The sixth place at the Monaco Grand Prix, after a comeback starting from the pit lane, revives the ambitions of Fernando Alonso and Ferrari. The difficulties of the early season seem to be a distant memory; the car performs well in the race, less so in qualifying, but the Spaniard remains undeterred and promises a fight. With over ten Grand Prix races still to be contested and only a 3-point gap to the first position in the Drivers' World Championship, it is clear that believing in success is a must.
"On Sunday, I experienced great satisfaction. We were aware that if we wanted to get into the points, everything had to be perfect: car, strategy, overtakes, tires. And it was. The first laps were very intense, with six overtakes, and then I had to try to capitalize on the strategy, waiting for the pit stops of others. From lap 28, I found myself in sixth place, and from that point on, I mainly focused on managing the car and tires: we had finished assembling the car just a few hours before, and finishing such a tough race without the slightest problem shows how skilled the guys were. In the end, there was the incident with Michael: from the pits, I had been informed that, with the race neutralized on the last lap, overtakes were not allowed, so I was calm, as the Stewards later confirmed".
The Spaniard confesses, reflecting on the initial difficulties of not having participated in the official practice:
"It was a bittersweet Monaco Grand Prix for me. Clearly, the points balance is negative, especially because we had everything in place to fight for the victory. We came from the Barcelona weekend, where we didn't have the pace to win, while on the Monaco track, where aerodynamics are less critical, we were more competitive. When you have an easy-to-drive car - and the F10 is, as Felipe and I immediately noticed, since the first test in Valencia - you gain confidence quickly, which is crucial on a track like that. Then, on Saturday morning, what you all know happened, and the sixth place achieved on Sunday took on a very different flavor: this result should make the team proud for everything they did in such difficult circumstances".
And he continues, saying:
"I had never experienced not being able to participate in qualifying. It's one thing to go out in the early stages due to a mistake or technical problem; it's another to know that you are condemned to watch the monitors from the beginning. It was truly cruel, but I believe that this episode has made us even stronger as a group: it is in moments like these that you see great men, and the whole team was extraordinary. Now we have to roll up our sleeves to push even harder on the car's development: there is still performance to recover, but we are in the midst of the fight, and we don't want to leave anything to chance to achieve our goals".
Luca Montezemolo, president of Ferrari, present at the press conference for the charity football match to be held at the Modena stadium on May 25, 2010, between the national singers and the Telethon-Ferrari team, talks about Formula 1.
"At times, I miss Schumacher. We lived wonderful years together: the German gave a lot to Ferrari, but he also received a lot. I have to say that it's my fault that he got the desire to race in Formula 1 again".
The Ferrari president speaks thus of Schumacher, confessing to occasionally feeling nostalgic about him.
"A few days ago, I wanted to call him to ask him to play for our football team. But since the team bears the name of Ferrari, I preferred to avoid it".
Then, Montezemolo speaks proudly of his team:
"This week, we will celebrate the 800th Grand Prix in Formula 1 and the sixty years of Ferrari's presence in the Grand Prix. The only team that can boast this record. Last week, Alonso achieved an incredible feat starting from the last position and finishing sixth. Red Bull is not unreachable; we are second in the constructors' and drivers' standings".
Sixty years of Ferrari in Formula 1, 800 Grands Prix: in Istanbul, Ferrari reaches a significant milestone, and Luca Montezemolo dreams of celebrating with a victory.
"We will try to win; that is the most important thing. We take great pride and great responsibility".
The president of Ferrari pays tribute to those working in Maranello.
"The secret to these 800 Grands Prix lies in the history of extraordinary people working in the factory and on the track: technicians and mechanics to whom I extend my heartfelt thanks. Having lived through almost half of these 800 Grands Prix as president makes me proud".
Continuity is the main point emphasized by Montezemolo.
"It remains the pride of a company that has been present in Formula 1 since the first Grand Prix in 1950 until today, even in difficult times, even when many withdrew. We have never given up and have always hit the track with our red car".
The fourth-place finish in Monte Carlo has revived Felipe Massa's ambitions. After a not particularly exciting start to the season, the Brazilian has found the right feeling with the car. In Turkey, for the seventh round of the World Championship, he is called upon to confirm his recent performances. The Turkish circuit has historically been favorable to the Brazilian, where he has already won three times, securing three pole positions.
"Surely, it's a very special Grand Prix for me because out of the five times we raced there, I won three times. A great satisfaction. Winning three times gives you more motivation to go there with joy. This is one of the circuits where I like driving the most. It was my first victory, so it's very special to me. I remember everything: the practice, the qualifying, the start of the race, halfway through the race, the end of the race. It was a very difficult race because Michael (Schumacher) was fighting with Fernando (Alonso) for the title, and I was there in front. It was a special, beautiful victory. I've won more times, not just in Turkey, but it was a first victory that made me grow a lot".
The Istanbul circuit is also known for the difficulty of turn 8.
