.png "os2 trasparenza (1)")
On Sunday, May 8, 2011, the Formula 1 World Championship lands in Europe with the Turkish Grand Prix, and World Champion Sebastian Vettel is warning everyone, but especially himself, about Ferrari. The German driver, with his Red Bull Racing car, has won two of the first three races of the season and leads the championship standings. In Istanbul, the balance on the track could change, however, since all teams, in the past three weeks, have had the opportunity to overhaul their single-seaters. The growth of the Ferraris of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa is especially expected.
"The road is still long and anything can happen. Fernando Alonso is a good example. Many had cut him out, but he came back great and almost won the World Championship. Ferrari should not be lost sight of. And Mercedes and Renault should not be underestimated either".
After two victories, the German in China had to settle for second place in the Chinese Grand Prix, preceded by Lewis Hamilton's McLaren-Mercedes.
"Two wins and a second place are a good start. But we cannot stop, we have to keep pushing in every race to keep the competition under pressure. The most important thing is to maintain a consistent performance throughout the season".
In the 2010 World Championship, just in Istanbul, Vettel was involved in a grotesque incident with his teammate, Australian Mark Webber.
"I cannot change what has already happened. But I can learn from the past. I look ahead and think only about the next effort. Our single-seater is competitive, but that doesn't mean we don't have to do anything more. We cannot afford to stand still, the competition is strong".
Compared to rivals, so far Red Bull Racing has not always been able to rely on the systematic contribution of Kers, the kinetic energy recovery system that provides additional horsepower for 6-7 seconds per lap.
"I have already said several times that Kers is an advantage. We have had some problems, but we have good people in our team who are dealing with it. I'm not worried ahead of the next race".
The long break after the disappointing Chinese Grand Prix may have benefited Ferrari. The gap separating Ferrari from Red Bull Racing and McLaren is huge, but at Maranello they say they are satisfied with the work done in recent weeks. Fernando Alonso is also convinced of this, despite the realism, and ahead of the first European Grand Prix of 2011 he is aiming for the final podium.
"We have worked very hard to close the gap. As of today to think about victory would be too optimistic. We will see tomorrow how the new parts will go and how the single-seater will perform. The goal is the podium in Turkey as well. The podium was the goal in the first three races and it returns to be the goal here".
The Spaniard does not lose sight of reality.
"Seeing Red Bull's dominance, it is difficult to think about victory. Without testing the single-seater it is not possible to make predictions. But I have 100% confidence in the team".
The Spaniard is no stranger to comebacks:
"Even last year we were in the same situation and then in the middle of the season things improved so much. We have the ability, potential and talent to react in the face of any problem and this year we started with a faster car".
So far the podium has eluded us:
"But we are close. In Malaysia the podium slipped away after my contact with Hamilton, in China Felipe (Massa, ed.) came close. We are not as far away as it seems. I expect to do much better in these next races, because the gap is starting to be important and we have to reduce it. We will do everything to achieve that".
The Spaniard also turns his attention to the future of the Circus and the increasingly copious rumors of a deal between Exor and Murdoch to take over Formula 1.
"We are on the sidelines of these things, but all agree that we need a more interesting and spectacular Formula 1 for people. We want a beautiful future for our sport and all ideas to innovate are welcome".
It's back to Europe and the hunt for Red Bull Racing is on again. The favorite for the antagonist role remains McLaren. Its Turkish trip does not begin well, however: opening the boxes shipped from Woking, the discovery that the suits of the two drivers had been stolen. Competing for the role of third force are Renault, Mercedes and Ferrari. The Maranello team hopes to resurrect thanks to three aerodynamic innovations: front wing, rear wing and brake air intakes.
"Nothing revolutionary".
Says Alonso, however. In the days of the assault on Ecclestone's fort announced by the Elkann-Murdoch ticket, a Sky facility inside the paddock (usually forbidden to TV without rights) appears in Istanbul. Meanwhile, it is learned that Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull will meet on May 14, 2011 in Stuttgart (home of Mercedes) to discuss the possible expansion of the consortium. Plans for Rupert Murdoch's News Corparation to purchase Formula 1 are indeed confirmed. But in a surprise move came the announcement of the involvement of Exor, an investment company close to the Fiat group and the Agnelli family. The two groups revealed today that they have begun initial negotiations.
