Bahrian GP 2014 Team news/pictures&quotes

[Rob]

Bahrain GP – Pushing to close the gap
http://i62.tinypic.com/imrxi9.jpg
Maranello, 1 April – The Championship moves on immediately to Bahrain, scene of the majority of winter testing, for Round 3 at the Sakhir Circuit on Sunday. In Sepang, Fernando Alonso secured a valuable fourth place, while Kimi Raikkonen at least benefited from the experience of another race distance, although the first lap collision meant points were never on the cards. Before leaving Malaysia, both Scuderia Ferrari drivers gave us their thoughts on the challenges they will face this weekend.

Fernando Alonso..

Since the last test in Bahrain, we have made a big step forward in terms of the interaction between the electrical motor and the combustion engine. Everyone now has a better understanding of the rules, also for us drivers in terms of the driving style and how to manage this new Formula 1, so we come to this race with a much better basis than we had in the winter tests.

The most difficult aspect of the Sakhir circuit is the braking, as there are long straights followed by heavy braking, then a tight corner and another straight. Braking performance and the feeling you get from the brakes gives you the confidence to attack and so get a better lap time. Apart from that, another priority will be to work on our top speed.

We have seen different types of racing over the first two Grands Prix, with the first one highlighting fuel saving a bit and the other shifting the focus to tyre management because of degradation, due to the high temperature. I think Bahrain will feature a combination of both these factors. We will have to save fuel more than in Malaysia and the tyres will be affected by the temperature in the Bahraini desert. We can expect a tough race, as some of the competition is very strong and we will have to raise our game to close down the gap as quickly as possible.

Kimi Raikkonen..

After testing in Bahrain in the winter, we now go back there with much more experience and knowledge after the first two races. We must put that learning to good use for this race. There is a lot to do, but everyone in the team is pushing hard to sort things out as quickly as we can.

There are not so many corners on this Sakhir track, but it seems to be very difficult to get a perfect lap, due to the combination of high speed sections and some very low speed corners. You would think with only few corners it would be easy to get the lap right, but it’s actually quite complicated. The key will be to find the right set-up as soon as possible and then we can improve the car over the weekend.

Obviously, every circuit can be different in terms of its effect on fuel use and tyres: looking at Bahrain, fuel saving will play a more important role than in the last two races, but it might not turn out to be too bad, as it was less of an issue than we had expected in Melbourne. Also on the tyre front, I think Sakhir could be a bit easier to deal with than Sepang and also if we can get the car perfectly right, it will make life much easier.

What can we expect in Bahrain? In Malaysia, you couldn’t see it because of what happened on the first lap, but I felt I made a step forward in terms of understanding the tools I have to work with, so I think we can be better prepared this weekend. That should give us faster lap times and better positions.

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/bahrain-gp-pushing-close-gap#sthash.vYw2bzd6.dpuf

[fratelliferrari]

Can't wait for the race already! It's by night this year, right?

[Jas]

I DONT GET THE LAST BIT...about him saying it was more difficult for us...does he mean size (as previously), not our technology/expertise?!?!




Ferrari are under pressure to improve their Formula One car quickly after a stuttering start in order give Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen a realistic world title chance, according to principal Stefano Domenicali.

Domenicali told the Formula One website in an interview published on Tuesday that the team must "make sure that we give them the best car we can. That is the urgent need, and it has to happen very soon."

Alonso placed fourth in the opening two season races in Australia and Malaysia, with the Bahrain race next on Sunday. Raikkonen, who won the last drivers' title for the scuderia in 2007 and returned to the team this season, was seventh in Australia and 12th in Malaysia.

"So far Fernando has proved to be fast immediately. Kimi needs some time to understand the car, but you can see he is getting there. I am sure from the drivers' side there will not be a problem," Domenicali said.

Domenicali admitted that Mercedes are the team to beat after shining in the pre-season and winning the opening races with Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.

"If Mercedes keeps the pace it will be very difficult to match them," he said.

Domenicali said that teams and engine manufacturers like Mercedes had an advantage after sweeping rule changes because they can draw on their wide range of technology and expertise in all areas. But he said Ferrari are ready for the challenge and have invested big in development equipment they didn't have in the past.

"We need to work to have a more efficient car; we need to work to have a better engine; we need to work to exploit better the balance between electric power and traditional engine power. Everywhere!" he said.

"Sure it was more difficult for us - and we knew that. But that is the beauty of the challenge. We have to fight so that we can keep up ... we love the challenge - it has always been part of Ferrari's nature and heritage."

[Jas]

Can't wait for the race already! It's by night this year, right?

certainly is...cooler conditions...who will it suit?!

[stefa]

Can't wait for the race already! It's by night this year, right?

Yes it is. It starts at 17:00 CET.

[Hornet]

My hopes for this weekend is that we will retain our 3rd place in both championship.

[AfterLife]

My hopes for this weekend is that we will retain our 3rd place in both championship.

You are hopeless :-!
We are going to munch those RedBulls and crush the both Mercedes :nana

[abbottcostello]

Well I know it will suit me since a 6:00pm race start in Bahrain is 11:00am in Eastern US time zone:lol

On a more serious note, I think the softer tires (I'm assuming, haven't heard for sure) Pirelli should bring will help the F14-T hold the track a little better. If it's warm my hopes always rise for RB to have some cooling issues, maybe some deja vu for them... stuck in the garage all weekend.
Temperature forecast for the northern tip of Bahrain (only location I could find on my iphone app) on race day calling for sunny, high 78˚, low 69˚, so probably low 70's during race?

[RedRebel40]

Well I know it will suit me since a 6:00pm race start in Bahrain is 11:00am in Eastern US time zone:lol

On a more serious note, I think the softer tires (I'm assuming, haven't heard for sure) Pirelli should bring will help the F14-T hold the track a little better. If it's warm my hopes always rise for RB to have some cooling issues, maybe some deja vu for them... stuck in the garage all weekend.
Temperature forecast for the northern tip of Bahrain (only location I could find on my iphone app) on race day calling for sunny, high 78˚, low 69˚, so probably low 70's during race?

It will be an evening(in the dark) race and the temps should be pretty low, I guess 17-18 degrees Celsius.

[killer]

certainly is...cooler conditions...who will it suit?!

IMHO, IF the lack of traction stems from a mechanical grip issue, we may be in for a long weekend.

[PadGeT]

Ferrari's major sponsor Santander is going nowhere.

Emilio Botin, the Spanish banking group's chief, said this week: "We want to continue in F1 for at least ten more years," Marca sports newspaper quoted him as saying.

And Botin said Santander wants to remain hand-in-hand with Fernando Alonso for the same time period.

"I am convinced that, in ten years, Fernando Alonso will be as good as he is today," he insisted.

Also present for Botin's speech was Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali, who said: "I agree."

Botin also revealed why he allowed Santander's sponsorship with McLaren to lapse.

"There is only one Ferrari team, period," he said. "We were interested in being with McLaren still because we have a bank in England, but it was a small sponsorship.

