Ferrari adopting cautious approach in title run-in
It is Ferrari’s Formula One championship to lose.
The constructors’ title may be slightly be out of their reach, but the drivers’ title certainly isn’t.
Their man Fernando Alonso has an 11 point lead over the Red Bull of Mark Webber with only two races left and a possible 50 points up for grabs.
The Spaniard has worked extremely hard to get into this position, winning four out of the last seven races and collecting more points than his other championship rivals Webber, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton.
The last race in Korea was a catastrophe for Red Bull, as Webber, who had been leading the championship pre-race, crashed out in the wet conditions, while Vettel was nine laps away from winning the race, but an engine failure meant he would leave empty-handed. A disaster for Red Bull was a delight for Ferrari, as Alonso was able to take the win and lead the championship for the first time since the beginning of the season.
The Brazilian Grand Prix is next up for the drivers, and Ferrari and Alonso are in the best possible position to seal the title, a scenario that at times during the season seemed very unlikely. Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali insists his team must stay focused and not have the same problems Red Bull experienced in Korea.
“It is unlikely to decide the outcome, but it will be a very important race. If one were to lose valuable points here it would make Abu Dhabi [season finale] a bigger call,” he said.
The Italians are meticulous in their preparations, making sure everything is as perfect as it can be. Ferrari have done this over the years, and don’t cut corners when it comes to delivering the right car to battle for the championship. If they want Alonso to win his third world championship, they must continue to follow the tried and tested method.
“The approach the team will adopt in these final weeks of the championship will be the right one, keeping in mind the strengths of our rivals, Red Bull and McLaren. We have seen how complicated the races have been throughout the season, which means we have to be very careful.
“As far as the F10 is concerned, there will be a few small updates on the aerodynamic front, but nothing really significant, because the difference will come from reliability, from finishing the races without losing points and having the right mindset,” said Domenicali.
Ferrari are capable of doing well at Interlagos, Sao Paulo. They have won the grand prix in three of the last four years, and in 2007 they romped to a one-two finish with Kimi Räikkönen becoming world champion, finishing nearly a minute ahead of the rest of the field. Alonso can wrap up the championship on this weekend if he wins and other results go his way, and Domenicali knows Ferrari can be competitive at this circuit.
“I think the F10 can be competitive in Brazil and that, for better or for worse, the relative strengths are those we have seen in the last few races. We can expect to find that Red Bull is again very strong, while McLaren could have some more updates to be quicker still and we will be in the fight,” he said.
Brazil is the home grand prix of Felipe Massa, and while he has been frozen out of the title hunt, especially at Germany, Domenicali believes he will be extremely strong to aid Ferrari’s chances.
“Brazil is Felipe's home race and knowing him the way I do, I am sure there will be that little bit extra motivation to do well,” he said. “He will want to show his fans what he can do so I expect him to be very much up for the fight, doing all he can to win. He will be very quick, which is exactly what we need right now to reach our goals.”
Massa may be the main attraction for the home crowd, but Alonso is the one everyone will have to keep their eyes on.
Tags: