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#891 2013 Singapore Grand Prix

2023-01-13 00:00

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#891 2013 Singapore Grand Prix

The melancholy farewell, after eight years as a faithful domestique, with a narrowly missed World Championship in 2008 and a terrifying accident in Bu

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The melancholy farewell, after eight years as a faithful domestique, with a narrowly missed World Championship in 2008 and a terrifying accident in Budapest in 2009, comes with a tweet. Ferrari has not yet announced that Kimi Raikkonen will replace Felipe Massa in 2014, he will do so on Wednesday 11 September 2013, talking about a two-year contract with an option for a third season, but the Brazilian took care of eliminating the wait, announcing the day before:

 

"From next year I will no longer drive for Ferrari".

 

In the afternoon, Montezemolo had spoken of a decision still to be made, and had reiterated that he would have liked to meet Massa first, but evidently the conversation must have taken place in great secrecy, because the Brazilian's parting words are unequivocal:

 

"I thank the team for all the victories and the wonderful moments spent together. Now I want to push hard with Ferrari for these last seven races and for 2014 I want to find a team that will give me a competitive car to win a World Championship which continues to be my dream".

 

A message that marks the end of an era, given that among many ups and downs Massa wore the red tracksuit for eight years, teammate of Schumacher, Raikkonen himself and Alonso, with whom he has a deep friendship. That of the Brazilian, a home-made driver, as Montezemolo liked to say, given that he was signed very young and parked to grow at his friend Sauber, was an adventure that began well and then faded away: 33 years old, he will be left with the regret of title lost in the sprint in 2008 with Hamilton in Brazil, champion for a few minutes, given that he had won the race, and then second by a point, thanks to the Englishman's last-minute overtaking on a Glock, and the great fear of a year later in Budapest, with that spring, which started from the rear of Barrichello's car, which hit him on the head. He leaves with 11 wins and 15 poles. He could end up at Lotus, but also remain without a team. Kimi Raikkonen returns to Ferrari instead. In 2007, chosen by Jean Todt to the detriment of Fernando Alonso, he immediately replaced Michael Schumacher in the hearts of the fans: World Champion at the first attempt, last title for Ferrari, but then the relationship deteriorated, until the stormy divorce of 2009, Raikkonen set aside precisely for Alonso, the Finn who does not terminate his contract, but remains paid during the sabbatical in which he enjoys rallying. They had broken up badly, Raikkonen and Ferrari, now they try to love each other again in a two-pronged attack with Alonso called to crumble Vettel's dictatorship.

 

"I am really happy to return to Maranello after spending three fantastic years there full of victories. I have many memories that link me to Ferrari and I have always carried them with me over the years, first of all the unforgettable victory in the World Championship in 2007. I can't wait to get back behind the wheel of a Red, to meet up with many people with whom I have formed strong bonds and to work together with Fernando, who I consider to be an extraordinary driver, to give the team the successes it deserves".

 

And the Spaniard is among the first to welcome him to Maranello:

 

"I welcome my new traveling companion: together we will have to face a very demanding technical and sporting challenge starting next year".

 

But Alonso doesn't forget Massa.

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"I want to thank Felipe for all these years, for the road we have traveled together, for the support he has always been able to give to me and the whole team. It will not be easy at the end of the season to have to say goodbye to a teammate who is truly unique in terms of professionalism and loyalty and who, until the end, I'm sure, he will be able to give his all for a team he loves very much".

 

Even Stefano Domenicali, who was next to Felipe Massa for all twelve years of the relationship that linked the Brazilian driver to Ferrari, wanted to pay homage to the Brazilian driver.

 

"I want to thank Felipe with all my heart, also on behalf of our fans around the world, for the extraordinary work he has done for the team in all these years. Felipe has always behaved as a true team man, together we have experienced moments beautiful and some dramatic, who have created a truly unique human and professional relationship: he will always be part of our family and we send him special wishes for his future".

 

One chapter is drawing to a close, another reopens after a pause.

 

"I am pleased to welcome Kimi back to the team with which he became World Champion. I felt he was extremely happy to return to Maranello and very determined to tackle the job that awaits him in the best way".

 

However the double rooster operation ends up (copyright Flavio Briatore), there is one thing that team principal Stefano Domenicali can never be blamed for. Lack of courage. There is in fact a sort of managerial heroism in the choice made official by the team. Upon closer inspection, there were many reasons that could have advised Domenicali to adopt a less dangerous solution. There was tradition: the last time Ferrari raced with two World Champions (Ascari and Farina) dates back to 1953. There was economic opportunity: many might turn their noses up at a company ( Ferrari, i.e. Fiat) which pays to get back the same driver who just three years ago had paid to leave. There were now well-rooted opinions in the head of the company, Luca Montezemolo, who no longer looked favorably on Raikkonen since the Finn left him in the lurch (to go and celebrate privately) during a dinner with certain wealthy clients, after the 2007 World Championship. And then, to cement everything, there were the heavy words pronounced less than a year ago by Raikkonen himself:

 

"Leaving Ferrari was a liberation, things don't last long and relationships aren't good. At Lotus, sport is more important than politics".

 

In short, everything, absolutely everything, suggested to Domenicali to leave it alone, to focus on someone else, perhaps on some young man with good hopes and a less cumbersome past. And instead this proudly made in Italy manager decided that the simplest path was not the best. He took note of the failure of the initial project (to make Alonso the new Schumacher) and relaunched in style, working like crazy to change Montezemolo's mind (which is complex). Tradition? Amen. Money? Look at Ferrari's balance sheet and we'll talk about it again. The behaviors? We will suggest the right ones. Raikkonen's words? He has to drive, not talk. In the end he did it, and today fans all over the world can admire one of the most beautiful couples ever. In exactly one year, perhaps, in these times, we will be talking about a beautiful dream shattered, and Domenicali will be frying in his chair. Or maybe not. In 1953 Ascari won the World Championship. Stefano Domenicali has no doubts:

 

"I felt Raikkonen was extremely happy to be back. He knows the challenges that await us, he knows what our objectives are and I am sure he will give us a lot of help".

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More than a team principal, a traffic policeman will be needed in the Ferrari garage next year. Someone with an iron fist and infinite patience. So much so that there are already those who invoke the intervention of the legendary lieutenant colonel Tammaro, the former commander of the Frecce Tricolori hired by Ferrari after the night in Abu Dhabi 2010 with the aim of synchronizing the internal organization of the team, and then swallowed up by three years of oblivion. Whether it will be him, the man in charge of directing traffic in the garage in 2014, is not yet known. It is more likely that it will fall directly to Stefano Domenicali. Because what is clear from now on is that there won't just be two first guides. But two real teams. As things turned out in Maranello, after the last waltz of the technicians, the Finn and the Spaniard will in fact find themselves surrounded by two small but fierce clans, power groups that branch out to the heart of the Management Sportiva of Maranello. Raikkonen, for example, in addition to his track engineer, will be able to count on the internal support of the one who Luca Montezemolo has recently announced as the key player for the next season, James Allison, the chassis technical director who has just been snatched from Lotus where, together to the Finnish, has built on the successes of recent years. 

 

On the other hand, Alonso will be able to continue to make use of not only the engineer Andrea Stella (the man who speaks to him in the radio teams) but also the intellectual contribution and friendship of Pat Fry, the engineer he took away a couple of years ago to McLaren - wanted by the Spaniard himself - who had been entrusted with the task of reshaping the organization of the design work (a mission that did not bring the desired results). It is not inevitable that these two worlds will end up in conflict, even if it is considered very probable by many. Everything will depend on the intelligence of the two drivers and the ability of Domenicali who will be able to count on an unequivocal natural fact: neither Kimi nor Fernando are kids anymore, and for both of them Ferrari represents the last chance to end their careers in a big team ( and with a large contract). If this isn't enough, all that remains is to hope that Tammaro comes up with something. And, in the meantime, Kimi Raikkonen's decision to abandon the Lotus project to return to wearing the colors of Ferrari has completely shocked the British team, which is consequently starting to move ahead of next season. The idea that has emerged in the last few hours is that of Felipe Massa. The Brazilian disappointed at Ferrari, but could be Lotus' first choice. Nico Hulkenberg was also linked to the Enstone team, who in turn saw his dream of joining Ferrari fade away. Eric Boullier, Lotus team principal, explains:

 

"Hulkenberg is certainly in the running like all the drivers who are free. Felipe Massa is also available, so he is obviously on the list. These are the drivers who contacted us through their entourage. We are not in too much of a hurry to activate plan B. We are the only top team to have a place available and obviously many are interested".

 

And on Raikkonen's decision:

 

"I understand and respect her. She signed for Ferrari, a great institution. This adventure will be the end of her career and she might want to end with a great challenge. It's the end of a story for our team: we will write one new one, which will start next year".

 

Even for Nicolas Todt, manager of Felipe Massa, Lotus is the best place still open on the 2014 grid. There has also been talk of a possible return of the Paulista driver to Sauber, the team where he began his career in the circus. But apparently this is not the first option for the Brazilian at the moment.

 

"What is certain is that other teams are interested in him. Felipe will never be able to play a secondary role in a small team, so we must find a car that will allow him to remain at the top in F1. Certainly the best team to date, the most interesting place is the one vacated by Raikkonen".

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Meanwhile, from Brazil, Rubens Barrichello comments on the news of the divorce between Massa and Ferrari and urges his compatriot to move on.

 

"There is life after Ferrari and I am proof of this. Racing for Ferrari is the most sensational thing there is, but afterwards there is a little less pressure. There is a moment of pain, but then life "It continues and there are better things. I hope that Felipe, with the talent he has, finds a team that allows him to win again. It would be a shame not to have a Brazilian driver in F1".

 

While we await the developments deriving from the drivers' market, the Singapore Grand Prix, scheduled for Sunday 22 September 2013, presents itself as a special challenge for the Ferrari drivers. Fernando Alonso says:

 

"This is a very demanding race from both a physical and mental point of view. Taking place at night involves changing all the weekend schedules we are used to. The race is demanding, there is no margin for error, but it is a track that I like and on which I have achieved good results: four podiums in the five races held so far. This year too I face this event with the awareness of being able to obtain good results and with the confidence that there is everything needed to do well. on all street circuits, even at Marina Bay there is always the risk of making a very small mistake that can turn into a major problem. The last sector is the most treacherous section, in particular turns 18 and 19, which pass underneath a grandstand, are the ones where you risk the most, where it's easy to make a mistake. All it takes is a small loss of concentration and you run the risk of finishing the race against the barriers".

 

Felipe Massa preparing to contest the last seven races with Ferrari, before giving way to Kimi Raikkonen.

 

"I haven't done any particularly targeted preparation for the championship finale. I train every day, whether at home or while traveling or in a hotel. Let's say that physical activity follows me everywhere, with the sole exception of the weather I spend on the plane. I think the consistency with which you train is important and the results can be seen in physical and mental preparation. In my opinion, Singapore is one of the most tiring races on the calendar, in fact I think it's the hardest. It's the Grand Prix longer, given that you always end up completing the two hours of the race and the humidity level is very high despite racing at night. Inside the single-seater you sweat a lot and there isn't much air entering the cockpit because the speed average is quite low. Considering all aspects, I believe that it is the hardest race both for the body and for mental concentration. Running at night reduces visibility and in addition there are also the typical difficulties of city courses, that is, always being very close to the barriers".

 

Massa continues.

 

"With artificial light the visibility is good, but it is impossible to reproduce the conditions that exist during the day with solar light. In general the atmosphere created is very beautiful and decidedly characteristic. It offers both us and the enthusiasts an event unique".

 

The track doesn't allow riders to loosen their grip even for a second.

 

"For this reason I don't think it's possible to identify one area of the circuit as more important than another. All sectors have the same level of difficulty. If you make the slightest mistake you pay a high price, in any area. You have to pay attention to every corner, which are quite a few: one lap of this track is equivalent to two laps of the Monegasque one".

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Woe betide you:

 

"Driving precision is fundamental, especially in qualifying when there is the need to take the perfect lap by putting together the best intermediates. I think it is more difficult to win in Singapore than in Monte Carlo. The track is longer and more complicated, one lap it is around 1'48"0, while in Monaco it is much shorter".

 

The next few weeks in Asia could be the setting for the final sprint towards the fourth consecutive world title for German Sebastiàn Vettel. But many see the possibility looking for the Red Bull Racing driver to even surpass the record of seven Formula 1 World Championships won by compatriot Michael Schumacher. From Sunday until October 13th 2013 the Grands Prix of Singapore, South Korea and Japan will take place, and mathematically it is possible that the Red Bull Racing driver will become World Champion in Suzuka, four races before the end of the World Championship. In the next three circuits Vettel has achieved only satisfaction in the last two years: first in Singapore 2011 and 2012, winner in South Korea 2011 and 2012, and winner in Japan 2012 and third in 2011. If after the Japanese race in Suzuka, Vettel will be 100 points ahead of the second place, he will already be World Champion with four Grands Prix to go. It's not impossible, even if the German don't like these number games. For this reason the German driver, who currently has a 53 point advantage over Alonso, will continue faithful to his creed:

 

"We have to see what happens race after race and look at our performance".

 

Vettel won the title in 2010, 2011 and 2012. He was the earliest and youngest World Champion to achieve a hat-trick. He won 32 out of 113 Grands Prix, obtaining pole position 40 times and finishing on the podium in almost half of the races. Mario Andretti says about him:

 

"Vettel has a real chance of beating Schumacher's records. And no one has had this chance in past years".

 

Not only in his successes, but also in his concentration and mentality Vettel is reminiscent of seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher. That says:

 

"In a short time he won three titles. Why couldn't he win seven? If Sebastian could surpass me, I would be happy for him"

 

In the Grands Prix of Singapore, South Korea and Japan, Vettel can take his next step in this direction. If Kimi Raikkonen is certainly not a stranger to Ferrari, for Fernando Alonso it will be a new relationship. On the eve of the Singapore Grand Prix the Spanish driver was asked how he found out about the change of teammate:

 

"I was always informed about how the team was moving, even when the decision hadn't yet been made. Once they decided not to continue with Felipe, I was asked what I thought. I replied that, in my opinion, Kimi was the best on the market, especially because next season there will be a lot of changes and a lot of development work will be needed on the car in January and February. I told the team that it was therefore important to have a teammate with a lot of experience in Formula 1, and I am happy with the choice".

 

Fernando sees only positive aspects in the new pairing, not giving rise to the theory that the presence of two former World Champions in the same team could result in a difficult working relationship.

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"My motivation will always be the same: to always do my best to achieve the results that are expected of me. And even if sometimes I don't succeed, I believe that no teammate can push me more than they already do. I with myself. With two World Champions there will be no differences. Even when I arrived at Ferrari, it was said that the relationship with Felipe would be difficult because he had been with the team for many years. After four seasons together, I can say that he's one of my best friends here. In any case, I consider Felipe as a world champion. Remember, when he crossed the finish line in 2008 in Brazil he was World Champion. I wouldn't say he's a rookie".

 

Kimi Raikkonen comments on his return to Maranello during the press conference for the Singapore Grand Prix. The Finn will take Felipe Massa's place at the end of the season and will once again be driving a Ferrari. 

 

"In Formula 1 things change very quickly, I didn't think I could leave Lotus and return to Ferrari and instead things went like this. I have several friends in Ferrari and good memories of the years spent there. I knew that my contract with Lotus would end at the end of this year. A decision had to be made and I made it. There were many things that Lotus could do to convince me to stay, they know which ones, but the contract with Ferrari is now closed and it I'm very happy. I know the team, many people who worked with me are still there. I don't think it will be difficult to go and do my job at Ferrari. Of course, there are many things to do, we need to make the car better and more reliable, we have to make them bring out their best".

