.

"I hope things change, first and foremost for those who were at Monza and who continue to show unwavering faith. Ferrari today has even more responsibility towards them."

Well, Luca that's all very well, but at least the limited-edition apparel - ironically celebrating Niki's 1975 title - is selling like hot cakes, as is Charles' ice cream...