Malaysian GP 2011 - Practice Sessions 1, 2 & 3

[LeonKennedy]

Honestly? It's looking worse than Australia...

[luicchi]

Honestly? It's looking worse than Australia...

Much worse!!!!

http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formu..._Malaysia.aspx

damage control...there is no douts that the car doesn´t work!!!Its a fail!!!

[FerrariF60]

I know it’s a hard pill to swallow for us tifosi, including me as I’m a die hard Ferrari fan, but at the moment it doesn’t look good for us.
It seems like every race weekend we go into practices, and we do BAD (and I can’t call it any differently when I look at the times we did in Fp1 an FP2) I keep telling myself that it’s not our TRUE pace and that we’re NOT showing our true pace.
But the reality is that we clearly SUCK, we have not done our homework over the winter the way we should have and now we have to play CATCH UP like we’ve always done for the past 3 seasons and this coming from Ferrari is clearly unacceptable.
I just pray that the “BIG” upgrade we’re supposed to have for Turkey or Spain is going to close the gap to Red Bull or better yet make us even stronger than they are, or otherwise is going to be a VERY LONG season for us and the red fools are gonna run with both championships again.

Having said that, Forza Ferrari and hopefully we’re going to have a good weekend.

[burak karakutuk]

Waiting for Turkey means for a long time.There is still a month between Sepang and Istanbul.Also we are not lucky like Mclaren and who can guarantee that Turkey major updates brings us a second or pick us 1st palece or make us more competitive.You all right we have failed because of bad using winter test.Yes we try to catch 3seasons back to back.It makes me crayz...We have to change our car design stlye and winter test schedule.I know it is too late for that but there is no patient.I do not want to belive another year we waste.Who does it wrong?Engineers,principal??

[Ferrari Man]

This big upgarde wont change the pecking order.. it will prob only keep the gap to the front the same as it is now as RB and macca will also be improvin.. If we cant start off a season with a fast car we will always be playing catch up. I know its only the second week of the season but the season i think looks like 2009 already. funny this happens when kers is being used.. I have ferrari in my blood but its time to reshuffle the design team as its not working..

[ferrari4life]

So much for an exciting formula 1 season.. I dont think I am even going to bother to stay up till 3am to watch this.. Not worth me loosing sleep over to see us come a distant 4th?

I guess hope the next race brings something different.. its going to be a long year

[puto.havana]

So much for an exciting formula 1 season.. I dont think I am even going to bother to stay up till 3am to watch this.. Not worth me loosing sleep over to see us come a distant 4th?

I guess hope the next race brings something different.. its going to be a long year

I don't blame you. Tbh I am glad I didn't bother getting up for Aus two weeks back. I will watch this weekend though as the race starts 9am here (I think). But not looking good, perhaps Flav was right.

[FIAT PALIO]

Inspite of having such a good winter testing its very shameful that we are struggling.........now i feel flavio statement is right.......We miss you Rory Byrne....

[ferrari1.8t]

I expect much more from Ferrari, they should be building better cars. They are the biggest F1 team in history, this is just not good enough. We need a car to win from race 1, not from race 6 or 7. They seem to have lost the spark that made them great. They are more concerned with 10 races from now then they are with making headlines today. This looks to be like 2009 all over again when KERS just kept them from getting embarrassed over and over.

Sorry TSN, looks like Flavio Briatore knew something we didnt know. I hate to say it, but he may have been right. Unfortunately, it is not fair to our drivers who are so loyal to our team and have so much passion. They deserve shot a the title, and to do so they need a great car. Ferrari has let down their drivers, and fans.

[luicchi]

I don't blame you. Tbh I am glad I didn't bother getting up for Aus two weeks back. I will watch this weekend though as the race starts 9am here (I think). But not looking good, perhaps Flav was right.

i did and i will...always waiting ...but yes clearly i´ve lost the winter!!!what the hell were they doing in barcelona???

[Ferrari Man]

i did and i will...always waiting ...but yes clearly i´ve lost the winter!!!what the hell were they doing in barcelona???

Exactly what they are doing now.... RB were sandbagging in testing and MACCA have a new car here ...

[Stormsearcher]

I don't blame you. Tbh I am glad I didn't bother getting up for Aus two weeks back. I will watch this weekend though as the race starts 9am here (I think). But not looking good, perhaps Flav was right.