 

Kimi Raikkonen also talks about the relationship with his next teammate:

 

"I don't see why it shouldn't work, we are two experienced riders and the team will do the right things to make us work at our best. We are not twenty years old, I am sure that things will go well, there will certainly be tough battles on the track, but I am sure that it will work. I've never worked with Alonso, but everything will be fine".

 

Even Stefano Domenicali is not worried about the possible negative implications of a coexistence between two World Champions like Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen:

 

"Maybe the others are afraid because we are strong. Psychological warfare is part of the game. It is normal for each driver to want to do the best for themselves, it is in their nature to want to beat anyone. But this has been the way we have always operated and we will continue like this in the future. Our philosophy does not change and the interest of the team remains the priority".

 

The team principal then returns to the painful decision to end the relationship with Felipe Massa:

 

"It was very difficult emotionally because I've known him since he was a little boy. We grew up together and had some very intense moments both professionally and personally. And in this case I learned something from him, from the serenity with which he accepted the decision. It's something not so common in this world. Once again he showed his true human qualities".

 

For his part, the Brazilian jokes:

 

"I won't help Fernando, I won't help Ferrari, I won't help anyone but myself".

 

Then, becoming serious again, he adds:

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"I intend to do my best in the last seven races before reaching the end of a long and fantastic career with Ferrari. This team is part of my history, eight years as an official driver are not forgotten. Leaving with a victory would be the best Fernando and Kimi are two fantastic drivers and I know them both very well. With them Ferrari has a high quality pair and I hope everything works well".

 

Massa also talks about his future and the possibility of taking Raikkonen's place at Lotus:

 

"I'm talking to some teams and I hope to find the best path for me, therefore the best possible car. I don't want to stay in F1 just to be one of many on the grid. I want to continue fighting for victories and the title. I know that I still have a lot to give to a team".

 

I left Lotus just because of money. Kimi Raikkonen pronounces exactly these words in his first interview after making his move to Ferrari official, and we seem to see Luca Montezemolo in the living room of his house writhing in pain assailed by the first doubts about the validity of his choice for next year . The fan president would have liked to hear many other speeches.

 

"At Lotus they didn't pay my salary, that's why I left".

 

Amen. Obviously the news isn't so much in the concept itself - everyone knows that the real engine of Bernie Eccelstone's Circus is money - but rather in the fact that a pilot had the naivety (or courage) to admit it, like this, in a conference press, with the most naïve tone in the world. Which is, more or less, the same tone with which, in the nightmares of the usual president, Kimi could one day easily find himself in an astonished press room saying:

 

"Why didn't I let Alonso pass? Because it wasn't going fast enough".

 

Or:

 

"Now he won't win the World Championship anymore? Well, evidently he didn't deserve it".

 

For the moment, however, the good Kimi is satisfied. As for the rest, however, it went very well. Especially on the thorniest topic, the one relating to his future cohabitation with Alonso. Will it work or will they get scanned? the paddock is asking itself at the moment (the answer is mostly the latter).

 

"I don't see why it shouldn't work. We're both old enough to know what we're doing. If there were any problems, I'm sure we could resolve them by talking to each other. We are no longer twenty years old. Maybe I'm wrong, time will give its verdict. Of course, there will be heated battles on the track, but I'm sure everything will be fine".

 

What someone like Raikkonen might mean by saying everything will be fine is a bit of an unknown at the moment, however the good will, at least according to the press conference, is appreciable. Just as the effort made by the driver to fix the somewhat frayed relationship with some representatives of his new team and to cancel some statements in this regard released to the press just a year ago is appreciable:

 

"Leaving Ferrari was a liberation, there is less politics at Lotus, relations in Maranello have not remained good".

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Words that today appear unfortunate to say the least.

 

"Things in F1 change very quickly. At Ferrari I have a lot of good memories and many friends. The rumors about my disagreements were written by journalists, but journalists are not inside the teams and don't know the real things that happen. I know the team and the people well. I don't think it will be too difficult to go there and do well".

 

While waiting to understand how Kimi Raikkonen's new adventure in Ferrari will develop, the weekend begins in Singapore with Sebastian Vettel who really scares all the competition. The German is clearly the fastest at the end of free practice on Friday for the Singapore Grand Prix. On the brightly lit Marina Bay circuit, the German has no rivals: his time of 1'44"249 is unmatched by anyone. Red Bull Racing is digging a deep furrow: the only one who manages to stay close to Vettel is his teammate, Mark Webber, who was still 0.604 seconds behind. Mercedes, who had been the fastest in the morning with Lewis Hamilton, remain one second with Nico Rosberg and a tenth slower with the British driver. Romain Grosjean , with Lotus, is at 1.162 seconds. The Ferraris are far behind: Fernando Alonso's gap of 1.442 seconds is heavy, while Felipe Massa didn't even do better than the fifteenth time, 2.621 seconds from Sebastian Vettel, but above all 1.2 seconds from his teammate. Returning to the top ten positions, behind Alonso are Jenson Button with the McLaren and Kimi Raikkonen with the other Lotus. Closing out the top ten are Adrian Sutil with Force India and Sergio Perez with McLaren.

 

Meanwhile, Alonso continues to swear eternal love to Ferrari:

 

"More or less every weekend I say the same things. I love Ferrari and I will stay there until the end. It's nice to hear comments from other teams, it's nice to feel that they respect my work and my personality. Especially if these words come from McLaren. There was a lot of talk about the problems we would have in 2007. But I always said there was no problem. I have another three years of contract with Ferrari and I hope there will be others too if we extend the contract. I hope so".

 

In the next two years, Alonso will team up with Kimi Raikkonen.

 

"Am I happy with his arrival? Obviously. I pushed hard for this choice, in the end they took him. With Felipe Massa I had four fantastic years: when the team decided to change, Kimi was, in my opinion, the best option on the market".

 

On Saturday 21 September 2013 Sebastian Vettel set the best time again in the third and final free practice session; on this occasion, however, the German precedes Romain Grosjean by less than 0.2 seconds. In the first part of the session, when the drivers tested the harder compound tyres, Vettel still leads the ranking, preceding Mark Webber by less than 0.1 seconds. With the switch to other tires Mark Webber was unable to get any closer to his teammate, having encountered traffic during his attempt. A few hours later, Sebastian Vettel took pole position in the Singapore Grand Prix. The German Red Bull Racing driver is the fastest in the third qualifying heat with a lap completed in 1'42"841. Vettel, on his fifth pole of the season and number 41 in his career, can afford to leave the cockpit within two minutes from the end of the session. The German driver will start in front of the Mercedes of the German Nico Rosberg. The Frenchman Romain Grosjean, at the wheel of the Lotus, sets the third best time and will open the second row completed by the Red Bull Racing of the Australian Mark Webber (1'43"152). The Ferraris of Brazilian Felipe Massa (1'43"890) and Spanish Fernando Alonso (1'43"938) finished in sixth and seventh place. The Mercedes of Englishman Lewis Hamilton sits in front of the Maranello cars. Completing the top ten, however, are the McLaren of the Englishman Jenson Button, the Toro Rosso of the Australian Daniel Ricciardo and the Williams of the Mexican Esteban Gutierrez, who does not set a useful time. 

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The disappointment of the day was represented by Kimi Raikkonen: the Finnish Lotus driver, affected by back problems, did not go beyond the thirteenth best time and left the scene in the second heat.

 

Fernando Alonso does not hide his disappointment at the end of the tests:

 

"We have to be realistic, we can't be at all satisfied with the performance. We did our best, bringing some new features here. They worked, in a certain sense, but perhaps not enough. We tried many things, we made several changes and today the single-seater was a little easier to drive".

 

Making up ground, however, is a challenge.

 

"Everyone is pushing in the same direction and the gap is notable. It's sad. I think we still have to be satisfied with the work done in the factory, the guys never stopped. We're not in the position we'd like to be in, performance-wise "But we are not in these conditions because we didn't try to give our best. Our opponents don't sit still and watch television between one match and another, the others also work to improve".

 

Alonso arrives, and a powerful smell of grilled salami invades the press conference room that Ferrari has set up right next to the kitchen. The 2013 World Championship is gone. Melted, liquefied in the humid heat of the tropical Saturday afternoon. There's no need to wait for tomorrow's race either. Ferrari may even win it - after all, deep down, this is still a sport and therefore anything can happen - and Red Bull Racing may even lose it disastrously, but nothing, absolutely nothing, will be able to change the dramatic panorama painted in qualifying yesterday from the stopwatch: with every lap of the track, Sebastian Vettel's blue car gives a good second to Fernando Alonso's red one who, in addition to the unreachable Anglo-Austrian team, also finds Lotus and Mercedes in front. A terrifying condition, if you consider that this should have been the season of Maranello's relaunch after four years of slaps. And which is even more difficult if we consider that we are now more than halfway through the season and therefore the gaps in performance, as a result of the developments, should have been reduced to a minimum. And instead, race after race they expanded. Until it becomes an abyss. An abyss, faced with which Alonso, at first, reacts by reeling off the usual exhausted sample of Saturday phrases. But then, perhaps also due to the smell of the fats that continue to burn on the grill, Alonso collapses.

 

"In the factory we work twenty-four hours a day. But evidently our competitors don't sit around watching television and work too. In July we were 0.8 seconds slower than Red Bull, today 1.1 seconds. I really don't think that in Japan and Korea we will be in pole position by magic. There's little to do. I know, it's sad, but that's how it is".

 

And just to further sadden the situation, he lands an unpleasant jab at both Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen:

 

"I have problems in qualifying? On Saturdays Felipe was usually faster than his previous teammate (Kimi, ed.). On the other hand, I have been faster than Felipe in 82% of the qualifying sessions held so far".

 

The tropical night suddenly becomes darker and hotter, and the smell of salami becomes almost toxic. In the press room it is Massa's turn. He is visibly more lively than Alonso. He will start in front. And they are satisfactory. First he talks about his future, Formula 1 as a protagonist, or Dtm; then about the race: Will you help Fernando tomorrow? They ask him. He sighs.

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"Well... There's little that can be done. I think Fernando just needs to pray that Sebastian has some problems, otherwise…".