"When (Lewis) Hamilton was there it was justified. (Jenson) Button is a great driver, but it's another matter," Botin explained.

He suggested that a difficult start to the 2014 season for Ferrari is not swaying Santander's loyalty.

"The partnership with Ferrari is the best we have had throughout our history," said Botin. "It is the key for Santander being known around the world."

Botin did, however, ask Domenicali when real improvements for Ferrari's 2014 car will arrive.

"China," the Italian answered. "Good, good," Botin replied.
:lou

[shamim179]

Early signs that Santander are getting impatient with Ferrari perhaps more so with Stefano. That is wholly understandable.

[Gerhard Berger]

China will be judgement day then. Puts alot of pressure on the team though. He might have been better off saying, we will bring updates to every race.

[Hornet]

China will be judgement day then. Puts alot of pressure on the team though. He might have been better off saying, we will bring updates to every race.

There's really no point in lying if the teams do not have updates for the next race. Because nothing will change this weekend, and if people are led to believe that we brought updates to Bahrain, then it will give an impression that our updates are not working.

[Nova]

Dont know if they CAN bring anything being such a short week, only Ferrari knows that, but didnt we look not bad in testing?

[Greig]

Early signs that Santander are getting impatient with Ferrari perhaps more so with Stefano. That is wholly understandable.

Who cares what a sponsor thinks?

[PadGeT]

Who cares what a sponsor thinks?

:clap

[brembo man]

Who cares what a sponsor thinks?

Certainly not Kimi !

[tifosi1993]

http://www.formula1.com/wi/enlarge/0x0/popup/sutton/2013/dcd1402ap48.jpg

[tifosi1993]

http://www.formula1.com/wi/enlarge/0x0/popup/sutton/2013/dcd1402ap46.jpg
http://www.formula1.com/wi/enlarge/0x0/popup/sutton/2013/dcd1402ap54.jpg
http://www.formula1.com/wi/enlarge/0x0/popup/sutton/2013/dcd1402ap50.jpg
http://www.formula1.com/wi/enlarge/0x0/popup/sutton/2013/dcd1402ap47.jpg
http://www.formula1.com/wi/enlarge/0x0/popup/sutton/2013/dcd1402ap44.jpg
http://www.formula1.com/wi/enlarge/0x0/popup/sutton/2013/dcd1402ap42.jpg

[shamim179]

Who cares what a sponsor thinks?

Unhappiness, impatience, etc from your main sponsor is never a good thing. It's a reflection of where Ferrari really are. If Ferrari was competitive everyone including the management, drivers, sponsors and fans would be happy. It doesn't matter if you care or not - that's not really the point here. The point is it's not a good sign.

[PadGeT]

Unhappiness, impatience, etc from your main sponsor is never a good thing. It's a reflection of where Ferrari really are. If Ferrari was competitive everyone including the management, drivers, sponsors and fans would be happy. It doesn't matter if you care or not - that's not really the poin here. t. The point is it's not a good sign.

Good, i was wonderin wen Santander would lose their patience. Roll on Apple.:dance

[ferrari4life]

Who cares what a sponsor thinks?

I think Ferrari should..

[Rob]

Tailor-made’ development for the F14 T
http://i62.tinypic.com/2af6eh.jpg
Maranello, 2 April – Scuderia Ferrari is working round the clock to recover the gap to its opponents that was revealed by the first two races of the season. While part of the team is in Bahrain for the third grand prix of 2014, at Maranello work is ongoing to develop the car to its maximum and to extract from the F14 T project the performances that have so far only been foreseen. As Team Principal Stefano Domenicali said: “We must give our drivers a car that is as close as possible to what their driving demands. We have a programme of development to bring forward, we know where we have to improve and we know what we have to do in a very short time frame.”

As well as the generic development programme, the engineers have therefore also devised a personalised plan based around the characteristics of the two drivers. With Kimi, in particular, work is going on to tailor the F14 T as close as possible to his driving style, which has always been very specific. After the first race the Finnish driver gave feedback to the engineers to be able to have a car that could make him more at home. His suggestions have been applied and the first improvements were seen in free practice in Malaysia, when Raikkonen set the second fastest time in both sessions. This adjustment work will keep going over the coming weeks.

With Fernando the target is instead to increase even further the interface work between the driver and the team. Indeed there is no computerised simulation that can substitute for direct experience from whoever is driving the car and the feedback by the Spanish driver – both at the end of every race and at the end of every testing session – is fundamental to understand in which areas performance can be further improved. Given his experience at Ferrari, the Spanish champion is equipped to show the team not just the elements that need to be worked on but also the priorities that must be followed to make the process of increasing the F14 T’s performance as immediate as possible.

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/tailor-made-development-f14#sthash.cn7LXGsi.dpuf

[shamim179]

Good, i was wonderin wen Santander would lose their patience. Roll on Apple.:dance

You might find this funny but there is difference with how Stefano responds to the same question. With the general media he doesn't divulge when Ferrari are going to improve by - instead he sort of evades the question but with the sponsor he feels obliged to give an exact timescale. Pressure?

[Rob]

Santander isnt going anywhere while Fernando is with us.

[PadGeT]

You might find this funny but there is difference with how Stefano responds to the same question. With the general media he doesn't divulge when Ferrari are going to improve by - instead he sort of evades the question but with the sponsor he feels obliged to give an exact timescale. Pressure?

He's got enough to deal with atm from Mr.Sergio Marchionne & John Elkann and ofcourse Luca!!

[Greig]

Unhappiness, impatience, etc from your main sponsor is never a good thing. It's a reflection of where Ferrari really are. If Ferrari was competitive everyone including the management, drivers, sponsors and fans would be happy. It doesn't matter if you care or not - that's not really the point here. The point is it's not a good sign.

So they can go sponsor a more successful brand, oh wait......

[Rob]

So they can go sponsor a more successful brand, oh wait......

:rotfl

:clap

[PadGeT]

http://gpupdate2.ed5.nl/large/240662.jpg
:haha:

I thought for a moment we wer huggin the Red Bull boyz!!

[Rob]

http://gpupdate2.ed5.nl/large/240662.jpg
:haha:

I thought for a moment we wer huggin the Red Bull boyz!!

whats so funny?

[PadGeT]

whats so funny?

There are too many.
For a starter they maybe celebrating dumping Renault for Ferrari PU. New deal with Bernie and CVC taking more money from teams that do not belong to Strategy Group Commission. The return of Fota after the famous split btw Ferrari & RBR. Apparent discrepancy in fuel flow meters Mercs used in last 2 races that they are jointly gonna report to Charlie.
I don't know about others but this silly little innuendos do tickle my funny bone.

[uvaman]

Look at the picture of hidden ferrari box. I am asking myself what the hell we can hide? Lack of speed? That we are fourth-fifth team atm? :-D

[Senna4Ever]

according to motorsport-total.com a well known person will join the pit lane/wall from Bahrian on ...

