Montezemolo opens fire.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has added his voice to the still-simmering espionage row, as well as lashing out at Formula One's governing body over events in Japan.

The 60-year old waded into the spy scandal - which has already handed Ferrari the constrictors' crown and seen rival Mclaren hit with a $100m fine - by claiming that Lewis Hamilton's likely drivers' title will be discredited by the affair.

Speaking to Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper, di Montezemolo insisted that the FIA and its World Motor Sport Council should have gone further with its punishments by removing both Hamilton and McLaren team-mate from the championship - effectively leaving the title between Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa.

"I cannot help but think that it was a serious mistake not to also disqualify the McLaren drivers," he said after Hamilton's Fuji victory took the Briton to within an ace of the title, "It will always be that, if Hamilton will win the world title one, it will be thanks to Ferrari because, inside his car, there is much Ferrari."

Montezemolo was also unhappy with the governing body after the mix-up over tyres in Japan, where the Scuderia was the only team to start the race on 'intermediates' after not receiving an e-mail communiqu? from Charlie Whiting insisting that all cars started on the 'extreme' wet. Raikkonen and Massa both had to pit during the first few laps to change to the mandated tyre, and Montezemolo insists that that outcome of the race - which saw Raikkonen finish third and Massa sixth - would have been different had they not had to stop.

"Of course, I am not pleased with the result," he fumed, "I spoke at length with [Jean] Todt, and the choice of tyre was a risky one, but was taken on the basis that Ferrari did not know of the FIA's decision. This is a negative thing, and I wait to hear some excuses from the commissioners. Without this ruling, other squads would have started on the intermediate rubbers. Our drivers, in difficult conditions, did a good job, but we saw how it ended. I would have preferred a different solution, and am not pleased with the result."