"Exor, one of the largest investment companies, and News Corporation, a global media group, confirm that they are in the early stages of exploring the possibility of creating a consortium that aims to formulate a long-term plan for the development of Formula 1 in the interests of participants and fans. In the coming weeks and months, Exor and News Corporation will contact potential minority partners and major shareholders in the category. There is no certainty that this will result in an offer to the current owners of Formula 1".
Exor is headed by John Elkann, current chairman of Fiat, which is present in F1 with Ferrari. In addition, Exor is controlled by the Agnelli family, owns about 30 percent of Fiat and 60 percent of Juventus. The official announcement by Exor and News Corporation comes after numerous denials by Bernie Ecclestone, who had called Murdoch's chances of taking over F1 next to zero. Staying on the future theme, according to local media reports, the Formula 1 Turkish Grand Prix will not be run in 2012. Next season's Istanbul event is reportedly on the verge of being skipped due to a lack of agreement between the organizers and F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone.
The Hurriyet newspaper, the president of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, Murat Yalcintas, said the organizers rejected Ecclestone's request to double the organizing fee to $26.000.000.
"Formula 1 says farewell to Istanbul".
Yalcintas points out that the difficulties in reaching a new agreement do not preclude the possibility of F1 returning to Istanbul in the future.
"If Ecclestone shows a rigid position then there will be no agreement. There is nothing certain yet. At the same time, if there is no agreement for next year, that does not mean that there may not be a return of F1 to Istanbul in the future. There may be new agreements in the future".
Shortly before the start of the race weekend, on Tuesday, May 3, 2011, Sam Michael, technical director, and aerodynamics chief Jon Tomlinson, of the Williams team resigned from the team, which simultaneously announced the appointment of Mike Coughlan as chief engineer. After a troubled start for the team, Michael and Tomlinson have both decided to leave the team at the end of the season when their contracts expire. Says Frank Willians:
"Both Sam and Jon are talented and have led people who have worked hard for Williams for more than a decade and five years. However, they have recognized that the team's performance is not at the level they deserve and have resigned in order to give the team a chance to undertake the changes necessary to move back toward the front of the grid. Both will continue to work in their current positions until the end of the year to ensure that the team maintains focus and momentum during the 2011 season. We are very grateful to Sam and Jon for their professional approach".
In the wake of Michael and Tomlinson's decisions, Frank Williams hires former McLaren chief engineer Mike Coughlan - who had left the Woking-based team following the 2007 spy story scandal - as its new chief engineer. Frank Williams adds:
"Mike Coughlan is an engineer with extensive experience in Formula 1. He left Formula 1 in 2007 because of behavior that he acknowledges was wrong and for which he deeply regrets. His two-year ban from the sport has long expired and Mike is now determined to prove himself above all. Williams is happy to be able to give him the opportunity to do this, and we are very pleased to have one of the most talented and competitive engineers in the sport to help us get back toward the front of the grid. This is the first step in rebuilding and strengthening our engineering group. We will announce the next steps soon".
Mike Coughlan adds:
"I am grateful to Williams for giving me this opportunity. Since 2007, I have been trying to put my skills to use designing the Ocelot vehicle, whose purpose is to transport soldiers safely. Now I am looking forward to returning to a sport I love and joining a team I have admired for so many years. I will be dedicated to the team and making sure it becomes competitive again, while upholding the ethical standards that Williams has always stood for".
Earlier, on Thursday, April 21, 2011, Pat Symonds, a British engineer for many years involved in Formula 1 with Toleman, Benetton and Renault, who was involved in the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix Crashgate, was hired by Virgin Racing, in the role of consultant.