[Ed Harley]

Brawn? Briatore?

[Jas]

according to motorsport-total.com a well known person will join the pit lane/wall from Bahrian on ...

I know smedly will be at Williams come Bahrain....will be interesting to see who!

[AfterLife]

according to motorsport-total.com a well known person will join the pit lane/wall from Bahrian on ...

I wanted to surprise all of you but news speed was faster. I am that well known person :-D
:thanks

[voiko]

Lol at the sign on the side of shell vpower fuel.. Is that a whale getting strangled by a tree!!?

[WS6TransAm01]

Lol at the sign on the side of shell vpower fuel.. Is that a whale getting strangled by a tree!!?

LOL not a whale, it's a dead fish and a dead tree. It means Environmentally Hazardous Substance. If you dump it in the environment IE: body of water or in a field it will kill plants and animals.

I've never seen that sign on fuel drums though.

[racingbradley]

Brawn would only leave his fishing for the top job
BUT it could be Flav :paranoid

[fronaldo]

according to motorsport-total.com a well known person will join the pit lane/wall from Bahrian on ...
Smedley to Williams

[Stormsearcher]

Maybe Newey joined us. :-D:-D:-D

[FerrariF60]

Maybe Newey joined us. :-D:-D:-D

we can only wish....we desperately need someone like him or HIM in order to have a faster car...until then we'll keep struggling to catch up year over year...

sad but true.

[Senna4Ever]

Smedley to Williams
:thumb

[shamim179]

we can only wish....we desperately need someone like him or HIM in order to have a faster car...until then we'll keep struggling to catch up year over year...

sad but true.

Actually we don't. Our aerodynamics is unusually good this year. We failed in our engine department.

[windwaves]

actually I am afraid we are failing on both. And more.

Remember Ferrari comments across the board (from drivers, to LdM, to SD…) following both GPs: "we need to work on all aspects of the car". This is the most depressing stuff I have ever heard and the greatest admission of total failure. Thank you SD for leading an incredibly successful team to where we are right now (you choose, 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th … whatever). Worse every year, pretty much.

[RedPassion]

we can only wish....we desperately need someone like him or HIM in order to have a faster car...until then we'll keep struggling to catch up year over year...

sad but true.
I believe that if we cannot make it with Allison, Fry and Tombazis we cannot make it.

[windwaves]

I tend to disagree - a team needs leadership. Leadership is vision, belief, innovation, guidance and, possibly above all, the ability to push everyone to perform at 100%+ in a coordinated, effective and efficient way.

Allison, Fry, Tombazis and everyone all the way down to the guy making coffee in the pits, they all need a leader.

[Kiwi Nick]

It will be very interesting to see what the new front end upgrade is on Kimi's car

[PadGeT]

I tend to disagree - a team needs leadership. Leadership is vision, belief, innovation, guidance and, possibly above all, the ability to push everyone to perform at 100%+ in a coordinated, effective and efficient way.

Allison, Fry, Tombazis and everyone all the way down to the guy making coffee in the pits, they all need a leader.

Your comment doesn't make sense. Tell me again a TD needs whose permission to take a decision?

[RedPassion]

Your comment doesn't make sense. Tell me again a TD needs whose permission to take a decision?

[Nero Horse]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkh_pkIzJgU

[Nero Horse]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhzNY6BgyHc

[Nero Horse]

Thursday was much cooler than expected in the Sakhir paddock, as Fernando Alonso faced the media, with his first comments defending the sport from recent criticism.

“There will be some exciting races and some boring ones, just like in football, where you can see a terrible nil-nil game and the next one is an exciting 5-4 which you enjoy so much,” said the Ferrari man.

Next, he had to defend the Scuderia’s title aspirations. “It would be extremely sad if I felt I would not be in the fight for the title in Abu Dhabi, as today is only the Thursday of the third race,” he affirmed.

“I definitely think we can do a good job. It is early days for the development of the car and this year, instead of the usual half tenth performance increase, we are moving forward two tenths at a time.”

“There is very good room to improve and become more competitive. No question, we think we will be in the fight in Abu Dhabi. We need to improve in all areas. We will try to do better, there have only been two races, so there’s a long way to go and we are ready to fight.”

While calling for patience regarding the state of the show, Fernando did admit he would like the cars in general to be faster. “Driving these cars is still exciting because you are competing against others and that’s the DNA of a driver, we enjoy driving karts at 50 km/h on very hard tyres, sliding everywhere,” said the Spaniard.

“You keep enjoying the competition but for drivers like me, Kimi or Jenson who were around before that, you miss the quicker cars. The cars are much less physically demanding. In the past, Malaysia required a specific training programme, but this year I told the team I didn’t even need a drinks system.”

“The cars are still hard to drive, as they slide more and we have more switches to manage all through the race, which makes it more complicated. However, it’s interesting how F1 has developed over the 14 years I’ve been racing.”

[Nero Horse]

Kimi Raikkonen is keen to get racing this weekend, after early promise in Malaysia was wiped out on Sunday after a first lap coming together with Kevin Magnussen.

“In Malaysia, the car was more or less the same as in Australia, although clearly we learned more from doing a lot of running and of course, the circuit layout in Sepang is different,” the Finn told the media at his usual Thursday press meeting.

“Those factors make a difference and overall, we were much better in Malaysia, even if not quite where we want to be. Then my race was destroyed, which was not my fault, but that’s how it goes. There are a lot of things to improve in all areas, but we have the right people and all the tools we need to fix those things.”

“It will take time, but we will get there. As for this weekend, if we start well as we did in Malaysia, but then don’t have the problems we had in the race there, we can have a better weekend.”

As for how life was going with Fernando Alonso as a team-mate, the 2007 world champion explained he had more pressing matters on his mind.

“I don’t have any real opinion formed yet as I’ve been putting all my effort into sorting out my side of things,” he said. “If I can do that, then we can get the results we want which is our aim. I haven’t given much thought to Fernando, apart from seeing his lap times and data of course. There’s nothing there I would not have expected.”

Asked about whether or not he liked the current Formula 1 so far this season, Kimi was his usual pragmatic self. “It makes no difference if we like it or not, as we do not make the rules. We cannot change it and it is what it is.”

“Sometimes you end up in areas that you would not choose, but you just have to make the best of it. I don’t see the point in talking about the sound of the cars or whether I like it or not.”

[Winter]

It will be very interesting to see what the new front end upgrade is on Kimi's car


I doupt its anything visible, because it's just something to improve steering more to Kimis liking..
Hopefully it shows it self in Kimis lap times ;-)

[abbottcostello]

Doesn't sound like any changes other than fine tuning the car to Kimi's driving style. Seems he had it a bit more sorted in Malaysia judging by his practice times & from his interview. That "the car was more or less the same as in Australia", he put the improvement down to running time & a different track. Maybe it'll be good that this is where he has the most hours in (from testing), maybe an easier task to adjust setup even more to his liking. There needs to be a "fingers crossed" smilie.:lol

[RedPassion]

I tend to disagree - a team needs leadership. Leadership is vision, belief, innovation, guidance and, possibly above all, the ability to push everyone to perform at 100%+ in a coordinated, effective and efficient way.