"The truth is, it's not just one turn but four very fast turns, one after the other. Where the lateral G-force is higher than all other circuits, maybe it's 5 lateral Gs. A very strong force, where you don't take it at full throttle, but you have to lift the pedal a bit and put the car a bit sideways".
Speaking of the upcoming race, Felipe is quite confident.
"We can be competitive, but we have to bring a car that makes everything work, including the tires to perform well enough. It's a track I like, and if everything goes well, I hope to make a good impression".
The Turkish Grand Prix will also mark the 800th race in which a Ferrari participates in Formula 1.
"I'm certainly very small within these 800 races, but I'm part of Ferrari's history. It's great happiness to be part of this history, the history of sports, cars, and F1. I've also won a few races in these 800 Grands Prix, and it's a great pleasure, and it makes you want to go to Turkey and try to win to commemorate this record for all our fans, to show what Ferrari represents in sports".
On the occasion of the Turkish Grand Prix, the 800th in Ferrari's history, President Luca Cordero di Montezemolo addresses a letter to all the drivers who have driven the Maranello car at least once in history.
"Dear Friends, this weekend marks an important anniversary in Ferrari's history. In Turkey, the Scuderia will compete in Grand Prix number 800 in 61 years of participation in the Formula 1 World Championship. No team can boast such a long tradition; no team has such a rich record: 15 Drivers' titles, 16 Constructors', 211 victories, 203 pole positions, and 221 fastest laps in the race. Each of you has written a more or less long chapter in this beautiful story, and, on behalf of all of Ferrari and its fans, I wanted to thank you for this. It is a source of great pride for me to lead a company like Ferrari, and today I want to share with you the joy of reaching this extraordinary milestone. It is nice to be able to look back and see what we have done together, knowing that we are part of a continuing and unparalleled history".
Ferrari unchanged for 2011: Stefano Domenicali confirms Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa as the driver pair for the upcoming World Championship.
"We are a team, and the team must do its best with the car and the drivers with their performances. The inclusion of Alonso satisfies me; he has adapted very well and has provided important input".
Furthermore, the Ferrari team principal praises the qualities of the Spanish driver.
"There is no hurry; we wait patiently until the end of the season. He will be very strong from now until the conclusion".
But Felipe Massa is not overlooked, with a predicted comeback for him.
"He likes Istanbul a lot; so far, he has struggled with hard tires, and this is where we need to work with him. It is easy to criticize a driver when things are not going well; we just need to ensure the best possible package for him".
Therefore, Felipe Massa will remain with Ferrari for at least another year. The announcement comes from Stefano Domenicali in person. The contract is not yet signed, but the mutual desire to continue is there. The problem at this point is: continue to do what? The second driver? The Barrichello of the future? Or the protagonist? The answer - assuming both solutions could work for Ferrari - is entirely in the hands of the Brazilian driver who, if he wants a chance at a rebirth, must start performing well from here, from Istanbul, where the track should favor his Ferrari, and historically, the Brazilian driver performs well (having won three times). Going strong for Massa in this case necessarily means outperforming Alonso.
The Spaniard enjoys the relatively positive moment, celebrating Ferrari's 800 Grand Prix and having a distant dispute with Lucas Di Grassi, the young driver from Virgin who fought like a lion in Monte Carlo to hold his position (unlike others, for example, Jarno Trulli, who stepped aside at the first opportunity). Di Grassi explains that he would do everything he did again and was surprised when he saw the Spanish driver's upset reaction on TV:
"My task is to get as far ahead as possible and, if attacked, fight to maintain my position".
While Fernando Alonso says:
"There is nothing strange; it's not a matter of sportsmanship or kindness, it's just a matter of intelligence, knowing when it's time to do certain things and when not".
Tire chapter: after a long negotiation, the return of the Italian Pirelli as the sole supplier for F1 from 2011 is now certain. It's a nice comeback, missing since 1991 (203 races contested, 44 won since 1950). The most romantic stage of the Circus, the one on the evocative Bosphorus, proves fatal to the most beautiful couple in Formula 1, Jenson Button and Jessica Michibata: the two - as confirmed by the world champion's spokesperson - have split. The most awaited news by fans (especially Michibata's) comes suddenly, unexpectedly, and, in its own way, disruptive. Because Jenson and Jessica, besides being likable to everyone here in the paddock, also got along very well and, until recently, never missed an opportunity to show themselves happy and in love in public, as happened that evening at Donovans - Melbourne's most romantic fish restaurant - when, after the success, Jenson enjoyed posing for souvenir photos with the beautiful companion and Italian journalists. It seems like yesterday. And yet it's not yesterday. Because yesterday (Thursday, May 27, 2010) was the day of the painful farewell: The English driver would have told a friend:
"Those have been beautiful months, and things seemed to be going in the right direction when distance consumed the relationship".