I think ppl are over reacting to the situation. Firstly, lets see what happens in FP3. That will be a clearer indication of true speeds. Secondly, the race can be a completely different ball game. Remember Nando was 9th after the first turn in OZ. He still finished 4th. So the car does have spunk.. it just needs to be dialed in properly and that will happen.
Thirdly, its just the second race and its a long season. Even if Malaysia is not a great result, i still feel we will be in the fight for the title towards the end of the season and that should be reason enough to feel good about it.

So heads up everyone.

[FerrariF60]

Exactly what they are doing now.... RB were sandbagging in testing and MACCA have a new car here ...

oh well, we can always hope for a better 2012 as this season seems a write off, at least to me anyways....as we seem to say that every year time and time again…
maybe one of these years will happen, when we actually will build a fast car over the winter and start winning races from the get go…but for that I think Ferrari need to have a major reshuffle in their staff..

[crewskas]

I wonder,
if the whole season is such a fail, who should we blame about it?
Who's fault might that be?
For sure Tombazis knows how to make great cars. Was with us in 2000-2004 era anyway...
I wouldn't want to blame anyone, but since 2009, we always go (guess what) for reliability, in other words too conservative, to be a champion...
Aldo talks conservative, Stefano is conservative (maybe Aldo is too, I don't know)...
We desperately need innovation.

Example?
Suppose Ferrari still tries to find a way to make the flexi wings,
McLaren let's say will move on and try Renault exhausts or something else...
The point is, I really am afraid, the most we can do, is just reduce the time gap.
Nothing more...
F10 looked to have potential...
F150???
You think it has potential?

I'm afraid not (but I still will hope a little more)...

[Nick Singer]

I think ppl are over reacting to the situation. Firstly, lets see what happens in FP3. That will be a clearer indication of true speeds. Secondly, the race can be a completely different ball game. Remember Nando was 9th after the first turn in OZ. He still finished 4th. So the car does have spunk.. it just needs to be dialed in properly and that will happen.
Thirdly, its just the second race and its a long season. Even if Malaysia is not a great result, i still feel we will be in the fight for the title towards the end of the season and that should be reason enough to feel good about it.

So heads up everyone.

Well said, that man!

Things may look cr@p but they can at least only get better!

[Kingdom Hearts]

So time to hit the panic button, call the wambullance and call the end of the world. I can't belive we are in this situation in the second race of the season. It's even worse than the last year. Let's hope Vettel don't win and we can get some solid points thanks to the mandness in the pit stops.

I can't imagine what's gonna happen if Alonso start from P5 or below.

I trust the team and the drivers but this is not the way to start the season, let's hope our drivers can minimize the damages getting the most points possible.

[ferrari1.8t]

I think ppl are over reacting to the situation. Firstly, lets see what happens in FP3. That will be a clearer indication of true speeds. Secondly, the race can be a completely different ball game. Remember Nando was 9th after the first turn in OZ. He still finished 4th. So the car does have spunk.. it just needs to be dialed in properly and that will happen.
Thirdly, its just the second race and its a long season. Even if Malaysia is not a great result, i still feel we will be in the fight for the title towards the end of the season and that should be reason enough to feel good about it.

So heads up everyone.

I dont think fans are over reacting, I think they have every right to be upset and worried. Especially when Alonso concedes defeat for the weekend after FP2. Ferrari fans are tired of playing catch-up for the last 3 years. We want a car that our boys and red can challenge with. Last year we caught up near the end of the season and still lost the title. You need to win races and secure points right out of the first race, like we used to do. Great teams are always great, not sometimes.

What bothers me more is it seems like Ferrari are relaxed about their poor form. Why are they not frantically trying new things, it couldnt hurt. For example, loose that large "barge board" wing style, and revert to the one used in testing. You never know....it doesn't hurt to try new/different things. Especially when you are so far behind. Just my opinion....

[impactX]

Cheer up, we may just be sandbagging.

[Alessandra]

PS1

Melbourne 2011 practice results
3. Fernando
11. Felipe

PS2
3. Fernando
7. Felipe

PS3
6. Fernando
12. Felipe

It's strange how our drivers switched places here ir Malaysia. Now it's Felipe similarly a few places higher than Fernando.

Thank you, Forzi.
Now I can continue work on my thesis "Is there any realistic indication at all of race performance to be gleaned from practice positions?".
It may be that I have to break the habit of a lifetime and look at the research before drawing a conclusion and, if so, it's not looking very optimistic.

[Hornet]

Sorry TSN, looks like Flavio Briatore knew something we didnt know. I hate to say it, but he may have been right. Unfortunately, it is not fair to our drivers who are so loyal to our team and have so much passion. They deserve shot a the title, and to do so they need a great car. Ferrari has let down their drivers, and fans.