Allison, Fry, Tombazis and everyone all the way down to the guy making coffee in the pits, they all need a leader.
People like Allison,Fry and Tombazis dont need a motivator,they are the motivators.Do u really believe that Horner does need to motivate Newey?The role of the Team principle is way overrated,Stefano like Wolf or Horner are mainly Money Manager.All developments that we will see this year are decided by the TD, he decides in which area of the car the team will invest thats why Mercedes or Mclaren have already invested in a new nose and Mercedes is trying their front wing since Barhain without success(until now of course)where Allison said that noses will be no game changer and Ferrari will probably not invest that much in this area. Ferrari is probably trying to sort out and develope the electronic and mechanincal side before introducing the next aerodynamical step.

[PadGeT]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhzNY6BgyHc

0:20 Kimi : "Obviously we are going to Bahrain for the race!" :lol
Classic Kimi. :thumb

[Winter]

actually I am afraid we are failing on both. And more.

Remember Ferrari comments across the board (from drivers, to LdM, to SD…) following both GPs: "we need to work on all aspects of the car". This is the most depressing stuff I have ever heard and the greatest admission of total failure. Thank you SD for leading an incredibly successful team to where we are right now (you choose, 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th … whatever). Worse every year, pretty much.


"We need to work on all aspects of the car" is total failure? Maybe it would, if that was said after the season, but not after 2 races.
That's just something what every team has to do right now, even Mercedes. Development will be rapid during these first races, RedBull for example,
they've done quite progress just in couple of weeks.

[zakfourie]

0:20 Kimi : "Obviously we are going to Bahrain for the race!" :lol
Classic Kimi. :thumb


Yes!!!! Hahahahahaha!!

[Greig]

Maybe it's just me but I never seem to get these "Classic Kimi" moments.

[Kiwi Nick]

I doupt its anything visible, because it's just something to improve steering more to Kimis liking..
Hopefully it shows it self in Kimis lap times ;-)

I recall that when he started with Lotus, they did quite a lot of changing of the steering ratios. Perhaps that is what Ferrari are doing.

[Stormsearcher]

It will be very interesting to see what the new front end upgrade is on Kimi's car

Isnt Kimi one who likes oversteer in his car? Will he receive a different wing that gives more front end bite and Nando keeps the current one as he likes understeer in his car (or so i have read somewhere)..

[PadGeT]

I doubt we r gonna see any noticable diff/ introduction of new FW for Kimi.
Modifying the diff settings in FW main palne flap angle to direct more air around the endplate usually results in reduction in understeer front end characteristics.
Shortening the wheelbase helps in increasing yaw rate by pushing the front end CG nearer to the front axle.The yaw rate can be measured by sensors/acclerometers.Its diff to the general "Yaw angle" in the sense that it is not the heading angle but its variation rate that is the controlled variable.A similar solution can be achieved by reducing front end suspension stiffness generally helps in getting more front end feel, but detrimental in long straights.The form of the solution depends only on the signs of the damping and stiffness terms. The four possible solution types are-
1.-ve stiffness +ve damping
2.-ve stiffness -ve damping
3.+ve stiffness -ve damping
4.+ve stiffness +ve damping
http://i.imgur.com/21pg2q1.png
For a satisfactory solution stiffness and dampiing both need to be +ve in case the CG is in front of the centre of wheelbase and the car will be stable at high speeds. However in case of short wheelbase, this distance gets shorter and the variables have the potential to rech -ve values, thereby making the car directionally (yaw) unstable (or in layman's term - understeer/oversteer)

[Suzie]

Maybe it's just me but I never seem to get these "Classic Kimi" moments.

It's not just you. If any other driver said/did exactly the same things, no-one would bat an eyelid.

[windwaves]

Shocking.

It's just you and another dude.

It is why many of us love him (obviously apart from his driving).

[windwaves]

Sorry mistake

[Giallo 550]

Shocking.

It's just you and another dude.

It is why many of us love him (obviously apart from his driving).

You can add me to the list of members who don't get it.

[windwaves]

People like Allison,Fry and Tombazis dont need a motivator,they are the motivators.Do u really believe that Horner does need to motivate Newey?The role of the Team principle is way overrated,Stefano like Wolf or Horner are mainly Money Manager.All developments that we will see this year are decided by the TD, he decides in which area of the car the team will invest thats why Mercedes or Mclaren have already invested in a new nose and Mercedes is trying their front wing since Barhain without success(until now of course)where Allison said that noses will be no game changer and Ferrari will probably not invest that much in this area. Ferrari is probably trying to sort out and develope the electronic and mechanincal side before introducing the next aerodynamical step.

Got you, however I entirely disagree.

I believe TP is a crucial figure, I am quite certain of it. Any team needs a leader. Newey would achieve nothing w/o Horner and the rest of the team. Differing views it seems ;)

[windwaves]

You can add me to the list of members who don't get it.

Ok, so far we got 3 geniuses. Counting

[windwaves]

0:20 Kimi : "Obviously we are going to Bahrain for the race!" :lol
Classic Kimi. :thumb

Indeed such a classic. I just love his interviews, he almost always cracks me up!

[Suzie]

Ok, so far we got 3 geniuses. Counting

Sorry, what's with the sarcasm over the fact that we don't find Kimi saying COMPLETELY NORMAL THINGS absolutely pant-wettingly, side-splittingly hilarious?

[killer]

we can only wish....we desperately need someone like him or HIM in order to have a faster car...until then we'll keep struggling to catch up year over year...

sad but true.

Would rather we beat him first.

[FerrariF60]

Would rather we beat him first.

many fans are starting to lose hope; we've tried, and tried and tried for the past 5 years in the old rules....and now with new rules it still looks like Red Fools have a good AERO car yet again; all they're missing is that little OMPH from renault engine....

if renault fixes their issues.....LOOK OUT for Red Fools....

[killer]

Sorry, what's with the sarcasm over the fact that we don't find Kimi saying COMPLETELY NORMAL THINGS absolutely pant-wettingly, side-splittingly hilarious?

You may want to hold back on using big words, Suzie. ;-)

[windwaves]

Sorry, what's with the sarcasm over the fact that we don't find Kimi saying COMPLETELY NORMAL THINGS absolutely pant-wettingly, side-splittingly hilarious?
No worries, just sarcasm ! No offense, just smile ;)

[Hornet]

Shocking.

It's just you and another dude.

It is why many of us love him (obviously apart from his driving).
There's nothing strange about what Kimi just said, he's just stating that Ferrari is going to Bahrain to race. Ask any driver and you'll get the same response, perhaps with slightly different wording as English is not their native language.

But I guess some people are easily amuse.

[Stormsearcher]

You can add me to the list of members who don't get it.

