Ferrari looks to improve on their season opening performance in Malaysia – Formula 1
Ferrari will be looking to improve going into the Malaysian Grand Prix.
The team has been suffering from serious technical woes ever since the car came out for the first pre-season test. The Australian Grand Prix was assumed to be a satisfactory result for the team such has been the height of problems for the team.
Ferrari finished 5th in the recently concluded Grand Prix thanks to Fernando Alonso’s skilful driving the team was able to finish fifth. Felipe Massa in the other car had a good start initially but could not finish the race as he crashed his car into Bruno
Senna’s Williams.
Team principal Stefano Domenicali has said that though this was not the best of results but such is the situation that the team is relieved to get this result. Now the plan is to make sure both the drivers finish the race and are among points.
The team understands that the car needs to be tweaked, the pace and the traction needs to be looked into along with the balance of the car which has been so problematic for the Brazilian and has been a cause of excessive tyre degradation.
“We know we must raise the performance level of our car: from what we have seen here in Australia, there are several teams not so far off one another and one does not need to make enormous progress to make up several places. We know the main areas we need
to work on - traction and top speed first and foremost - and we must accelerate as much as possible the development work to reach the level of the best as soon as possible,” he said.
Team president Luca di Montezemolo who has been anticipating an improved season for the team is also worried about the team’s overall performance and after listening to technical director Pat Fry’s comments about the team’s prospect of the season said that
he hopes the team can come up with improved performances.
Alonso talked about the team’s performance and said that he knew Melbourne was going to be a complicated race but it is good that he has managed to bring home some useful points. He added that the Malaysian Grand Prix will be a “trial by fire” because the
Sepang circuit is a very demanding one for the cars and the compounds.
Felipe Massa mostly put the blame on the car as he mentioned that tyre degradation and the balance of the car was mostly responsible for the poor showing of the car.
It will be interesting to see how Ferrari will perform at the Malaysian Grand Prix it will be crucial for the team to make sure that the drivers finish their race.
Tags: