We Have To Come Back - Domenicali

[vcs316]

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali looks for improvement in Malaysia...

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali admits that the Italian team underperformed in Australia and will have to hit back in Malaysia.

Fernando Alonso's fifth place in qualifying was a disappointment, while in the race the Spaniard recovered to fourth place after being pushed down to ninth when he ran wide at the start. Felipe Massa salvaged seventh after the two Saubers were excluded.

“What we need to understand why this weekend we didn’t get but the performance we were exacting from ourselves,” said Domenicali. “Without looking at the others, this is the main thing that we need to analyze at home and make sure that in Malaysia we come back. For sure this weekend was not the one that we wanted, in terms of performance.

“Today in the race I have to say with regard to Fernando, starting in ninth position after the first lap, he was in a very difficult situation. He did a fantastic race. For sure if he would have had let’s say a clean start, not because of him but because unfortunately he was unfortunately outside and there was traffic on the inside, the race would have been for sure totally different.”

Domenicali said he was happy with the way the Ferrari KERS performed.

“It’s a matter of balance. On our car KERS worked quite well. At the beginning for example Jenson Button was behind Felipe and was always attacking him, we were able to match that Jenson was using the rear wing with the KERS. That is something that for us was very useful. In terms of balance, in terms of what the others are doing with that, I cannot answer, to be honest.”

Regarding the DRS, he added: “We were expecting that the rear wing effect was not really obvious, because the length [of the straight] is not so much. Then you have to consider what I said before, that you have to use the KERS in a certain condition to protect. We need to wait and see. Then we need to understand better the situation on our side, of the tire usage, because that will affect the future strategy, the future management of the race, that’s for sure.”

[Rookie]

Its the same old jazz from Stefano every year. Excuses and more excuse after having a bad race... Although I know the team does indeed bounce back from poor results but its just the constant things you get to hear season in and season out is very tiring. When do we hear comments like: "We've built a very fast car now its up to us to keep this advantage..." Oh well, here's hoping for a better 2nd race in malaysia. :)

[ajpat]

I keep wondering how may more years will it take Ferrari to figure out what Red Bull are doing to their cars. And how can you explain the fact the Mclarens suddenly got their 1 sec by putting on last minuite do -or - die parts?

[Meiga]

Let's forget Red Bull for a second - Newey is a genius, and those are difficult to replicate.

What I am concerned about are comments such as "we don't know what is going wrong at this track" or even, as apparently Gené said on the Spanish TV (I did not hear it myself, it could be wrong), "our car is fine in long stints but we don't know why".

I can understand that the Ferrari engineers may be outsmarted by other top teams on a given year - those things happen. But it is worrying that, after doing more kms than any other car, they still don't know exactly which parameters affect the car's performance, how and why.

Now, from what I have been reading, Albert Park is a peculiar track in terms of surface. It is just the first race of the year, plenty of time to recover - and to be honest, in terms of points the result was not that bad after all (better than Turkey last year ). So don't panic (yet), but use these two weeks wisely...

[burak karakutuk]

This time next year at the same track we were be able to fight for race winnigs or a title.But now we looked a second far away from the leaders.Maybe race stints looked better and car has more potential.In my opinion Albert Park was a specific race and i belive we will more competitive in Sepang.One other thing i suppose to say is we are much slower from Rb than last year comparision.Finally i am bother to hear the same word from Stefano.When we begin with the fastest car to new season,when we have a different car without copying.Last three seasons we are coming back,saying like that;we have to come back,solve the problems,improve the car...I must admit it cocnerns me