Add me in too. :-) or in kimi lingo... addmeintoo

[Katu]

i can be the next one on that list. some probably just laugh when Kimi opens his mouth, classic moment after all

[anoopvp]

TV Schedule for Indian Viewers

FIA F1 World Championship 2014 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix

Star Sports 4 & Star Sports HD2


Friday 04-04-2014
04:25PM FIA F1 World Championship 2014 - Practice Session 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix
08:25PM FIA F1 World Championship 2014 - Practice Session 2 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix

Saturday 05-04-2014
05:25PM FIA F1 World Championship 2014 - Practice Session 3 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix
08:20PM FIA F1 World Championship 2014 - Qualifying Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix

Sunday 06-04-2014
07:30PM FIA F1 World Championship 2014 - Raceday Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix
08:15PM FIA F1 World Championship 2014 - Race Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix
10:15PM FIA F1 World Championship 2014 - Chequered Flag Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix

[FFFerrari]

Maybe it's just me but I never seem to get these "Classic Kimi" moments.

You are certainly not the only one and that particular one wasn't funny at all. In most cases it's not what he says, it's the combination of him saying it in his monotonous voice and the look upon his face looking at the person asking the question - "why the are you asking
these obviously stupid questions?". He absolutely hates the media and he loves to answer the stupid questions with stupid answers.

[windwaves]

"We need to work on all aspects of the car" is total failure? Maybe it would, if that was said after the season, but not after 2 races.
That's just something what every team has to do right now, even Mercedes. Development will be rapid during these first races, RedBull for example,
they've done quite progress just in couple of weeks.
ok, "total failure" is a bit strong (I hope so !) but in this case I meant it literally, in that the car seems to have serious problems everywhere, not just PU, or aero, or brakes, or balance.

I sincerely hope all of those problems can be successfully resolved rapidly, obviously. Sadly everyone at Ferrari is saying that it will "take time". My hope, but frankly I am skeptical, is that it will not take so much time to compromise our title hopes.

Two races is not the championship, far from it of course. That is what I can observe today though, so I speak based upon what we know. I do not know that we can catch up the competition, and of course, I truly hope so.

[Rob]

Bahrain GP – Kimi Raikkonen: “A difficult Friday”
http://i58.tinypic.com/bgvk45.jpg
Kimi Raikkonen: “Overall, this was a difficult day, because I didn’t feel comfortable with the car in either session. In the first one, I damaged the floor on the kerb at turn 4 and this meant I had to pit. The team did a super job, because they got me back out on track in a short time, but then, because of a problem with the brakes, I was unable to complete the programme. In the second session we concentrated on looking at the two Pirelli compounds and with the Soft it was definitely better than the Medium. Now we will get down to analysing all today’s data, especially regarding the immediate change in the track from day to night and we will try and improve for qualifying and the race.”

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/bahrain-gp-kimi-raikkonen-a-difficult-friday#sthash.TY4BwceU.dpuf

Bahrain GP – Fernando Alonso: “Make steady progress”
http://i61.tinypic.com/10zo9ia.jpg
Fernando Alonso: “After many daytime races, it was really strange to be running here in the dark even if it was not very different to the other night time races, so we just have to get used to it. From this aspect, today was very useful, especially FP2, to learn about the behaviour of the tyres and the car. Even if we did a lot of running here in winter testing, now it’s like starting from scratch and one has to adapt to the new indications coming from the differing track conditions. We know our strong points and the areas we must focus on to improve, but we must not overreact in trying to close the performance gap. At the moment we must make steady progress while still keeping an eye on reliability, which has brought us a good points haul in the first couple of races, which is always very important.”

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/bahrain-gp-fernando-alonso-make-steady-progress#sthash.I8dmAQoF.dpuf

Bahrain GP – Pat Fry: “Set-up work”
http://i57.tinypic.com/153o846.jpg
Pat Fry: “Today’s two sessions were very different to one another, as was predicted, partly because of the programmes we ran and partly because the track was cleaner in the second one. In general, the second session was more representative, just because the temperatures were more similar to what we can expect in the race. Work on both cars concentrated on set-up, aimed at improving stability under braking. In the earlier session, Kimi’s programme was interrupted when the floor on his F14T was partly broken after he hit a kerb at turn 4, but we had no problems with Fernando. Then tonight, we did a long run test and now we must look closely at tyre performance, which is a key factor this weekend along with fuel consumption. It will be interesting to see how the hierarchy will change between tomorrow and Sunday, because the technical characteristics of this track mean the gaps between some of the teams could close up.”

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/bahrain-gp-pat-fry-set-up-work#sthash.n6Wm7LRw.dpuf

[Rob]

http://i58.tinypic.com/e8a7ep.jpg
http://i62.tinypic.com/33naiy1.jpg
http://i60.tinypic.com/i6ywdw.jpg
http://i57.tinypic.com/22ny35.jpg
http://i58.tinypic.com/24fmyxv.jpg

[Rob]

http://i62.tinypic.com/2jee9zt.jpg
:clap

[abbottcostello]

Was going to post that very pic Rob!

Nice sentiment, meshes nicely with encouraging statement by Sabine :thumb

[Rob]

Bahrain GP – Mixed fortunes
http://i58.tinypic.com/2u59cw9.jpg
Sakhir, 4 April – It was a day of mixed fortunes for Scuderia Ferrari as we witnessed the first ever night time session at this desert track, in preparation for Sunday’s third round of the world championship. Fernando Alonso had a relatively straightforward day to finish third in both sessions behind the currently unstoppable Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. But on the other side of the Ferrari garage, Kimi Raikkonen was having a more difficult day, which ended with the 14th fastest time. It’s been well reported that the Finn is not yet finding himself at ease in the cockpit of his F14T and today his troubles were compounded by the fact he broke the floor of his car in the first 90 minute session, after a heavy landing on the kerb at turn 4. Time lost having to fix that added to his woes.

We have begun to know what to expect in night races now after the experience of Singapore and Abu Dhabi and today’s track action followed a similar pattern, with lap times dropping considerably in FP2, not just because of the track cleaning up but also because its temperature was 12 degrees cooler in the second session. Another clear lesson was that Pirelli’s Soft compound was producing significantly faster lap times than the Medium.

Completing the top six tonight were Daniel Ricciardo, fourth for Red Bull, Felipe Massa next in the Williams, with Jenson Button sixth for McLaren. Tomorrow’s qualifying takes place at the same time as did FP2, so the lessons learned and data acquired will provide useful pointers for the grid deciding session.

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/bahrain-gp-mixed-fortunes#sthash.5i2u0u6O.dpuf

[Winter]

Sorry, what's with the sarcasm over the fact that we don't find Kimi saying COMPLETELY NORMAL THINGS absolutely pant-wettingly, side-splittingly hilarious?

It's just people having different sense of humor. But one thing I've noticed in these last couple of years, many times when in press conferences Kimi is asked something/anything, other drivers are already hiding their smiles, even before he has said anything. Maybe it isn't just us Kimi fans :lol

Not every thing he says is "legendary", but many like his super dry humor and because people knows his attitude towards press and journalists, those blunt answers make people laugh.