On Friday, May 6, 2011, the opening session was run in wet conditions - the first competitive session in which Pirelli's wet weather tyres had been used in the season - where Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was quickest by 1.4 seconds ahead of the Mercedes cars of Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher in second and third places respectively, with the only other drivers within two seconds of Alonso being the Renaults of Nick Heidfeld and Vitaly Petrov, and Kamui Kobayashi's Sauber. However, due to the conditions, many teams opted for conservative running with McLaren running the fewest laps; their pairing of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton completing five laps between them. Championship leader Sebastian Vettel caused a red flag during the session after spinning into the barrier; he put his right-rear wheel over the kerb at the exit of Turn 8 and thus ended the session - as well as his day's running - in 17th place. Several teams made driver changes for the first practice session. Nico Hülkenberg substituted for Adrian Sutil at Force India, while Daniel Ricciardo drove in the place of Jaime Alguersuari at Scuderia Toro Rosso. Karun Chandhok took part once again, replacing Heikki Kovalainen at Lotus. The second session was held in drying conditions, where Button was marginally quickest ahead of Rosberg, the only drivers to record a sub-1:27 lap time. After sitting out the first session save for an exploratory lap, Hamilton ran 31 laps in the second session and finished third ahead of Schumacher and Mark Webber, who ran mainly long-distance stints during the session. Morning pacesetter Alonso was eleventh after a hydraulic problem limited track running, while on track, he had a spin at Turn 6. Pastor Maldonado crashed his Williams into the barrier, having run wide on the exit of Turn 8, and spun out on a damp patch. Virgin Racing's Jérôme d'Ambrosio later received a five-place grid penalty for ignoring yellow flags in the area of Maldonado's accident. Alonso 11th time, Massa 6th. It is certainly not the Friday they had in mind at Ferrari when, after the pain of the first three races they promised a turnaround in Turkey. Of the three new parts studied at Maranello in the hours of mad and desperate work following the disastrous debut, only one worked. Explaining this, at the end of the day, is a terse statement issued by Pat Fry, the head of the track engineers:
"Some of the new solutions, like the rear wing, gave good results right away while others, I'm thinking of the bottom and 'front wing, still need to be carefully evaluated".
To this, it must be added that for the umpteenth time, Alonso's car had reliability problems despite the fact that reliability was for months the only boasted virtue on the 150th Italy's account. Hydraulic problems, it seems. Which forced the car to run, once again (as in Malaysia) much less than expected, on a day, Friday, that Fry himself had called strategic for the comeback. The disappointment is palpable. Says Fernando Alonso.
"In the two sessions we had two different situations. Wet and dry: by now Friday serves as a test to try new components that maybe then are not even used in the race. As for the spin I did it because of a too optimistic wing activation and when I stopped maybe there was an electrical problem, but we are checking. Mercedes and McLaren closer to Red Bull? Mercedes seems fast, I think Red Bull on Friday hides its cards. But in competition I don't think we will be very far away. Tomorrow will be exciting".
And Felipe Massa is also less confident:
"Mercedes is the one that has made the best step forward, so have we, but I don't think like them. We are trying to improve the car, for now there are others that are going a little bit stronger".
Mercedes for example seems to have moved significantly closer to the leading McLaren-Red Bull pair, with the Brits in particular appearing very very fast (Button set the fastest time). Red Bull, on the other hand, had a difficult day: Vettel in the morning crashed into the wall at the fateful Turn 8, the most famous if not the most difficult corner in the championship, and thus could not continue to run.
On the political front to be recorded is the split of the teams within FOTA. The news of the planned meeting of the main teams (Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, and Red Bull) in Stuttgart to discuss Ecclestone's F1 climbdown announced by the Murdoch-Elkann group angered all the other teams. Warns Eric Boulier, team principal of Lotus Renault and FOTA vice president:
"The meeting? A lot depends on how it will be done and what will be said. In theory, such an initiative could undermine the unity of the teams".
And team unity is crucial, in F1, for the future, but also for the present. Modernizing Formula 1 by eliminating the shadow of Bernie Ecclestone. The implication is clear in the words of John Elkann who, on the sidelines of the start of the Fight for pink, a VIP pedaling race that anticipates the start of the Giro d'Italia, talks about Exor's possible entry into the Circus in agreement with Rupert Murdoch's Sky News. The financial number one reassures everyone.
