Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali: Fastest car will not necessarily win races – Formula 1 news
Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali has claimed that having the fastest car would not be enough to win races in the Formula 1 2011 Season, which is scheduled to start from Sunday, 27
March.
He added that the teams with the best strategy would be the winners in the new season.
Commenting on the Pirelli tyres, Domenicali said, “From what we have seen in winter testing, these tyres are very different to those we used in the past.”
He further added, “Therefore, we have to adopt a fresh approach and clearly, from what we have seen so far, the number of pit stops required to complete a race distance competitively will be higher than before.”
Domenicali predicted that the role of the team members would be increased compared to the previous seasons, as there will be a lot of pit stops during the race days. He further claimed that the importance of pit stops would be greater than qualifying in
the 2010 season.
Grid position was very important for the teams in the previous season, as there were not many chances of overtaking during the races. However, setting the fastest time will not be enough for the drivers to win the race this time around.
The Ferrari boss did not comment on his team’s position at the moment. He said that he was not sure of what the other teams had in store, so the best option would be to wait for the season opener.
However, he said that the team was hopeful of a better show in the upcoming season and the goal was to win the championship in 2011.
Ferrari may believe that strategies were not that important in the previous season, but their driver Fernando Alonso lost the drivers’ championship due to their poor planning.
The Spaniard was in the lead before the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi. He only needed a fourth place finish to secure the third title of his career, but an early pit stop cost him the glory.
On the other hand, Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel did not pit early, as the team had realised the disadvantage of the move. The young German ended up winning the Yas Marina Grand Prix and the drivers’ championship.
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