Formula One: Ferrari’s reaction after the Belgian Grand Prix
Ferrari had a disappointing race, as both of their drivers were not able to score a podium. Their leading driver was not able to score a single point, as he retired in lap 37 just seven laps before the chequered flag was waved. This was a vital blow to the Spaniard’s championship hopes, as both of the top drivers finished at the podium.
However, Felipe Massa was able to finish in 4th place behind Robert Kubica. Fernando Alonso came started the race quite confidently but was hit in the first lap by Rubens Barrichello, which ruined his race. The former champion performed quite well in the practice sessions on Friday but was not able to cope up in the qualifying or on the practice session on Saturday. The Belgian Grand Prix was quite an experience for team Ferrari in every aspect and the team shared its views about the impact of this race.
Felipe Massa, who finished forth, thought that this was a positive result for him, as the race was full of incidents and accidents that put Vettel and Button out of the race. Their rivals McLaren and Red Bull were stronger than Ferrari, however, Massa believes Ferrari worked as a team and made the right decisions in every phase of the race. Ferrari’s set up was quite efficient in dry conditions but suffered a lot in the wet. The car was reasonably competitive in the first two sectors but lacked power in the middle sector. The Brazilian is looking forward to the Italian Grand Prix, that is Ferrari’s home race and the team hopes to do well at the track, where stability and speed count the most. Massa hopes things will turn out their way and the team will fight until the end even in worst situations.
Fernando Alonso was quite disappointed with the results, as it went quite badly for him, since two of the top competitors of the championship have maximum points. This was first of the seven “finals” and now this means that the team will have to recover the ground they lost in the coming races. Alonso thought that he will have a good race after he hit a couple of good portions on the track but found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Rubens could not control his car under braking and crashed into him. The Spaniard came straight back to the pits and changed his tyres and checked whether the car was alright or not. The team changed his tyres to intermediates, as they thought there will be heavy rain but that was not the case and the team had to compromise on their speed. Ferrari was hoping for the rain but the team was too late when it came and the strategy turned out to be a failure for him. It prevented his chances of overtaking during their pit stops as well. Alonso was disappointed as he slipped off the track later on and that was the end of his race. The Spaniard was not happy, as he was not able to bring some points. “It is very disappointing, because this is a bad result, but it does not mean I have given up on my chances of winning the title,” said the two-time champion.
Ferrari’s team manager Chris Dyer stated that Felipe had a good race and stayed out of trouble during all phases of the race and brought the team a good result, keeping in mind the team was not performing up to the mark at Spa Francorchamps. However, his teammate had a disappointing result, as he was involved in many incidents during the race. This will complicate the situation for Fernando seriously. He struggled since the beginning of the race due to his collision with Barrichello that forced him to pit immediately. The team took a gamble at that point that did not turn out as they planned. However, the team is happy with what they got but they have to work very hard in the last six races of the way to stay in the championship.
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