[Greig]

Bahrain GP – Kimi Raikkonen: “A difficult Friday”

Kimi Raikkonen: “Overall, this was a difficult day, because I didn’t feel comfortable with the car in either session. In the first one, I damaged the floor on the kerb at turn 4 and this meant I had to pit. The team did a super job, because they got me back out on track in a short time, but then, because of a problem with the brakes, I was unable to complete the programme. In the second session we concentrated on looking at the two Pirelli compounds and with the Soft it was definitely better than the Medium. Now we will get down to analysing all today’s data, especially regarding the immediate change in the track from day to night and we will try and improve for qualifying and the race.”


LOL classic Kimi

[Rob]

http://i57.tinypic.com/28by71u.jpg
http://i61.tinypic.com/kb22d1.jpg
http://i62.tinypic.com/21e20yd.jpg
http://i58.tinypic.com/20h9c3s.jpg

[Rob]

http://i57.tinypic.com/24ec2mh.jpg
http://i61.tinypic.com/dvk4ya.jpg
http://i58.tinypic.com/20ha86.jpg
http://i57.tinypic.com/dm5u0w.jpg
http://i59.tinypic.com/zv4w1u.jpg

[Rob]

http://i57.tinypic.com/icpw13.jpg
http://i58.tinypic.com/104nihf.jpg
http://i60.tinypic.com/2hhqeef.jpg
http://i57.tinypic.com/wjh11i.jpg
http://i60.tinypic.com/v5jof9.jpg
http://i60.tinypic.com/2iqllrb.jpg

[Winter]

:lol
LOL classic Kimi

[shamim179]

Those night shots of our car look amazing especially the one with the rocky background!

[shamim179]

Alonso's comments from the BBC:

"We are not in the best position we wanted," said Alonso, who finished runner-up to Vettel in the championship three times in the last four years and last won a title in 2006.

"I would like to be in race three with some podiums and victories; we were not able to do so.

"We need to raise our game, even if this weekend we know it is going to be difficult. The characteristics of the circuit are probably not in our favour with traction corners and top speed so we expect tough competition with Mercedes, McLaren, Williams, which was super-strong in winter testing."

[Rob]

Bahrain GP – Pat Fry: “Tough race ahead”
http://i60.tinypic.com/2dvmqzn.jpg
Pat Fry: “The results we’ve seen so far here are not a surprise because we knew we would be racing on the defensive and that we would see a bigger gap to the Mercedes, who are currently on their own out in front. The track characteristics do not highlight the potential of our car and the long straights favour the teams that can get the highest top speed. To do a perfect lap here is always difficult and today, Fernando and Kimi found themselves fighting four teams, all within a few tenths. Qualifying was complicated for both drivers and Kimi did a good lap, confirming the improvement we’ve been looking for, while with Fernando, we didn’t manage to exploit all our potential. Because of Ricciardo’s penalty, both drivers start on the clean side of the track and we must try and make the most of it. It looks like being a tough race, fighting all the way, with reliability and fuel consumption playing a very important role.”

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/bahrain-gp-pat-fry-tough-race-ahead#sthash.wnDUjod9.dpuf

Bahrain GP – Kimi Raikkonen: “The right direction”
http://i62.tinypic.com/2nupybn.jpg
Kimi Raikkonen: “I am reasonably pleased with my qualifying, because up until this morning, I did not feel completely comfortable in the car, but the faith I put in what we had at our disposal was paid back with this result. We are improving in all areas, on the engine, data acquisition, electronics and the new parts fitted to the car have given me a better feeling from the front end. Sure, we are not yet where we want to be, but I think we are on the right path and we have the right people to give us every possibility to continue to move forward. It’s hard to say how tomorrow’s race will go, because in the simulation done yesterday, I was struggling on the Medium tyre, while the balance was better on the Soft. We know we can’t fight with Mercedes, but today’s result gives me more confidence than at the previous races and I will do my best to bring home a good result.”

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/bahrain-gp-kimi-raikkonen-the-direction#sthash.rKOlviX1.dpuf

Bahrain GP – Fernando Alonso: “Strategy choices”
http://i59.tinypic.com/2itoig5.jpg
Fernando Alonso: “We tried our best as usual today and now we need to wait for the car to come back from parc ferme to work out why there was a drop in power in Q3. In winter testing here we had already seen that this circuit is particularly suited to the Mercedes powered cars, because the long straights allow them to use their top end performance. But given how free practice and the first two parts of qualifying had gone, maybe we could have hoped to be a bit higher up the order. Now, we must think only of doing well tomorrow, especially at the start, given we are on the clean side because of Ricciardo’s penalty. Then we must work out the best strategy, choosing between two or three stops. A lot will depend on how the tyres perform: I think that, in lower temperatures than we have seen so far, the Medium could throw up some surprises.”

- See more at: http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/bahrain-gp-fernando-alonso-strategy-choices#sthash.TPEQj1Qt.dpuf

[Suzie]

http://37.media.tumblr.com/26492651e2466c90a61b64eeddc191c4/tumblr_n3kpf3xquW1qeuwh5o1_500.jpg

Is that Gino Rosato?

[Rob]

http://37.media.tumblr.com/26492651e2466c90a61b64eeddc191c4/tumblr_n3kpf3xquW1qeuwh5o1_500.jpg

Is that Gino Rosato?

:thumb

[PadGeT]

Looks like it. Who is sitting on the right of Stefano?

[Suzie]

I had no idea he had rejoined Ferrari.

[PadGeT]

Don't know if it helps but came across this: http://fr.canoe.ca/sports/nouvelles/courseautomobile/archives/2013/09/20130924-032457.html

[Suzie]

Cheers!

[Nero Horse]

Don't know if it helps but came across this: http://fr.canoe.ca/sports/nouvelles/courseautomobile/archives/2013/09/20130924-032457.html

Yea, it's absolutely fantastic to see the big guy back home at Ferrari! The prodigal son returns. Reminds me of the good old days. :thumb

[Tifoso]

Well, it's slow (for now), but at least the car is hideous. :-D

Ok, I'll stop. :oops

FORZA LE ROSSE!

[Nero Horse]

Well, it's slow (for now), but at least the car is hideous. :-D

Ok, I'll stop. :oops

FORZA LE ROSSE!

Well I on the other hand think the car looks absolutely gorgeous, matter of taste I suppose.

I just wish we could get some more speed into it.

[PadGeT]

Well I on the other hand think the car looks absolutely gorgeous, matter of taste I suppose.

I just wish we could get some more speed into it.

Exactly! Feel the same,reminds me of F2004's low droopy nose. Looks so mean in the night.

[Stormsearcher]

Exactly! Feel the same,reminds me of F2004's low droopy nose. Looks so mean in the night.

yup. agree. the F14T has a nice aggressive stance. Some of the commentators are going on about how ugly the Ferrari is. Fools!

