.png "os2 trasparenza (1)")
Ferrari are still reeling from Sebastian Vettel's magnificent victory in the Malaysian Grand Prix. A race that suddenly swept away all the difficult moments that Ferrari has experienced over the last eighteen months. After a morning spent in the simulator, the German driver shared this moment with the entire Ferrari team in Maranello:
"I am part of the team and even though I am alone on the track, I know that I am never really alone. I would like to thank you for giving me a great car and I think, indeed I know, that we will share some great moments together".
Vettel has won many races, but the Sepang race was his first with Ferrari. And the emotions are different:
"It was a tremendous emotion. I have won many Grand Prix, but the first one with Ferrari is very, very special. On Sunday night I wanted to celebrate with the mechanics and I told them: 'Thank you very much, but I want to be one of you. Nothing more, nothing less".
Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene also praised the work of the entire Maranello team, and sent greetings from Kimi Raikkonen (fourth in Malaysia), who was in Finland for his son's christening:
"I believe that in the Forza Ferrari (Go Ferrari) that Vettel said on the radio just after the finish line, there were his childhood dreams, the moments he shared with another great who made us win a lot, Michael, and above all the joy of being here with all of you. You have been here for a long time and you deserve it".
After Ferrari's return to success at Sepang, Maurizio Arrivabene must have received many messages of congratulations, but one text message in particular touched his heart. It came from the Schumacher family.
"I was trying to stay calm all the time, but then one message made me cry".
The aforementioned text message was sent by Sabine Kehm, Michael Schumacher's manager, after Sebastian Vettel's triumph in the Malaysian Grand Prix. The driver from Heppenheim has often been compared to his illustrious predecessor, who is currently undergoing a difficult and slow rehabilitation following a serious skiing accident in the French Alps at Meribel on 29 December 2013, which left him in a medically-induced coma for several months. Kehm watched Vettel win the Grand Prix with Corinna and sent the message from Schumacher's home. Recently, Arrivabene revealed how Kehm played a key role in Vettel's move from Red Bull to Ferrari. She described to the four-time world champion the atmosphere at the Maranello team during Schumacher's time, a particularly happy and productive period for Ferrari. Mercedes, meanwhile, are aiming to return to the top step of the podium at the Chinese Grand Prix. Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team boss, is urging everyone to make every effort to regain their supremacy.
"We left Malaysia with a lot of thoughts. It may have been a good result for the sport, but for us it was a wake-up call. This is not something we can afford to do very often, and even though we had two riders on the podium, we need to look at every area to see where we can get better results. Our rivals have raised their game and now we have to raise ours even more... We expect a long battle for both championships, riders and constructors throughout the season, and we must maximise every opportunity".
However, the Shanghai circuit brings back fond memories for the Mercedes drivers. Hamilton has three wins, including last year's, and three other podiums in eight Grands Prix, while Rosberg claimed his first career victory there in 2012.
"We have all the weapons at our disposal, and we need to use most of them this weekend".
The reigning World Champion is therefore optimistic.
"I won the race last year and have only finished outside the podium twice in China, so the goal is definitely to build on that next race and get back to the top".
Mercedes Technical Director Paddy Lowe reiterates that Mercedes' tyre management on the hot track in Malaysia was the cause of their defeat, although things seem to be improving in Shanghai:
"In this area it's crucial to have a car that performs well on all circuits and in all conditions. We have a lot of new aerodynamic developments for Shanghai and we expect an improvement in performance compared to Malaysia".
Sebastian Vettel dreams of repeating his success, but remains grounded. The German is enthusiastic about his Ferrari, but knows that they must continue to work to consolidate their position following the triumph in Malaysia, which returned Ferrari to the top step of the podium after a long wait.
"We're realistic about our position and what we want to achieve, the goals haven't changed. In Malaysia we achieved a great victory for the team and for me, because it was the first success with Ferrari. Coming back to the factory on Wednesday was a special feeling; everyone was happy because it had been a long time since we had won and they enjoyed a victory worth celebrating with joy. It was very nice for everyone to relive those feelings. I went to work in the simulator, which was already scheduled, but the whole factory got together for a quick lunch and we celebrated together for a bit. I learned that when Ferrari wins, they put up a flag at the entrance and it stays there for the rest of the season; there used to be a lot of them, now we hope to have more".
Malaysia will be remembered by all Ferrari fans, but Vettel is focused on the race in China.
"From Shanghai onwards, we need to confirm that we have a good package and a strong car. We want to stay at a very high level, but we know that Mercedes are still the strongest. I don't think they let up in Malaysia; it was nice to be so competitive. There were a number of circumstances that we were able to take advantage of. But we know that there can be ups and downs in a season; we have to make sure that there are plenty of ups and downs to confirm our competitiveness. We did an excellent job in Malaysia, but we must remain realistic about our goals".
So be careful not to get carried away with the team's enthusiasm.
"We have only had two races, we need a few more Grands Prix to know where we stand. We know what our potential is, but now we need to confirm that we are very close to the top teams. We managed to win in Malaysia, but now we have to focus on confirming that we are ahead of Red Bull, Williams and McLaren. Once we've done that, we'll try to get even closer to Mercedes".
Vettel has now won 40 Grand Prix, one behind Ayrton Senna.
"I didn't know that. I know Schumacher's tally, but it is too many. It took me a while to reach 40 and now I hope the next one is not too far away. Obviously, reaching Senna's mark would be significant for any driver, even if you don't think about such things when you're on the track. It's fair to say that there are a lot more races now than there used to be; it used to be 10, then 13-14, and in recent years we've reached 20 Grands Prix".
In any case, Vettel's memories of Shanghai are very encouraging.
"I had a great race here in 2007. It was the first time I scored points with Toro Rosso, finishing fourth, while my team-mate was fifth. I think we started in P18 and P20. Then in 2009 I got my first win with Red Bull here, so this place is special to me. Even for the presents, once they gave me a panda and I had to leave it here".
There's also room for a response to Ecclestone, who has previously stated that Hamilton is the ideal world champion.
"Everyone is free to say what they want. Personally, I am very happy with what I have achieved so far in my career and I look forward to achieving more great results. Maybe Bernie is not very familiar with social media..."
Kimi Raikkonen is confident. His start to the season hasn't been the easiest, but the Finn is optimistic and has faith in his Ferrari for the Shanghai race.
"Obviously we have to aim for a problem-free weekend, but I am confident that we can do well. Even though this track is different from others, the SF15-T has performed well in all conditions so far and I don't see why it should be any different here".
Ferrari beat Mercedes in Malaysia and Shanghai will have lower temperatures and a track that will test the rear tyres. Kimi Raikkonen says:
"Every track is a story in itself. You can have different weather conditions, so a car can perform better on one track than another. Maybe we're not where we want to be, but compared to last year things have changed a lot, although we still have a lot of work to do".
Victory in Malaysia was a great result for the team and Vettel, but Raikkonen's fourth place is of great value given the difficulties of the weekend and the unfortunate start.
"Now we have to keep pushing and try to do well, knowing that every race can be different. In general, I think we can be strong everywhere because we have the speed, but we have to get rid of all the problems, even the ones that are out of our control, like punctures".
Lewis Hamilton is proud:
"Our defeat in the Malaysian Grand Prix was exaggerated. We made a lot of mistakes. There were a lot of areas where we could have done better. But it wasn't a total disaster. People have seen it disproportionately and wrongly. Hopefully this weekend will be better. Considering it was a difficult weekend for us, we secured second and third place".
Regarding Ferrari's performance, the British driver admits:
"They were very quick. They did a great job, but we could have done a better job in terms of taking care of our tyres and we could have been a bit quicker".
