14/05/2012
NEWS STORY
Citing Roberto Mancini's 'never-say-die approach with Manchester City, Stefano Domenicali refuses to give up on his team's 2012 hopes.
It's hard to believe, but despite having arguably the worst Ferrari in years, Fernando Alonso has not only won a Grand Prix, he is leading the World Championship.
With five different winners from the first five races, something that has not been seen since 1983, it's anyone's guess as to how things are going to develop. However, while the F2012 is no real match for the Red Bull, McLaren or even the ever improving Lotus, the Italian team is eager to remind us that one of those five winners back at the start of 1983 was Patrick Tambay who won the San Marino Grand Prix in a 126C2/B. And while the Frenchman could only manage fourth in the Drivers' Championship that year (teammate Rene Arnoux finished third) the Italian team did win the Constructors' Championship, it's last until 1999.
However, team boss Domenicali doesn't only draw hope from the parallells with 1983, he also cites Manchester City's last gasp effort on Sunday which won the Roberto Mancini managed team the Premiership title for the first time in its history.
"Last night I watched the replay of the football matches involving the two Manchester sides and saw the determination with which Roberto Mancini continued to exhort his guys even when the situation seemed lost," Domenicali told the Ferrari website. "It was an example for everyone involved in sport and I would like to add my personal congratulations to him for this important win.
"It is even more true in a sport like ours where there are many factors in play," he continued. "It takes very little to change the hierarchy among the teams and this rule is even more true when the differences are just a few tenths or even hundredths.
"This year, the winner will be whoever manages to bring the best technical updates to the track in the shortest time possible: staying still for just a handful of races could mean finishing out of the points, given that so many teams have proved capable of fighting for the top places. We achieved our goal of making a step forward in Spain, but we must continue down this path, especially as the gap to the time that gave Hamilton his pole position is still too big."
Ominously however, the article points out the ever increasing gap between its two drivers, the Italian team knowing that in order to achieve success both Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa but be scoring points in every race.
"Fernando has always maintained a very high level (67 points and second place in 2010, 51 and fifth place last year)," reads the article, "while Felipe's drop off has made itself felt. The Brazilian had picked up 49 points two years ago and 24 the following year, while so far this season he has just 2.
"In Montmelo, Felipe was very unlucky, both in the race and in qualifying, but everyone, he more than anyone, is expecting a change of gear starting right away with the Monaco Grand Prix, his second home race, given that he lives just a few hundred metres from what, as from next Sunday, will be transformed into the paddock for the sixth round of the 2012 championship."
"We expect Felipe to react and fight back after this unlucky weekend, starting in Monaco," said Domenicali in the wake of Sunday's race. "We absolutely need his points to also fight for the constructors' title."