[Giambattista]

https://scontent-b-cdg.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1.0-9/10173791_683615585015306_6813882319529621712_n.jpg

Marko, Horner and Domenicali? Interesting...:Hmm

Maybe we plan something with Red Bulls to catch Mercedes :-P

[abbottcostello]

https://scontent-b-cdg.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1.0-9/10173791_683615585015306_6813882319529621712_n.jpg

Marko, Horner and Domenicali? Interesting...:Hmm

Maybe we plan something with Red Bulls to catch Mercedes :-P
Esattamente!
Making a plan for Luca's next meeting w/Bernie to change the rules mid-season.:lol
Plus no harm getting chummy with Christian, the one Bernie anointed as his replacement. :-E

[Rob]

http://i61.tinypic.com/8xj91l.jpg
http://i57.tinypic.com/1609amx.jpg
http://i60.tinypic.com/291f4gi.jpg
http://i62.tinypic.com/jgmfrm.jpg
http://i62.tinypic.com/986q1w.jpg

[Rob]

http://i57.tinypic.com/2ebx006.jpg
http://i58.tinypic.com/4q5u1z.jpg
http://i61.tinypic.com/8yx6km.jpg
http://i57.tinypic.com/np2vjm.jpg
http://i62.tinypic.com/jrdx87.jpg

[Rob]

http://i59.tinypic.com/2nrpiz4.jpg
http://i57.tinypic.com/2wprwci.jpg
http://i58.tinypic.com/r1hnvm.jpg
http://i59.tinypic.com/2di0ojn.jpg

[F1NAC]

beautiful car outside but inside is just awful. Hopefully things will improve inside

[Ed Harley]

KR and a young fan:

http://static.iltalehti.fi/formulat/kim01_070414STL_fo.jpg

http://static.iltalehti.fi/formulat/kimi02_070414STL_fo.jpg

http://static.iltalehti.fi/formulat/kimi03_070414STL_fo.jpg

A hint of smile on their faces?

[Senna4Ever]

Just read this Who had bad sleep last night - German Motorsport-total.com (http://www.motorsport-total.com/f1/news/2014/04/wer-letzte-nacht-am-schlechtesten-geschlafen-hat-14040708.html) - so use Chrome with translation or whatever you like.

do we know something about this 4-eyes meeting between Alonso and Luca Saturday evening, after Qualifying?

[shamim179]

Just read this Who had bad sleep last night - German Motorsport-total.com (http://www.motorsport-total.com/f1/news/2014/04/wer-letzte-nacht-am-schlechtesten-geschlafen-hat-14040708.html) - so use Chrome with translation or whatever you like.

do we know something about this 4-eyes meeting between Alonso and Luca Saturday evening, after Qualifying?

Depressing to read even when translated!

It's not to do with Saturday evening but with Sunday just before the race. Apparently, there was a talk between Luca and Alonso whereby Luca told Alonso's physiotherapist to leave. Maybe it was to remind Alonso not to say anything negative about the team. Perhaps this is why Alonso raised his arm at the finishing line because he was told not to say anything negative but it was his way of saying something negative without actually saying anything?

[Alesi1]

Depressing to read even when translated!

It's not to do with Saturday evening but with Sunday just before the race. Apparently, there was a talk between Luca and Alonso whereby Luca told Alonso's physiotherapist to leave. Maybe it was to remind Alonso not to say anything negative about the team. Perhaps this is why Alonso raised his arm at the finishing line because he was told not to say anything negative but it was his way of saying something negative without actually saying anything?

How ignorant is this man (LDM). Why do that to Fernando just before the race. How could he race at that level without a clear mind with that additional stress of this meeting placed on him. Ferrari are in disarray and deserve everything that is voming their way. I think FA has been mistreated and should just walk out, can't believe he could perform as he did even with the distraction caused by this latest 'performance'. Maybe piero should tweak LDM ear he really is a fool

[zike]

How ignorant is this man (LDM). Why do that to Fernando just before the race. How could he race at that level without a clear mind with that additional stress of this meeting placed on him. Ferrari are in disarray and deserve everything that is voming their way. I think FA has been mistreated and should just walk out, can't believe he could perform as he did even with the distraction caused by this latest 'performance'. Maybe piero should tweak LDM ear he really is a fool

Piero has no authority over LDM

[shamim179]

How ignorant is this man (LDM). Why do that to Fernando just before the race. How could he race at that level without a clear mind with that additional stress of this meeting placed on him. Ferrari are in disarray and deserve everything that is voming their way. I think FA has been mistreated and should just walk out, can't believe he could perform as he did even with the distraction caused by this latest 'performance'. Maybe piero should tweak LDM ear he really is a fool

We don't really know what Luca said to Alonso in that room. But it must have been urgent or else why ask the physiotherapist to leave?

[Alesi1]

Piero has no authority over LDM


Who does? A fish rots from the head, SD should have been fired, LDM should go because his judgement is clouded by his man love for stefano. How can we possibly fix this situation?

[zike]

The only man how has authority over LDM is John Elkann, as Chairman of Fiat, how owns 85 % of Ferrari

[Alesi1]

The only man how has authority over LDM is John Elkann, as Chairman of Fiat, how owns 85 % of Ferrari
Thanks. At least someone is higher, though he probably doesn't care it's not damaging fiats image really

[zike]

Thanks. At least someone is higher, though he probably doesn't care it's not damaging fiats image really

Yes, but under LDM we won 6 drivers' championships and 8 constructors championships....so the man know what he is doing

[Alesi1]

Yes, but under LDM we won 6 drivers' championships and 8 constructors championships....so the man know what he is doing
Yes but he also got rid of the people he brought in. Todt, brawn and appointed stefano. Since then very little real success when you consider that 2007/8 seasons benefited from the development from prior seasons.

[zike]

Yes but he also got rid of the people he brought in. Todt, brawn and appointed stefano. Since then very little real success when you consider that 2007/8 seasons benefited from the development from prior seasons.

This is sadly true

[shamim179]

Yes, but under LDM we won 6 drivers' championships and 8 constructors championships....so the man know what he is doing

True but you have to look at how things have been going lately. Even the best of managers the most talented of professionals sooner or later start to lose their abilities. Nobody can stay on top of their game forever. So I would say the past does matter - his achievements cannot be discounted at all. Credit where credit is due though but to me the events of the last few years suggest that he is losing his touch. I may be wrong in this but I'm just saying what I think based on my observations.

[zike]

True but you have to look at how things have been going lately. Even the best of managers the most talented of professionals sooner or later start to lose their abilities. Nobody can stay on top of their game forever. So I would say the past does matter - his achievements cannot be discounted at all. Credit where credit is due though but to me the events of the last few years suggest that he is losing his touch. I may be wrong in this but I'm just saying what I think based on my observations.

I think he is trying to make an all Itaian team

[Senna4Ever]

don't know why but missing ...