She lives in Tokyo, while he travels around the world in a car that reaches 300 km/h. The decision, in short, would have been made by Jenson. He had communicated it to his (now ex) partner about a week before. She, truth be told, wasn't entirely in agreement. After all, it could be managed. It just required a bit of effort. The splendid model had never lacked commitment; she had followed her partner everywhere in the early stages of the World Championship and would have gladly continued, even in the face of Button's complete lack of commitment, who had never once visited Tokyo. But the decision had been made. Michibata could go back to her lingerie fashion shows around the world, and Jenson to his races and playboy fame. On Friday, May 28, 2010, the first morning session took place on a dusty track scattered with debris, and several drivers spun off the track. Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time of the first session at 1 minute and 28.653 seconds; his late lap was almost one second quicker than teammate Button. The two Mercedes drivers were third and fourth quickest; Michael Schumacher ahead of Nico Rosberg. Vettel and Webber set the fifth and eighth fastest times respectively for Red Bull; they were separated by the Renault duo of Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov. Alonso and Adrian Sutil rounded out the top ten. The session was disrupted with two minutes to go when Sutil ran wide at turn eight, causing him to spin backward and crash into a barrier, breaking his front wing and both front tires. The session was ended early due to limited time running. In the second practice session that afternoon, Button set the quickest lap of the day, a 1’28”280, which was nearly one-tenth of a second quicker than Webber. Vettel was the third fastest, followed by Hamilton and Alonso in fourth and fifth. Both Mercedes cars were slower in the session, with Rosberg sixth and Schumacher seventh. Kubica, Petrov, and Massa followed in the top ten. Webber stopped outside the exit of turn two with an engine failure and engaged in an argument with marshals on preventing the car from moving backward.
Several teams made modifications to their cars in preparation for the event. Red Bull introduced a revised version of its RB6 chassis for Vettel, as his previous monocoque had a small defect that created handling difficulties in Monaco. The team tested a version of McLaren's F-duct system (which increases the top speed of a car) during the Friday practice sessions but removed it for qualifying and the race because both of McLaren's drivers found the device difficult to operate. Ferrari modified their F-duct system so that their drivers could operate the system using their left leg. Mercedes arrived at the circuit by reverting to a previous specification of suspension and introduced a longer wheelbase on both their cars as well as a new version of their F-duct system. Williams decided to revert to an old specification of their front wing following accidents involving their drivers in Monaco, though the team brought new brake ducts. Lotus debuted a new rear wing specification that improved the forward balance of their chassis. Virgin managed to procure a longer-wheelbase version of the VR-01 for Lucas di Grassi after the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull prevented them from having two cars prepared in time for the previous race. In the spectral silence of the Istanbul circuit, probably the most colossal monument to futility produced by Western society, under the plastic gaze of empty seats, Formula 1 offers another replay of the usual spectacle: the Red Bull going fast, and everyone else chasing, displaying to the world and themselves their assorted cabarets of ambitions, hopes, and illusions. They go so much faster, the two blue cars, that they even allow themselves the luxury of not setting the fastest time in the free practice day, limiting themselves to second (Webber) and third (Vettel).
"Those two have hidden themselves".
Alonso grumbles in the evening with the face of someone who has just discovered the trick. And so, the scene in Istanbul is apparently all for the chasers. And in particular for McLaren. With a Jenson Button not at all shocked by the end of his relationship with the thong queen Jessica Michibata - the photographers were more shocked, now having to go back to focusing on car bodies, diffusers, and various exhausts - he set the fastest time.
"But McLaren is always first on Fridays".
Fernando Alonso concludes. Beyond the Spanish affection, it must be said, however, that this time McLaren has convinced a bit more than usual. At least for a kind of suggestion. For Istanbul, everyone, from Red Bull to Ferrari to Mercedes, scrambled to install the famous F-duct, the device (a wing activated by body movement) copied directly from McLaren. It seems particularly useful here. And, having the English team possess the original and most efficient prototype, one is almost automatically led to think that it goes faster than usual. On Saturday, when, because of the stopwatch, playing hide-and-seek will no longer be possible, we will understand how much faster. Ferrari also gives the impression of being competitive:
"Comparing to Spain, I believe the situation has improved somewhat. That being said, it would be a surprise if Red Bull were not leading the pack. We are behind them, along with McLaren".
Summarizes Alonso, giving the impression of wanting to keep a low profile. Despite the timing, Ferrari seems to be on par with its rivals. The car is sufficiently fast, trailing Jenson Button by less than 0.5 seconds. Such a gap on a Friday, when true performance is concealed behind teams' experiments, is not a cause for concern. From a performance perspective, the team may have gained some advantage, not so much from the reintroduction of the blown wing (the Italian version of McLaren's F-duct, which had caused more trouble than benefit in Barcelona) updated and corrected after a month of work in Maranello, but rather from a new version of the rear diffuser. This update, intended to remain a secret according to Maranello's plans, was inadvertently made public in a rather dramatic fashion.
