Ferrari boss seeks answers

Schumacher and Ferrari suffered a disappointing race

Ferrari supremo Luca di Montezemolo has demanded an inquiry into the team's poor performance in the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Di Montezemolo, the president of Ferrari, has met with his department heads and insisted the results must be turned around in the final three Grands Prix of the Formula One season.

Five-time world champion Michael Schumacher started from his lowest position on the grid for five years in Hungary and could only finish eighth as his championship lead was cut to a single point.

And Rubens Barrichello's retirement after crashing with suspension failure meant Ferrari were overtaken by Williams-BMW in the race for their fourth straight constructors' title.

"A performance and incidents like those we witnessed in Budapest must never be repeated and everyone in the post-race meeting agreed on this point," Di Montezemolo told the Ferrari website.

"We know very well, as we have always maintained, that staying at the top after four successful years would be very difficult against very strong opponents, denied victory for so long.

Now Ferrari are so bad it's unbelievable Niki Lauda

"But after a day like Sunday each one of us must discuss the situation and strive for perfection in every area of activity, working calmly and in determined fashion."

Ferrari will be hoping to stop the rot at their home Grand Prix in Monza in three weeks' time.

"I know I can count on a team which has always reacted without panic in difficult times, working flat out to win," said Di Montezemolo.

"I know we have the best driver in the world in Michael, who still leads the championship and a team-mate like Rubens who even on Sunday, while still in the race, showed his true worth.

"We ask our technical partners to put in an extraordinary effort to respond to the strong competition in order to be as competitive as possible.

"It is a crucial moment for Ferrari ahead of the last three races of the season. It will be a very close fight."

But others believe Ferrari's reign could already be at an end.

Former champion Niki Lauda said: "This [Hungary] was a disaster race for Ferrari. It is impressive how they have gone backwards.

"Now they are so bad it's unbelievable. They have been dominating the last three years, nobody could get near them and now they get lapped."