"The intentions are to participate and give stability to the sport. We are at a very preliminary stage, seeing if the conditions are there to do something. As always, you have to think about evolution: we think there are opportunities, but we are still in an exploration phase. Let's see if there are conditions to move forward. I am not aware of any meeting in Germany between the top Formula 1 teams. There is maximum transparency: it can't not be of interest to those involved in motorsport to enter this world".
On Saturday, May 7, 2011, the third session saw the top four places taken by the Red Bull Racing and Mercedes cars; Vettel finishing as the fastest driver ahead of Schumacher by 0.001 seconds. Webber was almost four tenths adrift in third, just edging out Rosberg in fourth, after recovering from a high-speed spin at Turn 8 during the session, while McLaren wound up fifth and sixth with Button getting the better of Hamilton. A few hours later, in qualifying, the first session started with Kamui Kobayashi having a mechanical fault on his first flying lap, meaning that he was unable to post a qualifying time, but the race stewards ultimately decided to allow him to take part in the race. By the end of the session, both Lotuses were eliminated, with Heikki Kovalainen ending the session half a second behind Rubens Barrichello's Williams, who had been 17th. D'Ambrosio outqualified his teammate Glock on-track but with his grid penalty, he would start the race from last place. Vitantonio Liuzzi also outqualified Glock, with Narain Karthikeyan recording the slowest time, 1.7 seconds within the 107% benchmark. The second session saw Vettel return to the top of the timesheets, recording the first instance of a sub-1:26 lap time all weekend. Rosberg also broke into the 1:25s as he ended the second part in second place ahead of Hamilton and Webber. A late lap from Nick Heidfeld saw him qualify for the final session at the expense of Rubens Barrichello.
Adrian Sutil outqualified his Force India teammate Paul di Resta as they ended the session in twelfth and thirteenth places, with di Resta escaping a penalty for missing the weighbridge. Maldonado and Sergio Pérez were next on the grid ahead of the Toro Rosso pair, with Sébastien Buemi getting the better of Jaime Alguersuari by three tenths. The third period saw the Red Bull cars only attempt a single run at the start of the session, in order to save tyres for the race, with Vettel ending the session over four tenths of a second clear from Webber; it was Vettel's fifth consecutive pole, the first driver to record five in succession since Fernando Alonso did so in 2006. Rosberg finished third, moving ahead of Lewis Hamilton on his final run, with Alonso in fifth having not improved on his first run time. Jenson Button qualified in sixth place for McLaren, followed by Vitaly Petrov in the Renault and Schumacher in the second Mercedes in eighth. Heidfeld and Felipe Massa completed the top ten, with Massa failing to record a time, abandoning his only run in Q3 due to a mistake and elected to save tyres for the race. We are now in the fourth round of the Formula One World Championship and just as many fifth-place finishers in qualifying for Fernando Alonso, who appears more optimistic, however, after practice for the Turkish Grand Prix:
"I'm still fifth and that was the best we could get, we took a step forward, the single-seater went better. We are going in the right direction, Red Bull is still there in front but the gap has decreased. We've grown but that's also true for the others, like Mercedes-I thought Schumacher and Button could do better than me in this qualifying, we hope to make another leap forward in Barcelona. The podium? It remains a hope and a goal, if we don't hit it already here in Turkey, we will still try to bring home as many points as possible".
It is almost mocking, however, the attitude of Sebastian Vettel: the German, reigning World Champion and World Championship leader, ended his own qualifying early and followed from the pits the rivals' last attempts to undermine him from the pole.
"It was nice to be able to stay on the last lap in the pits and save tires, I found it funny and amusing to follow the decisive lap of the others. We did a great result, and I apologize to the mechanics for yesterday's mistake.Today, on the other hand, I was comfortable in the car and went fast right away".
The one who could not spare the tires was Mark Webber. However, the Australian took second place on the grid, completing an all-Red Bull front row:
"The race will be very long, it will be crucial to take advantage of the strategy we chose today. In the end we are first and second, so the team did a great job, we are in the best position. Unlike Sebastian, I had to use the tires all the way but I am happy, tomorrow we will see".
Nico Rosberg can only be satisfied as his Mercedes moves closer and closer to the positions that count and on Sunday he will start from third place on the grid:
"I am very happy and that goes for the whole team. We did well, the start was difficult and we are slowly getting closer to the positions we are aiming for. Today the car was okay, qualifying went well and I even managed to save a set of soft tires for the race, so that's good".