On Thursday evening, while showcasing the splendor of the celebratory logo for the 800 Grand Prix to international photographers, someone forgot to properly cover the rear end, exposing the piece to the harsh flashes of the Spanish sports newspaper As. However, McLaren made a more significant impression than Ferrari. Its original F-duct, the current trend in F1, seemed particularly efficient on this track. The two English drivers (noteworthy are Button's first time and Hamilton's fourth) appeared dangerously comfortable, as did Rosberg and Schumacher, although the two Germans, among the top four teams, seem to have fewer chances. On Saturday, May 29, 2010, in the final practice session, Vettel was fastest with a time of 1'27"086. This made him three tenths of a second faster than Rosberg in second place. Hamilton set the third quickest lap despite spinning sideways into the turn eight gravel trap. He was ahead of Webber who was afflicted with a throttle problem. Kubica, Alonso, Schumacher, Button, Massa and Petrov completed the top ten ahead of qualifying. A few hours later, the qualifying session was held in dry weather conditions. Webber set the fastest time in the final session, and took his third successive pole position with a lap of 1'26"295. He was joined on the grid's front row by Hamilton, who recorded a lap time 0.148 seconds slower. Vettel set the fastest times in the first two sessions, though mistakes on his first two runs due to a roll-bar failure in the final session prevented him from recording a faster lap. He dropped to third overall in the final session. A car setup error caused Button to run too low to the ground through turn eight and was restricted to fourth. Schumacher qualified in fifth and was happy with his starting position despite spinning at turn eight on his final qualifying lap.
Rosberg qualified sixth and despite wanting to start higher up the field, he was confident about his race chances. Kubica had problems when running the soft compound tyre, managing seventh, but was happy with his lap in the final session. He was ahead of Massa in the faster of the two Ferrari cars. Petrov secured ninth in the slower Renault car. Kobayashi rounded out the top ten fastest qualifiers. Sutil was the fastest driver not to advance into the final session in eleventh; his best time of 1'27"525 was eight tenths of a second slower than Vettel's pace in the second session. Alonso recorded the twelfth fastest time and could not secure a position in the final session as his car touched a white line under braking on the circuit, causing his car to slide. Nevertheless, Alonso thought that the error did not cost him time. He was followed by Pedro de la Rosa in the other Sauber car in 13th, who in turn, was ahead of Sébastien Buemi for Toro Rosso and Williams driver Rubens Barrichello. This formation continued on the eighth row of the grid, which was occupied by Jaime Alguersuari in the second Toro Rosso and Nico Hülkenberg in the other Williams. Vitantonio Liuzzi failed to progress beyond the first session; the Force India driver qualified in 18th. The Lotus cars of Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli lined up in 19th and 20th respectively. Timo Glock and Bruno Senna lined up on the eleventh row of the grid, with their teammates Lucas di Grassi and Karun Chandhok qualifying at the rear of the field. The shadow of the crisis is immediately recognizable. It is identified by that nervous attitude, impatience towards questions, deafness to criticism, and a readiness to shift blame, which, for example, characterized the key moments of Luca Badoer's stint as a pilot last year when he was called in to replace Felipe Massa after the Budapest accident.
"Is it my fault? Certainly not".
This same attitude can be observed by stepping into the Ferrari motorhome. Seated, besieged by incredulous reporters due to the poor performance, there is an annoyed Fernando Alonso who utters these words:
"Is it my fault? Certainly not! I did my best".
However, unlike Luca Badoer, Fernando Alonso goes further, attributing specific responsibilities to the team, particularly to the development strategy of the car.
"I found myself in a peculiar moment of the season. For four Grand Prix races - China, Barcelona, Monaco, and Turkey - we did not develop the car, and in these two months, Mercedes, Renault, and McLaren took advantage to surpass us. Now we are the fifth force in the championship".
Behind even Mercedes, behind Renault as well. But the worst part is the outlook: with the upcoming developments (expected for Valencia), Ferrari can hope to recover at most 0.3 seconds of the 0.8 seconds that separate them from the top.
"We hope it's enough to at least beat the McLarens and get a bit closer to the Red Bulls".
Getting a bit closer is a very vague concept in F1, unrelated to victory. It sounds like surrender, and it's compounded by Massa's verdict:
"The car is not working. We are not competitive."
In crises, everyone has something to say. And if Alonso is not happy with Ferrari on Saturday night, Ferrari is certainly not happy with Alonso. Stefano Domenicali, the team principal, does everything to convey this thought:
"Today, Felipe did his best. Fernando didn't have a perfect Q2 and stayed out: when the gaps are narrow, it takes very little".
