Poll: Do you think 2012 is looking good for the Scuderia Ferrari?

[FrankAlfa]

I think the big push by Ferrari to make a much more developed race car and reach much further than in the last few years is what we will see. Ferrari knows it must be the best race care on the track straight out of the box when the season starts to gain both an technical AND mental advantage over the field. Ferrari must make the fastest race car on the track and they must be the most bullet proof at the same time! This is how you win championships and driver's titles! Ferrari has always won and they know they must lead and not follow!

They know they are Ferrari and they know they are the standard by which others are measure!

Ciao!

Forza Ferrari!!!!

[Grinsomx]

way too early to tell imo,
we saw the same sort of articles and interviews last year...look how that turned out.
i will keep it at a "don't know" and see where we stand after a race or 2

[Corey]

Who voted for the "no"?

[Gerhard Berger]

What makes me optimistic:
1. Banning of EBD and return to periscope exhausts - Newey never won anything with Periscope exhauts whilst we had our most successful period with them.
2. Ban on off throttle blowing - this is something which our engine was not capable of doing very well.
3. Costa is gone - i think he would have been useful in some other role, but as a technical director he was not brilliant, as shown by his results. Fry seems competent.
4. Tombazis is back in an aero role (which is what he is good at).
5. Rory Byrne is back, albeit part time.
6. Hennel is now head of aero - he has a very good track record.
7. Alonso is settled in the team and is at his peak.

What makes me pessimistic:
1. Red Bull and Newey seem to have mastered this set of regulations. Even with the minor changes we've seen from 2009-2011, they have always been fast for the last 2 years have been a step ahead of everyone else. I have nightmares that they will blow everyone away in Melbourne again. We havn't really excelled under the current regulations.
2. We made alot of changes to our technical team, and maybe it will take a year or 2 before these changes produce the results we want.
3. We havn't quite been the same since the old dream team left.
4. Our development after Costa left this year was not that great (though we did start to focus on the 2012 car earlier than most).

[Alessandra]

I'm slightly consoled that it took from '96 - 2000 for the 'dream team' to come together and start their winning runs, didn't it?

[sav_pap]

I voted "not sure". Last title was a few years ago... I think I've lost my faith on team ?
I only wish to have a competitive car from the start and all the others will come...

[Jose Lorca]

Here's what we know about 2012:

- We have the best driver on the grid
- Our technical team has been strengthened
- One of the greatest designers in history is helping us
- 2012 rules play into our hands
- Car is "not pretty" - more innovative/extreme?

So at this early stage, of course it is looking good for us. It will continue to look good for us at least until pre-season testing.

[pilotHans]

i seriously have no idea so i just voted for Not Sure.......one can dream.....but one must be realistic ...hmm..as for now i just hope for the best

[Massimo181]

Not sure and have to be realistic like Alonso mentioned will not know where we are until the first couple of races and he should know! It is too easy to say yes and not even know what the car looks like or how it drives!!

[Ant Raikkonen]

I voted "not sure".

I am of a cynical nature, from learning of past seasons experience of how pre-season testing translates to the beginning of the racing. Of course we have hope, but imo all these new personnel along with alledged agressive car development do not guarantee success either this year, next year or any year.
I actually don't like reading all these bits of info about the new car achieveing X amounts of points of downforce compared to the 2011 car etc etc etc.

I find the comparative silence from Mclaren & Red Bull rather deafening.

Let's see what happens. What more can any fan do?

[theforce]

Voted Yes The Ferrari camp have been sounding very confident about this years car from the beginning. Seems like they learned from their mistakes, corrected them and taken an extra leap forward. Looking ahead to another year of Alonso Vs Lewis. I reckon they will be the ones to watch.

[brembo man]

Yes for sure! Any improvement on last years car will be enough get up and go for Alonso! Every Ferrari pole pos. will be a win for sure. 2, 3rd at the start will be great also to see Alonso slip by anyone in his way!!!! Lets hope our pitstops will be as good as RB was last year also. That has to happen, not just the car has to improve.