Hamilton bounces back, Vettel observes and Alonso fumes. Formula 1 picks up in Shanghai exactly where it left off, with an uneven but beautiful duel played out in front of the astonished eyes of a Spanish spectator in the distance. Uneven, they say, because despite the outstanding result in Sepang, Mercedes remains the car to beat. But also beautiful, because it helps to be optimistic and happy in life, and Vettel was born optimistic and happy. And that's why he can now look at the silver rocket without too much fear. Widen his smile a little and lower the level of expectation and pressure:
"We have to be realistic. The first races of the season are the best time to evaluate your car, to understand where it is compared to the competition. And I don't think it's ahead of Mercedes. We did well in Sepang, but that result was also the result of a few coincidences (abnormal temperatures and strategic mistakes by Mercedes). We need to confirm our role as a second force, perform better than strong teams like Williams and Red Bull; only then can we focus on the goal of reducing the gap to Mercedes".
Statements in a subdued tone, unchanged even when journalists try to make it personal:
"Ecclestone said that Hamilton is more of a character than I am? Everyone can say what they like. I am happy with what I have done in my career".
Besides the four world titles, I have 39 victories, just one less than Senna.
"I don't count them, I didn't know, but to be honest it has to be said that in the time of Senna and Schumacher, which is still too far away, they had fewer races than today".
A few metres away, Lewis Hamilton does not seem to have any intention of making the same mistake of underestimation that he did in Malaysia.
"They are very fast, we must not leave any room for error. In Malaysia we made a lot of mistakes, we should have worked better on the tyres and been a bit quicker. We have to do that, starting today".
Then, to show that he hasn't suffered too much, he says:
"I never dreamed of being ten seconds behind Ferrari. I like competition and I hoped they would get closer".
One man who certainly cannot say that is Fernando Alonso, in the slowest car in the circus. The day Vettel started second, he said he wasn't interested in second place. The next day, Vettel won. The Spaniard insists:
"Even when I was there, we used to win races in April. It's just that in November we were second. And I don't care. I'll only regret Maranello if they win the championship. And anyway, I'll end my career with McLaren".
And someone, mischievously, points out that it's more likely that McLaren will be the one to end his career. On Friday 10th April 2015, World Champion Lewis Hamilton makes a clean sweep, topping the timesheets in all three sessions by a considerable margin. In the first session, Lotus test driver Jolyon Palmer takes over from regular driver Romain Grosjean. He finishes six-tenths of a second behind his team-mate Pastor Maldonado and is one of several drivers to have an off-track experience during the session. Both Mercedes drivers run wide on different parts of the track, as does Felipe Massa, who spins his Williams in turn 14 towards the end of the session. Hamilton is more than half a second ahead of team-mate Nico Rosberg on Friday morning, with the Ferraris more than a second behind. Hamilton continues his strong performance in the second session on Friday afternoon, beating Malaysia winner Sebastian Vettel to the top spot, with Vettel almost half a second down. Most teams are running both dry tyre compounds. Mercedes appear to be more dominant on the harder tyres, a second ahead of the rest of the grid. Red Bull continue to struggle with the same brake problems that plagued them in Malaysia two weeks ago. Daniil Kvyat's left rear brake began to smoke after a pit stop, prompting the team to investigate further. Felipe Massa spun again in turn 14, hitting the barrier with his front wing, and the session was red-flagged for a while. The session was further disrupted by the appearance of a local man, who ran across the main straight and jumped into the pit lane before being stopped by security after entering the Ferrari garage, apparently to try out a car. It was expected, and it came. Mercedes' response to Ferrari's Malaysian challenge from Vettel was not long in coming. Half a second ahead of Raikkonen (in great form), a second ahead of Vettel. At the end of a cool and breezy Friday free practice, Hamilton's lead was considerable. But no one at Ferrari was particularly worried. Partly because Friday is so unimportant, and partly because there is a sense that Maranello has been hiding by playing with tyre wear. After Sepang, nobody really believed that Mercedes were within reach. At the end of the day, Lewis Hamilton was satisfied and said:
"Confident? I think I need to make improvements and I think I can make them to get more out of the tyres. Ferrari and Red Bull close? As far as I'm concerned, I prepare for the race in the same way, whatever the scenario. Maybe the team might have a different approach, but I don’t".