Moving away from the top positions, Felipe Massa has to be content with tenth place, moreover achieved without setting a useful time in the last phase of official practice:
"Better to lose a lap but save tires. My starting position would not have changed much, it was better to lift off. Starting from tenth position portends a not easy race and the opponents, with McLaren and Mercedes, are many. We are still trying to pick up points. The rain? If it helps, let it rain".
Fernando Alonso sets the fifth fastest time and says he has glimpsed a little light at the end of the tunnel. Nothing dazzling, for goodness sake, but a flickering light that is. Everyone else, at the end of the Ferrari tunnel, squinting because of the pitch blackness, sees different things: for example, the two Red Bull Racing drivers set the first and second times with chilling ease, and then five minutes before the end of qualifying, when that is when Q3 usually comes into focus, lift their foot off the accelerator and back into the pits, get out of the cars, hand their helmets to the mechanics, and sit in front of the TV, quietly, with their girlfriends, watching the end of qualifying. They are followed by Nico Rosberg, third, and Lewis Hamilton, fourth. That is, one Mercedes and one McLaren. And this is the second relevant figure for Ferrari. Which, with the arrival of Mercedes in the leading group, finds itself playing the role of the fourth force. So, it will be said, how does Alonso see his little light?
"We are behind but we have moved closer to the Red Bulls (the abundant second in the last few races has turned into eight tenths, ed.) and above all we have started to move in the right direction".
The problem is that on the same direction, for much longer though, others have been moving as well. In Istanbul, perhaps also to calm the environment a bit, technical director Aldo Costa makes it clear that he has the utmost confidence in the working group present in Maranello:
"A winning group that after so many years of doing the same things over and over again has perhaps lost that impetus towards the idea, that tendency towards 'innovation that is fundamental and that we need to recover. That is why we are going to make some internal changes, no severed heads, for goodness sake, just a redistribution of tasks".
One of these is the upgrading of the wind tunnel, which apparently will not be efficient until September. While waiting for a miracle in the race, Ferrari finds itself under attack on the political level as well. Bernie Ecclestone - in these hours intent on fending off the attack by the Murdoch-Elkann group - makes a reference, albeit a vague one, to the conflict of interest that would arise within Fiat should Exor purchase the circus. Then, just to make sure he doesn't miss a couple of sentences of his own, he explains what he thinks of the teams that want to enter F1 ownership:
"I often go to the restaurant, in London. That's not why I then have to become a partner in the restaurant".
Continuing the restaurant metaphor, the British manager finally discourages the teams from using the consortium's move to negotiate the contract that binds them to his company that has the agreements with the circuits:
"With the suits and the trucks and the cars, they would look stupid if they had nowhere to go to race. It's like if I go to a restaurant and nobody serves me food".
On Sunday, May 8, 2011, at the start of the Turkish Grand Prix Sebastian Vettel maintains the first position, followed by Nico Rosberg who overtakes Mark Webber. Hamilton also tries but ends up wide on the dirt and gives up two positions, finishing behind Button. Behind the Australian in third is Fernando Alonso. Timo Glock does not start for because of a gearbox problem. In the early laps both Pérez and Schumacher are forced to return to the pits to make repairs. On lap 5 Webber passes Rosberg and then begins a battle with Alonso, which ends with him overtaking the Spanish driver; Lewis Hamilton passes Jenson Button instead, but after just one lap the latter regains his position. Hamilton is also passed by Felipe Massa, just before both return to the pits to make the tire change. On exiting the pits the two come close to contact, with the Briton again overtaking Felipe Massa. After the first series of pit stops, it is still Sebastian Vettel who leads the race in first position, ahead of Mark Webber, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, who has also passed Nico Rosberg, Felipe Massa and Jenson Button, the last to stop and determined to make one less stop. Massa passed Rosberg, but the German quickly recovered his position When Felipe Massa pits to make his fourth stop, a left-rear tire insertion problem causes him to lose additional time. While maintaining a good pace, on lap 48 Sebastian Vettel decides to pit to make his fourth stop, then re-enters the track with a 6-second lead over Fernando Alonso. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton passes Jenson Button, the latter being in trouble. On lap 51 Mark Webber passes Fernando Alonso and moves up to second place. In the final laps Nico Rosberg, the only one on Soft tires on the track, passes Jenson Button and climbs to fifth place.