These words make sense on a dark day like Saturday. Precise, unlike the answers everyone in Maranello gives to the key question: what's happening? No one knows. And that's the worst part. The car, starting well, has worsened from race to race, throwing the team into total confusion, which (except for Alonso's brilliant race management in Monaco) has seemed to want to follow the car's descent into hell. Fortunately, there are still thirteen races to go until the end of the season, and in sports, and perhaps in F1, one can never say over the long term. Certainly, the Ferrari season here in Istanbul has changed direction and turned into a pursuit that must start from the eighth and twelfth positions on the starting grid. An immediate comeback is needed, as Domenicali commands, or the incipient crisis will become pronounced, the Red Bulls unbeatable, the revived McLarens will escape beyond the horizon, and the moment of crisis will give way to that of reckoning. On Sunday, May 30, 2010, the Turkish Grand Prix commenced at 3:00 p.m.. The conditions on the grid were warm and sunny before the race; there was an air temperature between 28 °C and 29 °C with a track temperature ranging between 39 °C and 49 °C. Di Grassi changed his engine and began from the pit lane because his team rectified an issue with his engine oil system which was discovered one hour beforehand.
As the five red lights went out to signal the start of the race, Webber maintained his pole position advantage heading into the first corner. Hamilton had wheelspin when he moved out of his starting position and abandoned the use of his second clutch. Vettel made a brisk start to pass Hamilton for second around the inside of turn one but Hamilton reclaimed the position by passing Vettel around the outside at the third corner. Schumacher also made a fast getaway and overtook Button for fourth place but the latter retook the position at turn twelve after slipstreaming in Schumacher's tow on the back straight. De la Rosa ran wide at turn two allowing Buemi to pass him heading into the third turn. However, Buemi went wide allowing Hülkenberg to take advantage of Buemi's error. Buemi attempted to re-pass Hülkenberg around the inside at turn seven but Hülkenberg made contact with Buemi, puncturing the right rear tyre of Buemi's car which forced both drivers to make early pit stops. At the end of the first lap, Webber led Hamilton by 0.4 seconds, who in turn was followed by Vettel, Button, Schumacher, Rosberg, Kubica, Massa, Petrov, Sutil, Kobayashi, Alonso, de la Rosa, Alguersuari, Hülkenberg, Liuzzi, Trulli, Kovalainen, Senna, Barrichello, Glock, Chandhok, di Grassi and Buemi. The first four drivers opened a gap from the rest of the field, as Webber set the fastest lap of the race so far on lap two with a time of 1'33"685.
Hamilton attempted an overtake manoeuvre on Webber heading into turn twelve on lap three but was unable to get close to affect a pass. Alonso passed de la Rosa for twelfth place on the same lap and began to battle Kobayashi for eleventh. Hamilton attempted to pass Webber for a second time at turn twelve on lap four but could not get close enough. This was because Hamilton's car was more effective than Webber's; it allowed Webber to pull away through turn eight but Hamilton could close the gap between himself and Webber in the back straight by employing his car's F-duct. Hülkenberg passed di Grassi and Chandhok in turn eight to move up into 21st place by lap six, while Webber, Hamilton and Vettel traded the fastest lap with Hamilton quickest on the same lap. McLaren became aware of a higher than expected fuel consumption by the tenth lap and they ordered both their drivers to change engine modes for fuel conservation. Kobayashi made a pit stop on lap eleven which released Alonso into clean air; Alonso made his pit stop on the following lap for hard tyres and rejoined ahead of Kobayashi. The next few laps saw a large amount of activity in the pit lane. Vettel made his pit stop from third position on lap 15, and rejoined in front of Rosberg, while Button pushed hard in an attempt to move ahead of Vettel. Hamilton and Webber both made their pit stops on the following lap; Webber emerged in front as Hamilton's pit crew were slow to fit Hamilton's left-rear tyre. Hamilton fell to third place behind Vettel. Button thus inherited the lead but reported to his team via radio that he was losing rear grip in his tyres after pushing hard. He made a pit stop on lap 18 and re-emerged in fourth. Hamilton attempted to pass Vettel around the outside heading into turn 12 on lap 18 but was unable to complete the manoveure after running deep into the corner. By the end of the 19th lap, all of the leading drivers had taken their pit stops. The running order was Webber leading with Vettel, Hamilton and Button in close attendance, then a 15-second gap back to Schumacher, Rosberg and Kubica. Massa in eighth was being caught by Petrov in ninth, and the two were followed by Alonso, Kobayashi, Sutil, de la Rosa, Alguersuari, Liuzzi, Hülkenberg, Kovalainen, Barrichello, Trulli, Glock, Senna, Buemi, di Grassi and Chandhok. The top nine drivers remained in the same positions in which they had qualified, and as the race continued, there was a threat of rain forecast by meteorological service Météo-France which intensified by hot weather and heavy clouds brewing to the west of the circuit.