The other Mercedes driver, Nico Rosberg, agrees:
"We had a good start, I feel quite comfortable with the car, but it's very different here, much colder. I don't know what to say about the pace of the race, but now we have to analyse everything. We can more or less estimate how much fuel the Ferrari had and from that we can see how their times compare to ours, but I'm definitely optimistic. Ferrari and Red Bull close to Mercedes in terms of race pace? From that point of view, we need to improve and we're working on it, but it's not easy".
There is also confidence at Ferrari. Sebastian Vettel says:
"Challenging Mercedes for pole position? We will be very close; today they were very strong in both sessions and all the runs. The most important thing is to try and make a step forward overnight because there are a few things we need to improve and then we'll see where we are. Our priority is to get as close as possible to Mercedes and then, if we have the chance, we'll try to overtake them, otherwise we'll make sure that nobody overtakes us".
The German is not worried about Red Bull's progress.
"Worried about Red Bull? No, I think it was the first Friday where everything went well for them. It's clear that it's going to get tougher as the season goes on, because everyone will find their rhythm. First of all, we have to think about ourselves and try to improve the car tonight to take a step forward".
Raikkonen is also optimistic:
"Podium within reach? We have to do our best tomorrow and see where we can finish, then we'll think about the race. But we have to make sure that everything works as well as possible and then we'll see what happens. A front row challenge with Mercedes? We'll see tomorrow; it's difficult to understand what the others did today. We still have some things to improve, we'll see tomorrow, but certainly today didn't go badly, that's for sure".
Daniel Ricciardo is preparing for a race from the front:
"I feel good with the car and I managed to improve in the second session. I feel good, it will be a good battle. I think I can say more. Mercedes are going as usual, but with the Ferraris we are there and we can compete with that difference. Kvyat's problem? I don't know what happened, I didn't have any problems".
Let him test your car and he'll tell you where it makes an unpleasant noise. Give him advice and he'll tell you how to fix it. Try to make excuses and he'll leave you speechless. Niki Lauda is honest and brutal. He doesn't hold back, he gets straight to the point, he doesn't search for words to say it. He says it and that's that. The 66-year-old non-executive chairman of Mercedes is dressed casually. He has a bit of a belly, two wives, five children, the last two born in 2009, twins. Surprised by Ferrari's progress?
"A bit, yes. But that's the nature of things. Last year we had a big advantage. We don't have it anymore. Not that devastating. When you're ahead, others measure you, or at least try to. Ferrari have done it, others will follow".
He had called it a piece of rubbish.
"Yes, last season. And I have no problem repeating it. Now it's different. The changes have brought a new impetus, from Allison to Vettel. The departure of Montezemolo, requested by Marchionne, may have been painful for Luca, but it worked. In sport, you don't look for perfection, you look for functionality and that's how Ferrari works now”.
Was it over with Alonso?
"Alonso is a dark and gloomy egomaniac. Let's also add that he has a negative touch. Last year, as soon as the race was over, he started criticising: this and that is not working, we have a problem here, we are not winning here. How can you lift the spirits of a team when your rider starts badmouthing them as soon as he can? Everyone knows that if you race for Italy you can't afford that attitude. Maybe elsewhere they tolerate it, ignore the criticism, but not in Maranello and its environs. Vettel is sunny, Alonso is shady. At this moment, the Spaniard should bite his tongue. He made the wrong choice. He pushed himself towards the abyss".
Isn't it a mistake to have different characters?
"No, but bringing negativity is. Look at Montezemelo and Marchionne. They are also different. Luca dresses well, with elegance, he grew up in the school of the lawyer Agnelli. Marchionne wears a sweater, he's more straightforward, but he revived Fiat, and even with Chrysler he didn't make a wrong move. Now I am friends with Montezemolo, but I cannot deny that after 23 years maybe a cycle was over. If you want to stay in business, you have to accept certain rules. It happened to me when I was forced out of my airline. A businessman has to acknowledge the situation. But I hope, even dream, that one day the two will make peace. And that their egos become more like brothers".
