Ferrari’s 2010 Season: From Bahrain to Silverstone
Scuderia Ferrari is the oldest team in Formula One, with its debut dating back to 1950. So far, the team has taken part in 802 races and won 211 of those with a pole position count of 203. To date, the Italian team has won 16 constructors’ and 15 drivers’ championships and has set a record 220 fastest laps in the last 60 years. With such rich history, top-of-the-line facilities and manufacturing, and unparalleled personnel, the Maranello based outfit is always the team to beat.
Ferrari, mostly a strong package, has fallen short of expectations in the current season, trailing behind both McLaren Mercedes and Red Bull Racing in constructors’ war. The best of Ferrari’s drivers, double world champion Fernando Alonso, is currently occupying the 5th spot in drivers’ standings, with 98 points. With the car Ferraris has had this season, this result is a little below than what the team had hoped at the beginning of the season.
No team in the current season has been able to challenge the Red Bulls in qualifying, but Ferrari has enough pace of making up the lost ground in the race. At their first race in Bahrain, Ferrari pulled off a dream start with a one two finish. Massa and Alonso started 2ndand 3rd on the grid, and while Massa finished in the same position, Alonso gained two spots to end the race as victor.
Unfortunately, Ferrari have not been able to replicate their opening performance so far in the season, and have only managed three podiums in the next 8 races. The second race in Australia was a strong finish both in qualifying and race, after which Ferrari grabbed 3rd and 4th spots. Alonso has somewhat managed to cling to the front runners by the skin of his teeth, but ever since Australia, Felipe Massa has been completely blown into the weeds.
As Alonso strolled to a comfortable 4th position in China, Massa could manage only two points from the Shanghai circuit. Malaysia was a heartbreaker for the Italian team, as they took only 6 points home. The Spanish Grand Prix turned out well for the team as Massa grabbed 6th position after starting ninth, and the local hero Alonso moved up two positions on the grid to finish on the second step of the podium, behind Red Bull’s Mark Webber.
In the following races, Ferrari went from bad to worse, as Alonso’s best finish in the next four races was 3rd position. Massa has been completely struggling recently, finding himself fighting out the back markers and finishing 15th and 11th in Canada and Europe respectively. Valencia was a shock for the Ferrari team, because they hoped to turn the tables on their rivals with the help of new upgrades. However, a mediocre performance, worsened by a safety car incident, was good only for 4 points.
While Ferrari once led the 2010 championship, currently the team has only accumulated 165 points in constructors’ race, 83 short of the leaders McLaren. With title hopes already fading away and many experts having counted the team out from amongst the title contenders, Ferrari plan to go into Silverstone with their last shot at glory.
The next three races - British, German and Hungarian GPs – are scheduled to take place in a space of four weeks and the teams will have no time to make any changes before the end of the Budapest race. Whatever result the team achieves at Silverstone, it is likely to be similar in Hockenheim and Hungary. Ferrari have already upgraded their exhaust systems and a few more upgrades, brake ducts and front wings, are in order for the next race. The Ferrari Team Principal Stefano Domenicali has said that it is very important to gain a victory at Silverstone, which will go a long way in boosting team morale and will hugely help the team’s championship.
With a victory this Sunday, Ferrari will once again be a force to be reckoned with. If Ferrari, however, fail to outpace the McLarens and Red Bulls at Silverstone, the next two races won’t be pretty either. And before we know it, Ferrari will be out of the championship race.
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