Trulli pulled off to the side of the track with an hydraulic failure, becoming the first retirement on lap 35. Trulli's teammate Kovalainen retired the lap after with a power steering failure in turn eight which was followed by him not being able to operate his gearbox, clutch and throttle and his car was pushed into the Lotus garage. On lap 39, Webber asked Red Bull to advise Vettel to reduce his speed but his request was rejected due to the quick pace and the close distance between themselves and the McLaren cars. Webber entered fuel-saving mode on lap 40 which lost him performance while Vettel had saved one kilogram of fuel and opted to run on a faster engine setting. Vettel got a run exiting turn eleven and turned left to the inside lane and drew alongside Webber on the back straight. As the pair approached turn twelve, they made contact at high-speed which sent Vettel spinning through 360 degrees twice. Both drivers ended on a run-off area and Vettel almost hit Webber again as Hamilton and Button overtook them. Vettel retired with a punctured right-rear tyre and Webber sustained damage to his front wing endplate. The expected rain only manifested as a very light drizzle on lap 41, as Webber made a pit stop for a replacement front wing two laps later. Hamilton was informed by McLaren to conserve fuel on lap 44 as the drivers drove cautiously through turn one because of the light rain. Senna drove to the pit lane to retire with a fuel pressure issue. Button was instructed to conserve fuel although he was not given a target lap time because the team's chief engineer Phil Prew felt Button would not pass his teammate. Hamilton had been told by his race engineer Andy Latham that Button would not overtake him. McLaren asked both drivers to drive cautiously through turn eight where there was a high risk for problems with their front-right tyres. Button drew alongside teammate Hamilton on lap 48 heading into turn twelve and passed Hamilton (who drove on the inside line) around the outside of the corner. Hamilton reclaimed the lead on the following lap after getting a run on the pit straight and narrowly avoided a collision with Button at turn one. Hamilton began to pull away from teammate Button. Sutil passed Kobayashi around the outside for tenth on lap 52 while Button was ordered to conserve his tyres and fuel on the same lap.
Chandhok became the final retirement of the race when he entered the pit lane with a fuel pump failure on lap 53. Alonso attempted to overtake Petrov around the outside of turn one on lap 54 but was unable to get ahead. Alonso tried again going into turn three and Petrov (who had worn tyres) made an error allowing Alonso to move into eighth. Both drivers made contact and Petrov sustained a punctured tyre. Petrov made a pit stop for soft tyres on lap 56 and emerged in 15th. Hamilton maintained his lead throughout the remainder of the race and took the checkered flag on lap 58 to secure his first win of the season, 2.6 seconds in front of teammate Button. Webber was third, ahead of Schumacher who equalled his best result of the season, having finished fourth at the Spanish Grand Prix as well. Rosberg held off Kubica to take fifth, followed by Massa, Alonso, Sutil and Kobayashi. De la Rosa was close behind teammate Kobayashi in eleventh. Alguersuari, Liuzzi, Barrichello, Petrov, Buemi, Hülkenberg, Glock, di Grassi and Chandhok (despite his mechanical issues) were the final classified finishers. Hamilton's victory made him the fifth different driver in seven races to win a Grand Prix in 2010. The game of exploding partnerships began around lap 40. When Sebastian Vettel, after six and a half Grand Prix races marked (almost) by common sense, decided it was enough and, as if it were a joke, climbed his car over Mark Webber's. At that moment, they were in first (Webber) and second (Vettel) positions.
The failed overtaking condemned Red Bull to a dismal third place, filled with controversies and grumbling, and heralded a slender leadership over the rekindled McLaren driver duo: just 5 points ahead of Jenson Button and 9 ahead of Lewis Hamilton. However, inspired perhaps inadvertently by the scene just witnessed, Button and Hamilton, too, engaged in a duel that left Martin Withmarsh, McLaren's team principal, with noticeably grayer platinum hair. After a closely fought lap and a couple of contacts that miraculously stayed on the track, someone suggested they should stop, calm down, freeze positions, and bring the second seasonal one-two (the first in China) and the points back to Woking. A result that made everyone forget what happened, amidst a celebration of champagne, shocking red commemorative T-shirts, smiles, and souvenir photos with the lovely Nicole Schertzinger (formerly Mrs. Hamilton). Exactly the opposite of what occurred at Red Bull, where the two drivers indulged in the first controversy in the recent Anglo-Austrian team's history. After parking the car on the Turkish gravel, Vettel repeatedly pointed to his right temple, calling Webber crazy. Webber, with a skillful play of silences, did the same shortly after in the press conference. Resolving the issue is not easy for Christian Horner, who first retreats into a diplomatic dual condemnation, then, after a quick investigation, leans more towards Mark Webber: the Australian should have let his teammate pass, as he was running on reserve fuel and forced to go slower, while Sebastian Vettel was at full speed and, above all, was being chased by Lewis Hamilton. Later, Sebastian Vettel tries to downplay the incident that cost Red Bull the victory in the Turkish Grand Prix.
"I'm not happy, but these things can happen in a race".
The young German driver tries to reconstruct the dynamics of the collision:
"I was on the inside, focusing on braking points, and I widened. Then we touched, and I went off".