Would you return to Ferrari?
"I have a contract with Mercedes until 2017. And I want Marchionne to be my enemy, not my friend. I would rather beat him than compete with him. I don't care about the beauty of the sport, the excitement of the race, having the best team. I want to win. That's all I care about".
Is that why Rosberg and Hamilton went to the headquarters together for the first time?
"Do you mean the photo on the same plane that took them to Brackley as if they were old friends? And with the idea of joining forces against the new Ferrari?"
Yes.
"Let's not kid ourselves. It was a coincidence. There was no message or solidarity in that photo. They don't like each other, they're not friends and they're not going to become friends. Nobody expects them to, as long as they don't get in each other's way".
Is F1 masochistic?
"Well, it's certainly not helping itself. It has lost cars, spectators and sponsors. But it's the first to speak ill of itself. First we wanted less powerful cars, big sisters to those on the road, then we complained that they no longer made the noise they used to, then that driving was too ecological, tending to save fuel. A disaster: we made and unmade. And now we're ready for the requiem: F1 is dying. Can you commit suicide like that?"
The Germanwings pilot did.
"I refuse to see it as an act of suicide. It was a massacre. Lubitz is first and foremost a murderer. I am a pilot, I have had two airlines, and I find it hard to accept the idea of a deliberate crash. A crazy shock. This will lead to new flight regulations: but how? Lufthansa's pilot school is one of the best in the world, very selective, but Lubitz has found the loopholes. Can we force doctors to violate a patient's privacy when they are responsible for other people's lives? I'd like to say yes, but when my privacy was violated, I didn't take it well".
Do you mean the kidney transplants?
"The first one. A family exchange, from my brother Florian. It was 1997, I was 42. Five minutes after entering the hospital in Vienna, everyone knew. I protested to the doctor and he replied: "There are three thousand people working here, how can I control them? So when I had another kidney transplant in 2005, I made the surgeon sign a contract: if anyone found out, they would have to pay a very high fine. And I managed to keep the secret. Also because Birgit, my future wife, donated it to me and I married her at the age of 60".
Your Formula 1 for the future?
"It is not always and only Bernie Ecclestone's greed. Let's stop feeling sorry for ourselves and get organised: Germany has lost its Grand Prix, no more Nürburgring or Hockenheim. It's madness when two German drivers like Rosberg and Vettel are doing well. Even the future of Monza is in doubt. It's good to explore new markets, to export engines to the new world, but not at the cost of losing the old world and Europe. If you erase the history of cars, what is left?"
What do you suggest?
"The tickets are too expensive, the programme needs to be strengthened during the three days. What do young people like? A rock concert? Then let's have one on Friday. The organisers should come up with ideas to make the weekend more attractive, and maybe Ecclestone, faced with creativity and goodwill, will give up some money. But without projects or innovation, it's clear that he won't give any discounts. And we also need to review the Concorde Agreement signed by F1 bosses and the FIA for the period 2013-2020. It's about the distribution of money. The shares are disproportionate: a lot for the two big teams, little for the small ones. Everything is too extreme. Little competition, the same protagonists, no turnover".
And on the track?
"Driving has to be difficult again, complicated. A hard, dirty thing. Not like now. Today everyone is a driver, everyone can do it, it's easy. Instead, I want to see character, personality, quality. If you lose grip on the ground, a good driver will take advantage and go forward, a bad driver will fall back. I want F1 to be for the few, for the chosen, it should be scary. I want aggressive cars for strong knights. Modern dinosaurs where you buckle up and pray.”
