Formula 1 latest: Ferrari and McLaren make title claims
Formula One’s 2010 season is finally heading into its finale. With 4 races remaining it could not have been any closer at top of the table. All 5 titles contenders are separated by just 25 points which is equivalent to a race win. That means that things
can dramatically change in an instant over one weekend.
Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali has said that there is a need to stay calm ahead of the final 4 races of the season.
Ferrari’s title contender Fernando Alonso made a late surge for the World Championship by winning two back to back races in Italy and Singapore. The Spaniard now trails Mark Webber at the top of the table by 11 points and is sitting pretty in 2nd.
Domenicali noted that panic can set in as the season reaches its climax, but there is a need to remain calm and take things as they come.
Domenicali said, "What I know is we need to be cool, to keep our feet on the ground and to work hard."
Meanwhile, Ferrari’s title contender McLaren’s boss Martin Whitmarsh has said that his drivers Hamilton and Button can produce a comeback in the last 4 races to take the title. The British duo did not enjoy the best of times in Singapore.
Alonso has won 3 of the last 5 races and now is a firm favourite behind Webber to win the title. He last won the world championship back to back in 2005 and 2006.
Domenicali is refusing to call the title race, and is still sitting on the fence, despite huge speculation that Alonso may be the man with the momentum to win his 3rd world title.
The Ferrari boss said: "You know me, I'm never down when things are bad, and I never declare 'fantastic' when things are going well," he added.
"We know when we've made some mistakes, then some others have been better than us, but that's part of the game, part of life.”
Domencali said that the team has always believed in hard work and staying focused on the job at hand - forecasting results can let complacency creep in and that is something they can not afford.
"The most important thing is to have a clear focus in front of us, to never give up, and that's what we are doing."
Domenicali said that not only Alonso but Massa too has also been an integral part of the big plans for the team. He added that the Driver’s Championship alone is not something they are aiming for; winning the Constructor’s Championship is also on the agenda.
He referred to the excellent effort by Felipe Massa at the Singapore Grand Prix, where he was eliminated in the first qualifying session and started at the back of the grid. The Brazilian however ended up grabbing the final championship points in the race
and ended up 10th.
"It's important for us to work very hard on reliability because as a team we paid a heavy price."
On the other hand Meanwhile McLaren team principal Whitmarsh has no doubts that his team would be able to bounce back in time to grab the world title.
Hamilton did not finish the race at Singapore following the collision with Mark Webber and ended up with no points for the 2nd
consecutive race. Meanwhile, Jenson Button, the defending world champion missed on the final podium position by fractions and finished 4th.
Hamilton is now 20 points behind Webber, and Button 25 points adrift. Similarly, McLaren have dropped down the constructor’s championship and are 24 points behind Red Bull who top the table.
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