 

And he makes a gesture with his hands. He gets up and leaves. Dinner is ready. On Sunday 22 September 2013, at the start of the Singapore Grand Prix Nico Rosberg sprinted better than Sebastian Vettel, and managed to take the lead. However, already at the chicane after the start the German regains the lead of the race. Behind was Fernando Alonso who moved up to third place, ahead of Mark Webber, Romain Grosjean, Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa and Jenson Button. Hamilton then gives up the position to Massa, having gained it by leaving the track. In the following laps Vettel immediately managed to create a large margin over Rosberg. On the tenth lap the first tire changes begin, with Kimi Räikkönenche returning to the pits to make a stop. On lap 17 Vettel also made his first tire change, remaining in the lead of the race. Nico Rosberg remains in second place, followed by Paul di Resta, who has not yet changed tires, Fernando Alonso (who tries for several laps to pass the Scotsman, without luck), then Mark Webber, Romain Grosjean, Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa. Paul di Resta makes his stop on lap 20. A few laps later Daniel Ricciardo crashes into the guards at the bend that leads into the tunnel under the grandstand: the Safety car is therefore sent onto the track. The two Ferrari drivers, the two Lotus drivers and Jenson Button took advantage of this to make a second tire change. At the restart Alonso, the first in the standings among the drivers who made the second stop, was fifth. Sebastian Vettel remains in first position and in a few laps, after the safety car returned to the pits, he rebuilt a large margin over Nico Rosberg. On lap 38 Romain Grosjean was forced to retire due to a mechanical problem, after a pit stop in which the Lotus technicians had tried in vain to repair the fault. The ranking, behind Vettel and Rosberg, sees Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Paul di Resta, Felipe Massa, Jenson Button and Kimi Räikkönen. On lap 40 Webber returns to the pits and carries out his second tire change. During lap 41 it's Rosberg's turn, with the Australian passing the German. On lap 43 it's Hamilton's turn. Fernando Alonso thus climbs to second position. Button is third, followed by Räikkönen and Sergio Pérez. On lap 44 Vettel makes his second tire change, but still maintains the lead of the race. Webber began a good comeback which led him to pass first Gutiérrez and then Hülkenberg on lap 54, placing himself sixth. The McLarens, on the other hand, were in trouble with their tires and lost several positions in the final laps. 

 

On lap 54 Räikkönen passes Button and rises to third place. During lap 55 the two Mercedes drivers pass Nico Hülkenberg, while on the same lap Paul di Resta retires due to an accident. The two McLaren drivers were also passed by Mark Webber, who rose to fourth place, then by the two Mercedes, and finally also by Felipe Massa. On the penultimate lap Webber ceded his position to the two Mercedes drivers, and finally also to Felipe Massa at the start of the last lap, before retiring with the engine on fire. Once the race was over, Fernando Alonso generously took Mark Webber back to the pits in his Ferrari. Sebastian Vettel wins the Singapore Grand Prix, ahead of Fernando Alonso, Kimi Räikkönen, then the two Mercedes of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa. An impressive demonstration of strength, record laps, abysmal gaps: despite the introduction of the Safety car, Sebastian Vettel broke up the competition, erasing any hope of victory for the others. Thanks to an impregnable Red Bull Racing, capable of making the most of the cold tires and immediately conquering record gaps after a few laps. A significant advantage for the start and restarts behind the Safety car. In short, Vettel truly competed separately, effectively opening a second championship: that of the non-Vettels. A championship that this time Alonso won, placing second after a wonderful start: multiple overtaking on the outside, to immediately place himself in third position. On street circuits this is very important and in fact in the end - also rewarded by a good race strategy - Alonso is second, ahead of his next teammate, Raikkonen. A good performance for Ferrari, but it must be said that it has been years since we have seen such an overwhelming supremacy of a driver and a car in Formula 1. A situation which is obviously reflected in the World Championship standings, because Sebastian Vettel rises to beauty of 247 points, trailing Fernando Alonso by 60 points, who rises to 187 points, while third is Lewis Hamilton at 151 points, followed by Kimi Raikkonen at 149 points. This means that Vettel could always finish second in the next Grands Prix and be certain of winning his fourth world title. Even if Alonso, his closest pursuer, wins all six remaining races. 

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But let's get back to the race: Nico Rosberg's Mercedes placed fourth, ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa's Ferrari. Jenson Button's McLaren was seventh ahead of teammate Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber. Adrian Sutil's Force India finishes in the points. A finishing order conditioned by poor Webber's debacle: his car caught fire on the last lap, forcing him to retire. In short, one Red Bull dominates, the other goes up in flames. This is F1 too. All or nothing. There are no half measures.

 

"Only the start was difficult, but then I found a good pace".

 

This is how Sebastian Vettel comments on his victory in Singapore.

 

"There were some difficulties with the Safety car and then I increased the lead again. The race was long and things could have gone wrong. In the end I certainly controlled the gap. From a physical point of view it was tough for everyone, it was one of the toughest challenges of the year. This is not something that happens by luck, it means that everyone worked hard and I really appreciated that".

 

Sebastian Vettel is obviously satisfied with the success in the Singapore Grand Prix which, as mentioned, guarantees him a 60 point advantage over Fernando Alonso in the standings.