On Saturday 11 April 2015, Hamilton was once again the fastest driver in the third practice session on Saturday morning, even though he was suffering from overheating under his seat. The two Mercedes are separated by two-tenths of a second, with the two Ferraris of Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen a further half-second behind. Red Bull's fortunes have improved slightly with Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat in fifth and sixth respectively. McLaren-Honda had another problematic session as Fernando Alonso retired shortly after the start of his installation lap. Team-mate Jenson Button is also called to the pits with a similar engine problem, but is able to continue later in the session. Felipe Massa experienced smoke in his cockpit on both Friday and Saturday, apparently caused by the new titanium plates underneath the cars, which also create sparks when driving over bumps on the track. A few hours later, Mercedes is the only team to use the medium tyre in the first qualifying session (Q1), while all the other teams use the faster soft tyre. Five drivers are eliminated in Q1, four of them being the two Marussia and McLaren cars, all of which have not yet made it through to Q2. They are joined by the Force India of Nico Hulkenberg, who will start from 16th on the grid. In the second session, Hamilton sets the fastest time, although his car loses contact with the pit lane and his seat overheats again. He finished three-tenths of a second ahead of team-mate Rosberg, with Sebastian Vettel third. Daniil Kvyat suffers engine problems and fails to make Q3, as does the second Force India of Sergio Pérez, both Toro Rosso drivers, and the Lotus of Pastor Maldonado. In Q3, which is contested by the top ten, Hamilton just beats his team-mate to pole position with a time set on his first timed lap. Both Ferrari drivers completed their first lap on used tyres in order to save a set for the race. On their second outing, Vettel was able to get ahead of the two Williams of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas, while his team-mate Kimi Räikkönen struggled with the handling of his car on the first part of the track and finished sixth on the grid. A third consecutive pole for Lewis Hamilton:
"China is a good circuit for me; I feel very positive vibes and the car has performed fantastically, even better than in Malaysia. The team continues to do a fantastic job; the guys have done an excellent job to bring improvements for this weekend. It doesn't mean we've won yet, it's going to be a long race".
Rosberg promises a battle, despite the disappointment of missing out on pole:
"It's just 0.04 seconds, nothing; it was frustrating. It's annoying to be so close; pole was possible, but the lap was good. But today is not about points, it is about tomorrow".
On the competition from Ferrari, the German said:
"They're strong, but we think we're a bit quicker than them in the race. The only thing is that we have to stop earlier for tyres, while they can do longer stints and that's a problem. The soft ones? They wear out quite quickly”.
At Ferrari, Vettel's smile contrasts with Raikkonen's disappointment. The German said at the end of qualifying:
"Everything went well and third place was the maximum for us. I'm happy; we used a different strategy in the third qualifying session and only used a new set of tyres once. The Mercedes were a bit quicker than we expected, but we did everything right. We should be a bit closer. By how much? We'll see... I can't wait for the race to start, the first corner is not far away".
While the Finn emphasizes:
"I had a really bad lap. The car was giving me a bit of understeer even in the previous lap and I don't know why it happened. Do I have a good pace for the race? Yes, but we're still starting from the back, so we'll see.
Maurizio Arrivabene adds:
"Kimi had grip problems, but that's normal, it can happen, while Sebastian did an excellent job. The Mercedes are very strong in qualifying, especially here in China, but nothing is prejudged".
The Ferrari Team Principal does not rule out different strategies for the two drivers:
"We will see based on the data we have, but they will be strategies aimed at looking forward, without thinking about protecting each other's backs".
A message that seems to be directed at the two Williams that are ahead of Raikkonen today.
"It's a competition and in a competition it's right that there's a gap between the teams, that there's a fight, then the standings and the points are not decided on Saturday, but on Sunday”.
On Sunday 12 April 2015, when the Chinese Grand Prix starts at 2pm, Kimi Räikkönen manages to pass both Williams on the first lap to move up to fourth, while Nico Rosberg holds off Sebastian Vettel for second. On the second lap, Carlos Sainz Jr. spun his Toro Rosso and dropped down the order. Nico Hülkenberg becomes the first to retire on lap ten when he parks his Force India in the gravel after a gearbox failure. During the pit stops, Ferrari attempted an undercut by pitting Sebastian Vettel early on lap 13, a strategy in which a car running behind pits early in order to use a fast out-lap on fresh tyres to overtake a rival without having to overtake them on the track. However, this was unsuccessful as Mercedes responded by pitting Rosberg on the following lap, allowing Rosberg to maintain his position on the track ahead of Vettel. On lap 17, Daniil Kvyat retired when his Red Bull started to smoke. After the first pit stops, the Mercedes drivers had to manage their tyres to cover a possible attack from Ferrari, who had saved an extra set of fresh tyres from qualifying. Rosberg, on the other hand, was complaining on the radio that Hamilton was driving too slowly in front of him, allowing him to get into the Ferrari's way.