[aroutis]

Based on the fact we're definitely taking an aggressive approach, the fact we don't just take the same approach we've been taking each and every year for the past years, the fact Rory is back with us , I have to say yes. Even if we don't take the titles, we still we 'll have taken a different route and I am optimistic that route can only be better for us :)

[Italian Spirit]

In sequence, I :
- Dug out my crystal ball but the battery was flat
- Asked my wife, who replied without raising the eyes from her book: "What exactly is F1, dear?"
- My son couldn't hear the question because the music in his room was too loud
- Summoned my border collie who barked: "Your wish is my command, boss!"
- Invited a couple of friends for a drink, hoping for help, but they spent the evening talking football
- Tried to phone Luca di, but he was skiing somewhere on the Swiss Alps
- Colajanni answered the phone saying that it was really a good question, that he deeply appreciated it, that he would see with Stefano and Luca di, ask Pat, Fernando, Felipe and whoever else he could reach, which would of course take some time, so if I could be so kind to call back around the end of the year he would be delighted to try to give me an answer
- Tossed a desperate coin. It fell on the floor and I never found it again

I paused, went into deep meditation and decided that all these things were good omens, so I voted yes.

[grinchy]

I voted YES of course,come on guys & galls keep the faith!

[Hermann]

Maybe its time to vote 'no' after the latest twist from FIA.

[Alessandra]

Yes, I'm a bit confused ( nothing new there) about whether the reason Ferrari failed the first FIA test ( although passed on the second attempt having beefed up the side panels for safety reasons) was for exactly the same reason as Lotus Renault failed.
Ours would seem to be a aero probelm rather than engineering but on some other sites there's the customary griping that the FIA is (a) accomodating Ferrari, as usual, by failing the ingenuity of Lotus or (b) in the same mess as Lotus and therefore deeply depressing for Ferrari fans.

Had they, Lotus, been pursuing the same line of thinking as us engineering-wise or were we up to something quite different?

Williams, I gather, would also be in a bit of (extra) trouble since , as I understand it, as they too were looking closely at the same issues and solutions as Lotus/Renault.

Confusing ain't it?

[ruud king]

In this case i voted YES but to quote a famous driver; "When the flag drops, the BS stops"
So we have to wait and see what our boys from Maranello wil produce and deliver in the first couple of races.

[NanoTheQuickest]

I know we have only seen unfinished/race ready cars from the top teams but I really like the way we are presenting ourselves towards this new season. The all team in Maranello has worked extra hard this winter and I have a good feeling that it will pay off not only for 2012 but for a hole new era , a Ferrari era!!!

Forza Ferrari

[sv_godspeed]

...i'd take the order of today's test session with the exception of us being at/ close to the top with Lotus, Force India and Merc for competition!

thats not going to happen, isn't it? but imagine a season with Lotus, FI, and Merc fighting Ferrari for the championship...would be a belter!

[REDARMYSOJA]

but imagine a season with Lotus, FI, and Merc fighting Ferrari for the championship...would be a belter!

A season of total and utter Ferrari domination would be best.

[Alessandra]

A season of total and utter Ferrari domination would be best.

Yeh. Who cares about sportsmanship? We just want us to win, win, win

[Greig]

Domination is great, but a last race title win just feels so much better, either way as long as we win

[scudvirgin10]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUzQYKWcy6Y alonso interview about the reason and future i hope its true they make a different ways to win

[REDARMYSOJA]

Yeh. Who cares about sportsmanship? We just want us to win, win, win

So if Ferrari have a dominant car they should lose a few races just to be nice to the others?

I'm sure the other teams would do the same.

[REDARMYSOJA]

Domination is great, but a last race title win just feels so much better, either way as long as we win

I'd rather it be over by mid-season and we get to gloat the remainder of the year.

[Tony]

I'd rather it be over by mid-season and we get to gloat the remainder of the year.

[scuderiafan]

I'd rather it be over by mid-season and we get to gloat the remainder of the year.

and laugh at 'cheat' accusations of course

[Rob]

I'd rather it be over by mid-season and we get to gloat the remainder of the year.

yeah same here.

[epiclyaddicted]

I'd rather it be over by mid-season and we get to gloat the remainder of the year.

This