 

"Is the Safety car the only one ahead of me? The race is long, the walls are very close, I checked the gap at the end and I had fresh tires compared to the others. Physically it was tough for everyone, we're wet not just from the champagne It's a beautiful track, a great satisfaction to win here".

 

The German Red Bull Racing driver is cautious about the lead in the World Championship standings.

 

"I'm in a good position in the standings, I'm not thinking about the World Championship but I'm appreciating the individual moments, the car is fantastic and all this doesn't happen by chance. There are many people who work very hard to go fast. It's a pleasure to drive this car".

 

Kimi Raikkonen, third at the end of the Singapore Grand Prix, comments on his good race by saying:

 

"The back pain didn't affect it too much, next time it will be better. In general, I couldn't do more. The speed was fine, I even managed to do some overtaking, I caught Button and had to try to overtake him, I managed to do it and reach the podium. Overtaking? It seemed more difficult from the outside, but I had more grip and knew where to break away".

 

While Nico Rosberg complains about the entry of the Safety car during the race:

 

"Ferrari got the strategy right, but they were also lucky because the Safety car was out for a long time. I don't know if we could have done something different Vettel and Red Bull? They were very strong all weekend, they deserve the victory".

 

And Felipe Massa analyzes his race in this way, which saw him sixth at the start and in the same position at the finish, but thanks to some overtaking at the end.

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"It was a difficult race, with a start that didn't go very well, because I found myself in front of Webber and I wasn't able to pass him, then we made a mistake when the Safety car was there and we put on the Supersofts while everyone put on the mediums. Perhaps without these problems we could have gotten further ahead, perhaps risking what Fernando risked. At the end there were all those who had no tires left, I passed them and finished sixth, but looking at the first half of the race it wasn't really bad".

 

If there hadn't been that Safety car mid-race, Fernando Alonso would have been lapped by Sebastian Vettel. And yet, however suggestive, this is not the relevant data. The relevant fact is that the Ferrari men - continually bullied by Red Bull Racing and after the usual historyless Grand Prix - manage to be happy, with all due respect to Enzo Ferrari, the man for whom the second place finisher was nothing other than the first of the losers. Forgotten words now. Erased from the DNA of the men of the Maranello team who were so close to celebrating at the end of the Anglo-Austrian lesson. The most atrocious thing is that, apparently, they even had some reason. From sevenths to seconds is, in fact, a huge achievement. Especially if obtained at the end of a perfect race, without flaws, conducted impeccably both by the driver - who with a powerful and elegant leap recovered four positions at the start - and by the engineers thanks to whom Alonso was able to conquer and consolidate his second position. However, upon closer inspection, the reasons for satisfaction are actually much fewer and, if read in the right direction, they do nothing but highlight Ferrari's seasonal shortcomings. Because in Formula 1 the starting grid positions are not drawn by lot. But qualifying takes place, which is the weak point of both Ferrari and Alonso who, in fact, this year started on average between sixth and eighth position, condemning himself to an endless series of catch-up races. In the same way, the errors in strategy or leadership of others, those which then contributed decisively to yesterday's result, cannot be ascribed to the category of one's own merits. If you scratch carefully behind the glittering silver patina of Alonso and Ferrari's race there is, in short, quite little to be enthusiastic about: on the best day, the one in which everything works, the one in which every detail goes right right and fate and the opponents play in your favor, even on that day Red Bull Racing ends up lapping Ferrari. An assumption that does not bode well for the next six races. According to most, the championship is already over. And, in fact, seen from Singapore, the season still doesn't seem to have much to say. Stefano Domenicali, however, partly because it is true, partly because he cannot say anything else, leaves him open to the slightest glimmer of hope.

 

"The wrong bull stopped today. Recovery will be very difficult. Something has to happen to the person in front to think about attacking him. We can't do anything but sit there and think that what happened to Webber (gearbox on fire, ed.) on the last lap could also happen to Vettel. If we recover some points the psychological situation changes. We have an obligation to try for ourselves and for the people in Maranello who work night and day. And then there's the constructors' championship, we have to score points to stay ahead of Mercedes".

 

In short, by tracing an ideal line and placing engineering at the two extremes on one side and superstition on the other, it is clear that Domenicali's statements lean dangerously towards the latter. So much so that someone in the paddock, almost as a reaction, has begun to calculate when the championship will mathematically end. If Vettel continues like this, in India, in three races.

 

"When the Pirelli people changed the tires we said bye bye to the World Championship".

 

If there is one thing that Fernando Alonso does not lack, in addition to his talent for driving, it is the ability to synthesize. In just one sentence the Spaniard announced Ferrari's surrender and also explained the reasons, also indicating the real culprits.

 

Those of Pirelli, i.e. the engineers of the Italian company, the sole supplier of tires for F1, who this year have combined one thing after another, distorting the sporting result. Fernando Alonso explains at the press conference:

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"We had started well this year. We were competitive in Australia, maybe not in qualifying, but in the race we managed to make the tires work very well".

 

Something that the competition, at the time, just couldn't do.

 

"It was just us and Lotus".

 

Then?

 

"Then we won in China, we won in Spain and we started to lose a bit of performance when Pirelli brought back the 2012 tyres. That was the turning point of our championship".

 

Negatively.

 

"When they changed the tires we said bye bye to the World Championship".

 

Which is now dominated by Red Bull Racing.