He could not risk getting too close to Hamilton, as the air coming out of the back of the car would accelerate the degradation of the tyres. Hamilton is therefore asked by the team to pick up the pace. In the second half of the race, the top three began to separate and by lap 54, Hamilton was 10.06 seconds ahead of Rosberg, with Vettel a further 12.12 seconds behind. However, due to Ferrari's earlier attempt to undercut Rosberg by pitting Vettel early, Räikkönen's tyres are 4 laps fresher than his team-mate's and he closes in on Vettel in the final stint. After coming out of his final pit stop on lap 35 4.84 seconds behind Vettel, Räikkönen had reduced the gap to 1.37 seconds by lap 54. However, any chance of a battle between the Ferrari team-mates was extinguished when a gearbox failure in Max Verstappen's Toro Rosso, which was stranded on the start/finish straight, brought out the safety car for the final two laps of the race. Hamilton crosses the line to win his second race of the season, with Rosberg following in second and Vettel completing the podium in third. Pastor Maldonado had an eventful race. On lap 33, while running in seventh position ahead of team-mate Romain Grosjean, he missed the pit lane and lost time, dropping several positions. He then spun his car on lap 39 while trying to make up the lost time, and on lap 48, after a long battle for position, he collided with Jenson Button, damaging his car, and retired a few laps later with a rear brake failure. The stewards later ruled that Button was to blame for the incident. Mark the date: the couple is no more. They argued more than ever. They are even separated in the house. They don't look each other in the eye and turn their backs on each other. Nico and Lewis are no longer partners in F1. They live in the same house (Mercedes), race in the same car (W06H), but accuse each other of betrayal. Do they congratulate each other for first and second place? Not at all. We are at the cause of the divorce. Shouted to everyone: at the third Grand Prix of the season. There is no more shared life at the front, just war and viciousness at 330 km/h. says Nico Rosberg at the end of the race:
"You were too slow, I had to brake to avoid hitting you".
And Lewis Hamilton replies:
"If you were that fast, you could have overtaken me. Why didn't you?"
When Nico leans forward, Lewis pulls back. They are side by side, but they ignore each other. As if they wanted to emphasise a distance of place, of behaviour. The silver arrows, now poisoned. Victorious, but quarrelsome.
"I set my own pace without worrying about the others".
Lewis explains. And the German countered:
"It is interesting to hear that he was only thinking about himself. He almost jeopardised my race, going slower than necessary allowed Vettel to get closer to me, gave him the chance to anticipate the pit stop and try to overtake me, he could have kept a higher pace, instead I ruined the tyres and risked being attacked".
And the other, instead of saying: let's enjoy the success, says:
"I don't give a fuck".
Translated with more words:
"My job is not to think about Nico's race, but to manage my car and get it to the finish as quickly as possible, and that's what I did".
You know how childhood traumas haunt you into adulthood? And the two kids, Nico and Lewis, have been dreaming of outdoing each other all their lives, ever since they were racing karts. Lewis didn't like this rich, spoilt daddy's boy with a house in Monte-Carlo:
"He had everything I wanted. He didn't grow up on the couch at home, he grew up in luxury".
And Nico wondered how long the other would keep throwing his origins in his face. As if he didn't understand that growing up in Stevenage, on the socialist outskirts of London, with a father who was a railway worker, gives you a lot of taste for pushing people back. They were already playing tricks last year. Nico blocked Lewis in Monte Carlo to prevent him from taking pole. But instead of admitting to a childish perfidy that thrives on catastrophic flashes, they recalled the great rivalries of the circuit.