Sebastian Vettel wins, for the 13th time in his career, followed by Mark Webber, second, and Fernando Alonso, third. Nothing to do: Sebastian Vettel does not abdicate and continues to dominate far and wide, winning the Turkish Grand Prix as well, dominated from the first to the last corner. As if that were not enough behind him is Mark Webber, bringing Red Bull Racing a nice one-two that says a lot about the potential of a car still orphaned by Kers. Closing in the top ten are Lewis Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes), Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), Jenson Button (McLaren-Mercedes), Nick Heidfeld (Lotus Renault), Vitalij Petrov (Lotus-Renault), Sebastien Buemi (Scuderia Toro Rosso) and Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber). Only 11th is the Ferrari of Brazilian Felipe Massa. But the news of the day is behind the terrible Vettel-Webber pair: the third position of Alonso, which testifies to how competitive Ferrari really is in the race. In fact, the Spaniard was even second for a long time, only to have to surrender in the last laps to the superiority of Red Bull Racing. So a third position obtained without gifts, without external help: Alonso was always going strong, with a race always on the attack, including a nice overtake against Webber. In any case, after a few races, it is always incorrect to talk about mortgaging the world title, but the fact remains that Vettel already has 93 points in the standings, compared to Hamilton's 59. With his third win of the season, the German Red Bull Racing driver already seems uncatchable. Otherwise, the Turkish Grand Prix will go down in history as the race of pit stops: there were about 80 of them. A frenzy in the pits and super work for the mechanics. But a delirium also for the poor spectators who - obviously unaware of the different race strategies - had a hard time following the race.
"We had a pretty even race, I got a good start and created some gap in the first stint which was important for the rest of the race".
This is how Sebastian Vettel comments on his success in the Turkish Grand Prix, which saw him dominate the race from the early stages. The German Red Bull driver admits:
"Having had that cushion, those 4-5 seconds on those who were chasing me made my life easier, also from the point of view of the strategies to choose".
And to think that the weekend in Istanbul had not started well.
"I missed it a little bit on Friday, when I had the accident and destroyed the car. But the mechanics, including Webber's, managed to get the car right, I know it was extra hours of work for them and I apologize for that, but this great result came and I thank the team".
Vettel also managed the tires well.
"It was not easy to see how long they would last but I was always in control".
Assures the reigning World Champion, who speaks of:
"A very important step forward from China, we have to continue like this in the next races".
And Mark Webber thanks the tires:
"The start was definitely not easy, I was on the wrong side of the track and was a bit behind. Vettel created some gap, I tried to catch up and I managed to do it faster than I expected".
The Australian, once again, was the author of a great comeback. After initial difficulties, the red Bull Racing driver finished in second place, behind teammate Vettel. The Australian was the protagonist of a good duel with Alonso.
"I fought with Fernando, he had a great way of driving. It was a good fight and in the end the tires made the difference. I had a fresher set of tires, got closer and was able to pass him".
The flurry of hope glimpsed by Fernando Alonso on Saturday night after qualifying spread out over the blinding Bosphorus, just as suddenly. After 58 breathless, perfect laps, the Spaniard ends up on the podium for the first time this season, third, and finally a half-smile peeks out under his red cap. Only half a smile, though, since on the other two steps, the ones higher up, there are the two Red Bull Racing's uncatchables, on their first one-two of 2011, and especially since the overall standings after today become dramatic, with Vettel now 52 points behind, more than two wins, an enormity after just four races. These days, though, it's good to be content.
"We realized our potential and reached the podium, then we will do even better - more news will come in Barcelona, I am very confident. I am happy with the result it was a good weekend, the car was a little better than the first three races, we were able to compete for the podium. I lost some time with Rosberg at the beginning and there was no chance to fight for first place. I focused on second, I had a little bit of an advantage as far as tire degradation and I passed Mark, then in the last part the opposite happened, I was at a disadvantage and I took back the position. It's okay, these days fighting with Red Bull is difficult, we will try again".