 

"Look at this weekend. We made a fantastic start, a perfect strategy, different from the others, and a beautiful podium. Yet they were too fast all weekend. And we can only compliment him".

 

And at this point?

 

"At this point there are only a few races left until the end of the world championship and the gap with Vettel continues to grow every weekend, we have to be honest with ourselves: we need a lot of luck. But not only in the next race, in Korea. We need luck later too, in Japan, in India, in Abu Dhabi. We have the car that goes a second per lap slower than Red Bull, we have to be realistic. And yet, rest assured, we will still be an uncomfortable presence for those in front, because we will always be there, ready to exploit every opportunity".

 

And in the meantime, in Maranello, prepare for next year.

 

"Yes, in 2014 we will start from scratch. Completely. There will be big changes in the regulations: it will be the best opportunity to reduce the distance from those in front of us".

 

In many years of racing at Ferrari, many have been heard.

 

"Transition year, let's think about next season, next year we will win".

 

But never - honestly - a sentence like the one just pronounced by the Ferrari team principal, Stefano Domenicali:

 

"We must recognize that at Red Bull they did a better job than us and congratulate them because in sport you have to accept when your opponent is better than you".

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Applause not for Red Bull Racing but for Ferrari, because it's not easy to say something like that, it's not easy to admit so blatantly that your opponent was better than you. One might say it's a great strength after Vettel's dominance in Singapore, but in reality that's not the case: in modern F1 it never happens. Normally you lose and chew bitterly, you look for excuses, you accuse your opponent in a more or less indirect way of having cheated with who knows what. But no: Domenicali honors Red Bull Racing. A beautiful thing.

 

"It is now clear that 99% of our energies will be concentrated on the 2014 project, as complicated as it is important. At Ferrari, a second place must not be seen as the achievement of a goal but, at the same time, we must be able to appreciate what it is achieved thanks to everyone's work. This weekend we did not have the technical potential to fight not only for the victory but, probably, not even for the podium and yet we left the circuit with more points than all the others: if we succeeded it is because everyone, from the pilots to the warehouse workers, gave their all and made no mistakes. We must be satisfied with this and we must give credit to those who did their job well".

 

In short, new praise for Red Bull Racing. And also a shout-out for Ferrari fans:

 

"I was sorry to hear that Vettel was booed even on the podium in Singapore. The German driver was perfect and was assisted by a car, his, that was as fast as it was robust: credit must be given to him. Of course, on the other side, this is proof that the support for Ferrari is unique and incredible, that the passion that the Prancing Horse arouses is truly global. The fight for the title is increasingly difficult but we must not let go, not even by a millimetre. Of course, it no longer depends only on what we can do but we must try to be ready to take advantage of any opportunities that may arise between now and the end of the championship".

 

Ferrari would need a miracle to reopen the fight for the victory of the World Championship:

 

"Never say never, something unexpected can always happen in sport".

 

Ok, but now?

 

"We must make a leap in quality, at every level, including methodologies and work tools. We know this well and we are working to achieve this objective, strengthening the technical structure in the areas where it is most needed, as evidenced by the arrivals of the latest weeks and those to come".

 

The strange case of Sebastian Vettel. The man who wins world championship titles repeatedly and fails to be loved. This also happens in the crazy world of Formula 1. It happens that a 25-year-old boy wins three consecutive world titles, or rather, almost four considering this one is also underway, or rather, almost five considering what Ross Brawn and the cheerful gang of Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley in 2009 at the time of banned speakers, in short, it happens that a kid brings home all this goodness and instead of being acclaimed as the new King of Formula 1, he finds himself covered in boos. It happened in Monza, in front of an Italian public who, as we know, only see red; and it happened again on Sunday evening, in Singapore. Beyond the idiocy of those who whistle and boo after a Grand Prix, what strikes us is this strange curse that surrounds the German. Why doesn't it enter the hearts of enthusiasts? He, it must be said, puts his own spin on it. Every choice he makes, from a media point of view, turns out to be tragically wrong. Let's take the way of celebrating: stiffen the index finger to symbolize the number one. A gesture that would be unbearable for anyone, and which he aggravates with shrill screams. But the reasons why Sebastian just can't be a character are many others. 

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They range from the mahogany-platinum hair that changes from race to race, to his behavior with the established authority, Ecclestone, an 83-year-old man of whom, despite 2009, Vettel professes to be a great friend. In the paddock there are those who swear that his being the opposite of what one would define as a character risks penalizing him also on a sporting level. For Hamilton and Alonso, two who together have won less than Vettel, huge words have always been used and imprudent comparisons have been made. For him, however, the same old phrase continues to be said:

 

"I would like to see him with a smaller car".

 

He probably realizes all this. But he can't do anything to change. In fact, every attempt he makes (giving the cars the name of a porn diva, swearing at a press conference) makes things worse. To console him, only the case of Michael Schumacher (who is not by chance his model and mentor). He too was considered unbearable and had a lot of difficulty getting his real merits recognised. Michael Schumacher did not come to terms with anyone. He lowered the visor of his helmet and continued to win until the world was forced to pay him all the honors. Sebastian Vettel has decided to follow the same path. And he is also on a good path: he has won almost four world championships and he needs just over three to reach Schumacher. And he still has many years to do it.


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