Perhaps if the drivers had been able to help develop a decent car... Spending more time in the factory, thanking their team instead of having to deal with a huge reshuffle because Alonso couldn't get past a rookie in Abu Dhabi has something to do with it. And really, they had the best pre season testing run, why is it the drivers were seemingly happy with a car that clearly looked rough in the corners? Petrov not his rival? Think Alonso needs to tone down the confidence whilst the Renaults are so close to them.
They've been off the pace from the first race. Development isn't the problem, it's a **** base package. We saw the improvements they made in the second half of last year, Alonso isn't to blame for this, the car is badly packaged. It shouldn't really be a surprise that Ferrari are struggling. They lost their best designers in 2006 in Brawn and Byrne. In 2007 and 2008 they simply evolved the package those two had left. In '09 they were awful. Last year they had a strong car but they started on that midway through the season before. Before Schumacher, Brawn and Byrne arrived Ferrari were nowhere. I don't think they have the engineering talent to go up against Adrian Newey, and Domenicali is useless. Don't get me wrong, he's a nice bloke, but he's a **** team principal.
Ferrari just havent got to grips with the new era of regulations (2009 onwards), its as simple as that really.
For what its worth, in my opinion Ferrari have not got the best out of the mechanical and aero design. Now added to that I would be very surprised if Massa was really trying to put forward strongly held views. He has been shat on in the traditional Ferrari way, so who can blame him? It could be that Alonso will be able to input to have the car improve but they are following the big 2 teams by quite a margin it seems.
There is something very important in these words. Getting the best from any car is ultimately the drivers' responsibility - as much as anyone else's. If any driver wants the very best car, he/she must be integral to the development of it! As things stand, Massa does not appear to be integrated in a way which makes sense to his own mentality; meanwhile Alonso is unable to lead the team by himself. Until Ferrari management addresses these fundamental driver related problems, they are likely to continue to flounder.
It could be down to one dimensional driver input. Alonso has commandeered the whole development process and has just discovered that the 6/10s he is supposed to bring is a fallacy The car is fundamentally wrong Contrast with Mclaren who have produced a car that seems to have more downforce and is gentle on it's tyres Ferrari and Alonso are on course for a traditional ding dong(falling out)
To answer the original question... No, they obviously can't/won't give up.The very notion of them starting developing a new car design after one race is a non starter. They may be struggling to match RBR and MM as we go into Sepang, but it's such early days.Last season Alonso seemed a spent force after several poor results, yet he was still in contention going into the last race of the season. Regarding the driver relationship.....I get the impression it's nonexistent.My take is that Massa is going through the motions (after Germany last yr), so in that respect they are effectively a one man team.
In response to the original question, thats the biggest load of bull I've heard this season. Last year ythey were in a s;light;ly better situation, but still behing RB and Mclaren. By quali in Germany, they'd got themselves sorted out, so I expect the same again this year. Ferrari have not coped well with the rule changes since 2009, as someone has said, and I think their fans are making them sound worse than they are. Ferarri, and also Mercedes, talked a very big race at pre-season testing, and it's come back to haunt them. They both look rather stupid now cliaming they will be very quick this year, but where are they now? Despite that I still expect Ferrari to recover like last season. Mercedes I think will stay where they are, like last year. With this driver relationship buisness, Massa is clearly not happy with Alonso. I think he justs needs to keep a cool head and just race, forget about who he is driving for and who is team mate is. He is capable of beating Alonso if he keeps his cool and keeps a level head.
Alonso whilst being a pretty capable driver is not a team player or team leader as was shown by his time at McLaren, his approach is singular in the extreme, excluding Massa as merely a supporter, which is largely Massa's own fault, he should stick his head over the parapet and get on with it, because he can actually drive. Alonso's technical skills are limited, he does not appear capable of reasoned analysis, but relies more on emotional reaction to get results, perhaps if combined with Massa they could both study the issues, maybe they could find a way forward. Schumacher, of whom I am not a great supporter, when he was at Ferrari could pour through data with his engineers and find solutions. Ferrari I'm afraid at the moment will be struggling to advance their cause and won't catch up this year or next with their current approach.
Actually Ernie I dont agree. The amount of time Alonso spends with his team outside of race weekends is greater than most, more so than Massa. It was also true with Renault and McLaren and I dont think you will find a more dedicated driver than him. I think Ferrari fell down with Kimi who was quite the oposite.
I do agree Kimi was sadly a lost cause, the rest we agree to differ, apart from Fernando dedicated yes , capable not so.
I concur that the rot began with 'Don't Care' Raikkonen. I also believe that Alonso has the passion to do as much as he can to help but without the so-called 'dream team' - of which Massa was a very willing component - he is out of his depth to pilot the red ship on a high sea. Ferrari mentality is the easiest explanation for their present predicament.
Truthfully and sadly, I dont see a way forward for Ferrari at present, and even more sadly it's going to get worse, they are out of control.
Apparently Alonso is walking around the paddock gloomy and depressed I think Massa might be the best chance of any type of result this season as Alonso likes to have a superior car otherwise toys leave the pram Let's see how Turkey pans out
Ive heard they will be using the Toyota wind Tunnel in cologne for now until they find out what is wrong with their own.
I remember reading a post somewhere last year that the whole problem with Ferrari was that it was trying to get back to it's old days of "italian excellence" and not having to keep buying talent out of Italy. I'm sure that was one of the main problems Brawn had with Ferrari when he left, he was being brushed aside for Italian talent.
Speak for yourself, you may have, but most F1 fans didn't. My Hamelot detection device is bleeping for some reason. Flat-six, if seen that before................ and the car goes Wum wum, wuuuuuuum.
Italian excellence runs as far as Glassware, Pino Grigio, Venice, and waiters, oh, nearly forgot bent politics, state of the art engineering ain't one of their strong points. But I love Italy it a great country, spent a load of time there, the people are great, as long as you don't have to work with them !