The race is soon told: the Red Bull is on another planet, untouchable; the Ferrari came closer to it than expected, nominating itself as the technical mystery of 2011, unwatchable in qualifying and fast in the race; while both Mercedes and McLaren seem lost, drowned in an ocean of doubts and uncertainties, probably because of the very innovations that should have turned them around. So also aided by the 'enormous general confusion caused by the Pirelli tires-which, it is now understood, are one different from the other, and you never know which one you get-helped by the Pirelli, it was said, Fernando Alonso manages after a few laps to place his car in second place, right between the two Red Bulls. Massa, too, seems to be having a good day, and in fact he spends the entire initial phase of the race more or less around his teammate, following him at the same pace. But then, right at the best of times, he is practically boycotted by his mechanics, who make three consecutive tire changes in the pits. He will finish ingloriously 11th, the Brazilian. But this time it is not all his fault. Alonso on the other hand, having lost Vettel already from the first laps, stoically holds out in second position, fiddling like a desperate man with the kers and with the mobile rear wing, until almost the end of the race, when the tires abandoned him for good and forced him to give way to Webber. The overtaking is neither the merit nor the fault of either driver, one had an extra set of tires than 'the other because he had saved it the day before and this made the difference. Once in front, the Australian, who had struggled throughout the race, finally finds a pace commensurate with the prestige of the blue missile he has at his disposal, and closes the matter by applauding his younger teammate on the podium. Who now struggles more to find credible words to shield himself from the verbal excesses of his and his single-seater's admirers than to win races. Laughs Sebastian Vettel:
"Me unbeatable? The time you think that is the time they beat you".
Who does not laugh at all, however, when he addresses, at the request of reporters, the thorny subject of Pirelli tires. Speaking ill of sponsors and suppliers is one of those activities that are particularly ill-advised in Formula 1. But it is undeniable that slowly, in the Circus, they are moving from 'initial indulgence towards the Italian company to a subtle, creeping intolerance.
"So we understand little, and those at home will understand nothing".
Yesterday there were four pit stops per car, eight per team, for a total of 82 pit stops. A frenzy. Shaking his head Stefano Domenicali:
"At the end there are also starting to be safety issues. We had asked for a few more pit stops, but maybe this is a bit too much".
Calm and chalk. The snooker player's motto with which Stefano Domenicali managed the most delicate moments of last season returns in Istanbul, where Ferrari looked like a sacrificial victim and instead surprised everyone with an authoritative race pace and a more than deserved podium. Says Domenicali:
"We took only one step in the right direction. Nothing more. Now we have to improve again".
What is the significance of this result?
"We had already seen it in the other races: in qualifying we struggle a lot, but in the race the pace is absolutely not bad. Today especially with the softs we were keeping the pace of the Red Bulls. The difference was made with the hard, they were able to make better use of the set they had saved during qualifying".
And so we come to the sore point.
"Yeah, it is crucial for us to take a step forward on pure performance, the one that determines the fight for pole. We have to try to be more competitive on Saturday. When you start from the back then you find yourself in traffic, and you consume tires to try to get ahead, you use them to attack and then you pay the bill when you have to manage the race".
How were you able to take this step forward? And how do you plan to do the next one, in Spain?
"Well, I wouldn't want to give advantages to the opponents. From what we got our advantages, I don't want to say. As far as qualifying is concerned, we have to make better use of the exhausts (Ferrari will apparently already bring a new bottom and new exhausts to Barcelona, ed.)".
Many mistakes were made in the pits. Especially to Massa's detriment.
"We have to improve from this point of view as well. Because every mistake then has an impact on the race, the driver goes backwards and is forced to struggle to get back up, with all that entails, especially on the 'use of tires. But I don't want to make dramas either, because with all these stops having problems is normal, and it will happen to everyone".
Aldo Costa, the technical director, announced internal changes. What are they?
"What we do inside the stable we keep to ourselves. Having said that, the area we need to improve on is aerodynamics, without neglecting the rest. Anything that can be done to make our people's work more effective and creative we will do".