Ferrari ready to dominate 2011 Formula One grids
Ferrari, who returned home for Christmas celebrations empty-handed, is ready to dominate the grids of 2011 Formula One season again. The previous season ended last November leaving the Italian team at 3rdplace in the Constructors’ championship,
while its driver, Fernando Alonso lost the drivers’ title at the last round of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Presently, the team may have gathered for some winter sports in the Italian Alps, but all it is talking about is its goal for the 2011 season. While the entire squad spends some time together with the media and its title sponsor Marlboro, their annual ‘Wrooom’
ski event is actually being used as a resort to discuss the highs and lows of last season. The management is now carefully tailoring its strategy for next season as only a minor mistake last year, cost them the drivers’ championship.
Ferrari began its 2010 campaign after having spent half of the season behind the forerunners, Red Bull and McLaren. The team finally entered the tug for the title after its controversial 1-2 finish at the German Grand Prix, but nothing really worked for
them the way they anticipated.
As the team driver Alonso entered the last race of the season, ill-fate embraced him. An early pit stop stuck him behind heavy traffic which he was never able to overtake and finally ended the day at 7th place. This made him finish the season four points
adrift the race winner, Sebastian Vettel, settling the Spaniard at second place while the Red Bull driver grabbed his first championship.
The 2010 season saw Ferrari finish behind its rivals, Red Bull and McLaren in the constructors’ championship for the third consecutive season. The Ferrari team principal, Stefano Domenicali is certainly deep down in hot water. While talking to the media
earlier this week the Italian proclaimed, “In 2010 we just missed out on the drivers’ title with Fernando Alonso and we came third in the constructors’ championship. The target for 2011 is as easy to say as it is hard to achieve - it requires taking one step
forward in the drivers’ championship and two in the one for the teams. These have to be our targets because we are Ferrari.”
In order to achieve the team goal, Domenicali believes that finishing ahead of both, the Red Bull and McLaren right at the curtain raiser, Bahrain GP is a must. He says that dominance must be gained at the very first race and then maintained all through the
year.
He further stated, “The truth is that the (2010) championship was lost in the early part of the season, when we failed to pick up the points that were within our grasp. We want to have a car that is super-competitive and reliable from the very start. We
know that we will have to be perfect, including in how we react to all the events that can crop up in a race weekend - because when the opponents are so strong and numerous this is what you need if you aspire to win.”
The Red Bull car in the last two seasons has been the fastest on the track, and the team hopes to come up with a similar package this season also. Meanwhile, McLaren also sees a great season ahead owing to the return of Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS).
In 2009 the team had one of the best systems on the gird and is now looking forward to have an even improved version. Mercedes GP also poses a great threat for the next season, for having two great racers, Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg under its umbrella.
It was the first team that started developing its 2011 car in the mid of last season. With such a competitive field getting prepared, Formula one enthusiasts have to wait and watch if Ferrari will be able to prove its claim of dominating the tracks or another
disappointing season will embrace the team.
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