Nothing more:
"Internal rivalry? It would be silly to think about such things. We have a fast car - he says - we are a good team..."
While Mark Webber explains the incident that probably cost him the victory:
"Sebastian had a slight speed advantage over me, he was alongside, there was contact, everything happened quickly. It's a shame for the team".
In the end, they settled for third place on the podium.
"The McLarens were very strong. Sometimes these things can happen. Did Vettel make me lose the race? He was far behind, and I wouldn't necessarily have won, but it's clear that there were very few meters between us. Would I have won? I think I could have".
Red Bull's team principal, Christian Horner, comments on the incident between his two drivers, saying:
"Unfortunately, the result is that they touched, and it's very disappointing for the team. I'll clearly have to talk to the two drivers, with Sebastian to see what he has to say, although it seemed clear to me. Even Hamilton and Button fought but left each other space. It's not a matter of blame; it's about what we lost as a team. Again, we have to talk to the drivers; it's a shame to lose a one-two and valuable points".
Jenson Button is satisfied with his second place behind teammate Lewis Hamilton, even though at lap 49 of the planned 58 laps, he managed to pass him for a couple of turns before being overtaken again.
"At turn 12, I passed on the outside; we were there, side by side for a while. It was fun, then Lewis passed me at the first turn, and I had to think about saving fuel because the race was faster than expected, and we fought with the Red Bulls, so it was important to save fuel. The four of us were close throughout the race; then I don't know what happened between Mark and Sebastian, but it was good for us. We kept a fast pace throughout the race. It was fun. I have to thank the whole team for their excellent work. They did a fantastic job with car improvement. Now we are close to Red Bull, which wouldn't have been possible three weeks ago".
Reviewing the scene on TV, it must be said that Vettel could have chosen another moment to pass his teammate, and there was no need for such a violent maneuver. But that's how it is. The damage to Red Bull is done, and what remains on the track is just debris, controversies, and a bit of satisfaction for Ferrari (which managed to limit the damage of a horror weekend):
"They said we would have trouble managing Alonso and Massa. Now I just note that others are having difficulties".
Stefano Domenicali smirks, forgetting that Alonso and Massa have fought when there was something to argue about and that if they didn't in Turkey, it's only because they had nothing to fight for, given that Ferrari was nonexistent.
"I fought with Petrov, so we are at the level of Renault. And it's not enough. Today's points are useful. We would have wanted to get more; it's obvious. I was third in the standings; now I'm fourth. In the end, we're still there. We don't have the fastest car, and yet I'm ahead of Vettel by one point. We're not doing that badly".
The Spaniard, who expects improvements already from the Grand Prix scheduled in Montreal, Canada, continues:
"We will have improvements for Canada, and then for Valencia, we will have a richer package. We know that McLaren and Red Bull are far away; we have to work hard because we don't know if the novelties will be enough".
From illusion to nightmare. Eleven weeks to turn the Ferrari world upside down. It's understandable that F1 burns through everything quickly, but 77 days are too few to justify such an evolution, to witness ambitions transformed into whims, dreams into utopias. Alonso's triumph in Bahrain, at the debut, on March 14, 2010. The great hope.
You see, they pat each other on the back at Ferrari; we did well to scrap the 2009 car well in advance, to think about 2010 from the summer onwards. We are happy and unstoppable again. Seventh Massa, eighth Alonso in Turkey, on Sunday, May 30, 2010. The great disaster. Now, no one winks at last year's choice, right or wrong, the desolate present resets everything. Only this counts, and it's frightening; McLaren and Red Bull light-years away, a present as the fifth force, because even Mercedes and Renault seem faster. The nightmare of having again gotten everything wrong, the car, strategies, development direction. Nightmare probably born from anxiety. Because there's a point of contact with 2009: every time, someone has studied something more brilliant. So, off we go with the chase, Brawn GP's double diffuser last year, McLaren's rear wing today. Maranello is also aiming for it, with the anxiety of chasing, and the result (at least for now) is that we become slower than before. Maybe not, maybe the Canadian Grand Prix will contradict everything, maybe the confusion in the pits isn't there or will disappear. But wouldn't it be nice if, for once in winter, Ferrari gave birth to the extra brilliant weapon, forcing others to chase? The second worst news of the day is that Fernando Alonso is not worried at all. Lucky him. Anyone else in his place would be pale with terror: Red Bull and McLaren have taken the lead in the standings despite playing bumper cars all afternoon; Ferrari has miserably sunk into its inconsistency, and he was forced to spend the entire Grand Prix in ninth position. An entire Grand Prix behind Vitaly Petrov's Renault, one whose nickname is the rocket from Vyborg, and no one has yet understood why.