Bahrain GP – A long night for 3 points
Sakhir, 6 April – Lewis Hamilton took his second consecutive win of the season, ahead of Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, the two of them joined on the podium by Sergio Perez for Force India. The other winner under the floodlights in the desert was the sport of Formula 1, as the race was absolutely spellbinding, with duels throughout the field from start to finish. Unfortunately, the two Ferrari drivers could only play supporting roles, Fernando Alonso coming home ninth, one ahead of Kimi Raikkonen as the F14 T showed up its Achilles Heel, namely a lack of top speed.

The first ever Bahrain night race got underway with Kimi ahead of Fernando on the grid for the first time this season and the the two F14 Ts were side by side soon after the start, with the Spaniard pushing past the Finn, so that they were 7th and 8th, until the Finn was hit by Magnussen in the McLaren and dropped to ninth. At the front, the two Mercedes duelled wheel to wheel, with pole man Rosberg dropping to second behind Hamilton. Massa shot up four places to third in the Williams, ahead of Perez in the Force India, with Bottas fifth in the Williams ahead of Button, the Englishman in his 250th GP, ahead of Fernando. On lap 5, Hulkenberg got his Force India ahead of Fernando, who in eighth spot, was leading the non-Mercedes powered championship. Raikkonen and Vettel were in close attendance, until Fernando extended the gap slightly on lap 9.

Both Ferrari men ran a three stop strategy, as did the majority of the field, going for Soft, Soft, Medium and finally Soft in terms of the tyres they ran. They made their last stops together on lap 41, during a Safety Car period, the other visits to pit lane coming on laps 12 and 28 for Fernando and 13 and 33 for Kimi.

Lap 19 and Fernando had to cede 6th place to Perez. One lap later and Kimi was passed by Button, so the Finn was now ninth. The race leader, Rosberg, came in on lap 21, taking on Medium tyres, while Kimi was clearly struggling as he had his mirrors full of Vettel. With the whole field having stopped, the order on lap 23 was Hamilton, Rosberg, Bottas, Massa, Hulkenberg, Perez, Alonso seventh, Button, Raikkonen, ninth with Vettel tenth.

Then, a huge crash when Maldonado in the Lotus hit Gutierrez’s Sauber, tipping the Mexican right over, thankfully with the car landing on its wheels, brought out the Safety Car, so Fernando and Kimi came in on lap 41 for their third and final stops, fitting Medium tyres. Behind the SC, Fernando was tenth, with Kimi right behind him. Despite trying all they could to make up places, the fact that they were swamped from behind on the straights, while those ahead were out of reach, meant it was a lost cause today.

Fernando finally passed Button for ninth on lap 50, where he would stay to the flag, Kimi right behind him. For the Maranello squad, it was a very long night for 3 points. However, there is no rush to pack everything away, as all eleven teams will be testing here at the Sakhir circuit on Tuesday and Wednesday, as part of the relaxation of the in-season testing ban that had previously been in place.

http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/bahrain-gp-long-night-3-points

Bahrain GP – Pat Fry: “A defensive race”
Pat Fry: “Today, we could not have asked more of our car and drivers, because here, our most limiting factor was a lack of top speed. That meant we had to run a defensive race and even if in the middle sector, the one with the most corners, the F14 T was competitive, it was not enough to allow Fernando and Kimi to attack our rivals. In Maranello, we are working on solutions to ensure better power delivery and better driveability. We are also trying to improve the efficiency of the car on the aerodynamic front. The data we acquired in today’s race will provide a baseline for the major checking programme we have planned for the test, right here at Sakhir on Tuesday and Wednesday.”

http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/bahrain-gp-pat-fry-a-defensive-race


Bahrain GP – Kimi Raikkonen: “Confident for the future”
Kimi Raikkonen: “I am very disappointed with today’s result, because after how qualifying went, I expected to do better. I didn’t get a good start and immediately lost some places. On the first lap, I was hit by Magnussen, luckily without it doing any damage, but trying to move up the order at this point was very difficult, because the lack of aero downforce and speed on the straight meant overtaking was complicated. We knew this track was less suited to the characteristics of our car than the first two and that the Mercedes would be very quick. Overall, the handling of our car has generally improved compared to the first races and this makes me confident for the upcoming ones. We can expect a lot of work to do and we will make the most of the test days to try and improve already in time for the next race in China.”

http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/bahrain-gp-kimi-raikkonen-confident-future

Bahrain GP – Fernando Alonso: “An aggressive plan”
Fernando Alonso: “Today’s race was complicated for us, even if we knew what to expect because, with its long straights, this track shows up our weak points. The team did a super job and sorted the problem I had yesterday in the final part of qualifying and the start and strategy were perfect. The Safety Car helped us make up a bit of ground on the cars ahead of us and also allowed us to save fuel, but it was not enough to change the result, with eight cars ahead of us doing a better job. Although we did all we could, we can’t be happy with our level of performance and now our sole focus must be on working day and night. The season is in its early stages and I think we can stage a recovery. We have the resources and the potential to do it and it’s all down to us. Next week will be very important as we get back on track on Tuesday and Wednesday to test in preparation for the upcoming races. We have got a very aggressive programme, which we need as our rivals will not just be sitting back and watching.”

http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/bahrain-gp-fernando-alonso-an-aggressive-plan

[Nero Horse]

Thanks. At least someone is higher, though he probably doesn't care it's not damaging fiats image really

I'm quite certain that he does care about Ferrari, as it's one of the biggest income sources for Fiat and well I don't know about Elkann personally, but his grandfather Gianni Agnelli always loved, respected and cared about Ferrari very much. And I certainly hope that John Elkann does as well.


Yes but he also got rid of the people he brought in. Todt, brawn and appointed stefano. Since then very little real success when you consider that 2007/8 seasons benefited from the development from prior seasons.

Well, we couldn't possibly have kept Todt and Brawn on forever, now could we? Ferrari can't be too dependant on couple of people, however capable they might be, cause sooner or later they need to be replaced. The trick is to find new people who would be just as capable as the previous ones to take over and lead Ferrari successfully onwards.

[shamim179]

From BBC:

Ferrari struggling on three fronts

It was not so much missed opportunities that defined Ferrari's weekend in Bahrain as missed performance. They were nowhere.

The car has three problems. The engine does not have enough top-end power, it is thirsty and it does not have enough traction.

The increased torque of the modern F1 power-units puts extra emphasis on traction and it is an area in which Ferrari have been weak for a few years now.

It has been clear from the start of the season - I remember looking at their rear tyres in first practice in Malaysia and they had been working very hard.

The situation improved over the weekend, to the extent that Fernando Alonso was able to finish fourth in Sepang, but it remained an issue.

In Bahrain, where traction out of slow corners is critical to performance, poor traction and lack of straight-line speed meant Ferrari were exposed and Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen could do no better than finish ninth and 10th.

I'm sure their president Luca Di Montezemolo, who was watching from the pits for much of the race, did not leave Bahrain a happy man - and not just because his comments about "taxi driving" had been shown up by a great race.