Flavio was that same team manager who saw the potential in Schumi and Alonso and made them world champion, so that guy do know the in and out of F1. I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the things he say. Sure we may not like it, but doesn't automatically make it wrong.

I think ppl are over reacting to the situation. Firstly, lets see what happens in FP3. That will be a clearer indication of true speeds. Secondly, the race can be a completely different ball game. Remember Nando was 9th after the first turn in OZ. He still finished 4th. So the car does have spunk.. it just needs to be dialed in properly and that will happen.
Thirdly, its just the second race and its a long season. Even if Malaysia is not a great result, i still feel we will be in the fight for the title towards the end of the season and that should be reason enough to feel good about it.

So heads up everyone.

What worries me is the team blamed the cold tires in Australia. But now it looks like the warmer temperature here is not making things any better for us, and I don't think we can play that same card again claiming the tires cannot warm up in temperatures like this.

[ferrari1.8t]

Flavio was that same team manager who saw the potential in Schumi and Alonso and made them world champion, so that guy do know the in and out of F1. I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the things he say. Sure we may not like it, but doesn't automatically make it wrong.

I never dismissed what he said, I said he was right.

[OldskoolF1]

Geez, 1 average race and 2 free practise sessions into the season and you already write Ferrari off. We are obviously struggling a little bit but we still have the whole season ahead of us with major updates coming for Turkey and beyond. Writing Ferrari's season off this early in the season is "Flavio Briatore chat"

[ferrari1.8t]

Geez, 1 average race and 2 free practise sessions into the season and you already write Ferrari off. We are obviously struggling a little bit but we still have the whole season ahead of us with major updates coming for Turkey and beyond. Writing Ferrari's season off this early in the season is "Flavio Briatore chat"

I am not writing off the season, however, I am tired of playing catch up. These so called "major-updates" for Turkey should have been on the car from the start of the season, not mid way through. We all saw last year Fernando lose the WDC by a few measly points. That wouldnt have happened if we were competitive from the beginning.

Also, we knew RB would be fast this year and we probably wouldnt be as fast as them until mid-season. I was okay with that, but to be as far back as the 3rd row or further is unacceptable from a team like Ferrari.

[sagi58]

It's a shame that people have the "need" to be right, all the time!
Have a little faith, people!! The sky is not falling!!

[NasI]

They are not giving their true pace. They want RB to think they are fast and not using their kers. I bet you will see a different red car on Sunday.

[Katu]

It's a shame that people have the "need" to be right, all the time!
Have a little faith, people!! The sky is not falling!!

it's not the need to be right and even the most positive people who i have seen have lost their faith at some point. and that is good, then you might see where you made mistake, not to correct something that has zero potential, but you still stubborny believe it has

[aroutis]

Have you considered the possibility that we may actually be sandbagging?

And even if we don't, that we will be finding things in this race (regardless the result) that will help us do a McLaren (lol) for the next race?

I just don't like it when I see people panicking the way some of you do right now... :/

[crewskas]

If this 1 second +, is the difference we have from the RB exists after 2 or 3 more races, I will definitely write off this season.
Not because I think Ferrari cannot upgrade the car, but because you need more than just a wing...!
You need leaps of development almost everywhere to cover such difference...
Tires, wing, mechanical grip, exhausts, diffuser and even that may not reach 1.5s....
And even if it does (which I doubt), you have another 0.5-0.7 to cover, of the development Bulls would have.....................!


I 'm not going to make any fast consumptions from now though...
Still have a little hope.
I 'm just saying, that if this situation remains for 2-3 races, then I'm forgetting 2011, expect LdM to act immediately and let's get 2012...

[Hornet]

I never dismissed what he said, I said he was right.

Never said you did, lol. I was agreeing with you

[Hermann]

I am not writing off the season, however, I am tired of playing catch up. These so called "major-updates" for Turkey should have been on the car from the start of the season, not mid way through. We all saw last year Fernando lose the WDC by a few measly points. That wouldnt have happened if we were competitive from the beginning.

Also, we knew RB would be fast this year and we probably wouldnt be as fast as them until mid-season. I was okay with that, but to be as far back as the 3rd row or further is unacceptable from a team like Ferrari.

Maybe you should think about changing your sig? Because actually, nowadays its everything about aerodynamics. And this is exactly the part where Ferrari is lacking innovation. Which has brought the team to the point where they are now. Imho.