The absolute worst news, however, is another. And it comes shortly after. When Alonso tries to explain why he's not worried at all. A river of contradictory and disturbing words, a semi-confused state from which, in the end, it is only understood that Ferrari certainly, no matter how hard it tries, will not recover all the gap that currently separates it from Red Bull. If someone wanted to try to understand something more, perhaps how we got to this situation after the brilliant debut in Bahrain, if someone wanted to know what is happening and, above all, how Ferrari really thinks of getting out of the black hole it seems to have been swallowed by, the only chance would be to talk to Stefano Domenicali. Who somehow, albeit with difficulty, desperately tries to keep a team together that seems to be falling apart after only seven races and that in Turkey managed to snatch seventh and eighth places, in a race dominated first and then thrown away by Red Bull and ultimately won by McLaren. Ferrari now seems to have fallen to the fifth force in the World Lament. The point, it seems to be understood from his analysis, is that the Maranello team has lost its way. And the fault is all or almost all of the F-duct, the ingenious device that activates and deactivates the rear wing by moving a part of the body, invented by McLaren and then more or less copied by everyone else (in the case of Ferrari, it seems, less well). Now, after spending about a month telling the repeated story by Alonso that chasing McLaren on that invention did not distract the engineers of the Maranello team from their other aerodynamic commitments, now suddenly the opposite comes out. Stefano Domenicali explains:
"The resources we had to direct towards the development of this system, in which we believe, have distracted us from the development of other areas. And the overall balance of the car is slightly out of position".
Finally established what everyone suspected, namely that McLaren's move messed up Ferrari's plans, we must now move on to phase two, that of the reaction, and this is where Domenicali's speech becomes more convincing.
"Let's try not to give in to emotion. We have to react, and there is time to do so. By June (at the European Grand Prix, ed.) we will introduce a significant step, and the car will be visibly modified".
Proceeding according to the plans drawn up in winter, at this point, with Red Bull and McLaren running too far away and with Mercedes and Renault now at the same level, may not be enough. And here Domenicali's tone takes an unusually reproachful ripple. Whose recipients seem to be the engineers of the Maranello team:
"We have to find ideas. Be more innovative. We have to believe in our capabilities and position ourselves again as reference points".
What Ferrari hasn't been for a long time now. While waiting for innovations, the intentions remain.
"A slap like the one we took can be healthy, make us react".
Says Domenicali, sighing. However, he had said the same thing at the end of the last season. Too many slaps hurt. Not far away, a perfect weekend is celebrated, relaunching Lewis Hamilton's star in the Formula 1 sky. A couple of new earrings, four (slightly awkward) juggles with the official ball of the South African World Cup in front of English cameras, posed photos with the beautiful girlfriend, and, finally, a memorable race that reopens the World Championship battle in one stroke, annihilates the super Red Bull, and ridicules Ferrari. And now, bordering on megalomania, the British driver declares his next move:
"Winning this World Championship, the most beautiful in history, to become a brand, a mark, a prominent figure even outside of Formula 1".
Win the World Championship? But aren't Red Bull too strong?
"They are strong, that's true. But now, we have a car with an extraordinary pace, and we are working like crazy to catch up with them".
We've seen a bit of that...
"And there are still twelve races to go. The plan is this: we work at full throttle in the next two, and we finish closing the gap. Then in the following ones, we push on the track, give it our all, and try to bring home a fantastic result".
The most beautiful World Championship in history?
"Exactly. Everyone is seeing it. In the past, it was always different. There were only Ferrari and McLaren. Now there are at least four teams fighting side by side".
Can Ferrari win too?
"Yes, even Ferrari, I think they have an excellent car".
Tell the truth, do you rely on other nervous breakdowns, like the one on Sunday between the two Red Bull drivers? But you and Button didn't joke either...
"But, something like that wouldn't happen to Jenson and me. We are two World Champions and two professionals. When Jenson attacked me, he was very fair. He caught me by surprise, but he left me space to maneuver. And I did the same to him".
Regrets? Since the beginning of the year, you've had crazy races yet collected little most of the time...
"I always did everything I could, but every time there was something imperfect. In the end, though, we did what we had to do, and now we're back to being fast".
Also, thanks to the F-duct, the device that allows activating the rear wing with a knee movement.
"The first time they told me about it, I was thrilled".
The two Ferrari drivers had a lot of trouble using it. What about you?
"I did too at the beginning. It hurt a lot, physically, in the leg. But then you get used to it".
Will you stay with McLaren forever, as you promised some time ago?
"It's too early to say. Of course, all drivers have changed teams at some point... but I can't see myself in another team".
Hamilton said he wants to become a brand?
"It means that I don't plan to stay in Formula 1 for life. To be clear: I will never be a commentator for some TV. I see myself better doing something else. That's why I would like to strengthen my image outside of here".
What would you like to do?
"Acting, for example, or making music".
In what role do you see yourself?
"Some action movie... If they called me for a cameo in the new James Bond, I could play the part of a pilot (laughs) or teach Bond how to drive (laughs again)".