"We will relive the battles between Senna and Prost".
Lauda had to intervene because they were in danger of jeopardising (from the inside) a success that no one (from the outside) could deny them. There was no declaration of peace, but at least they were not shooting each other in the back. Now Lewis is ahead, he has the record for victories (four) in China, and Nico is behind, puffing and thinking about how to discredit him and make him stumble. The former has yet to renew his contract, the latter has already done so. Perhaps, in the midst of the feud that we hate each other so much, Ferrari will find a way. For a silver pair who betray each other, another, red, reunite. Vettel and Raikkonen are behind Mercedes. Seb is no longer alone in the fight against the Mercedes power and Kimi, more than a servant, has become another leader. The German said at the end of the race:
"It was a good race, we tried to put pressure on them, I anticipated the pit stop, but on the mediums they were faster than us. The podium is a good result and I thank the team and the fans. Three podiums out of three, I'm definitely happy, a lot of things have changed over the winter and I'm happy to be in this team. We hope to get even closer in the future. We are closer than we were four weeks ago. We've confirmed that we're ahead of everyone; it's only the third race. Are you getting involved in the Hamilton-Rosberg battle? We were close in the first two stints, then they managed to pull away. Overall, it was a good race. We were closer to Mercedes on the soft tyres, trying to put pressure on them. On the hard tyres they were quicker".
Kimi Raikkonen added after a good race:
"I started well, in the first corner I decided to go inside even though it could be faster outside, but I managed to overtake the Williams under braking and it went well. In Bahrain, a podium? Well, today I was close, then there was the safety car problem, maybe I could have tried today. I need to have a better weekend and not make any mistakes in qualifying. We are the second force behind Mercedes, but we have to improve to be always in front. We still have a lot of work to do, but our goal is to get closer and closer to them".
Maurizio Arrivabene, Ferrari Team Principal, adds:
"We've consolidated our position, then we'll talk about it in Bahrain. This is not an easy circuit for us and having consolidated our position with Kimi there is perfect. Then we'll talk about it in Bahrain".
Is the real Ferrari the one being admired in Malaysia or this one?
"It's hard to say; every track has its own story and we'll try to tell real but interesting stories for the future".
In the end, the Safety Car prevented a duel for third place between Vettel and Raikkonen:
"Did it save us? Absolutely not. On the contrary, the guys and engineers on the pit wall did a great job because it was easier to make a mistake there than to do the right thing".
Speaking of Mercedes, he adds:
"It is not news that your first enemy in a team is your teammate. You have to be faster than the others, but also your internal rival. But our new philosophy is that there are no number twos, we don't favour one over the other".
He then concludes:
"Raikkonen is not an ice man at all. On the contrary, he is fragile and sensitive, but when he feels trust and support behind him, he attacks. You have to treat him with gentleness".
For one pair that destroys, another that encourages. A close duel, on the track but not only. The rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg remains at a fever pitch after their neck-and-neck battle for the title on the track and in the media last season. And the temperature in the Mercedes garage is set to rise again. After the British driver overtook his team-mate in the Chinese Grand Prix, there was no shortage of barbs between the two drivers. The second-generation German initially accused the world champion of slowing down to allow Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari to threaten the second Mercedes. The case was quickly settled on Sunday evening. Now, however, the British press is giving plenty of space to Hamilton's side of the story: it wasn't him who hindered Rosberg, it was the German who gave up the fight.
"I just told the team that if I had been in second place, with the pace of the race, I would have pushed as hard as I could to get closer to the leader and overtake him. Races are like that. Nico didn't try. The team guys speculated that maybe he was happy with second place. I said that is the difference between the two of us. I want to win, always. And I would have done everything to overtake him. I would have tried to push as hard as I could for at least three laps, but he wasn't fast enough".
The comments attributed to the champion come a few days ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix, the fourth round of the World Championship, scheduled for Sunday 19 April 2015.
"This is Formula 1, I grew up watching races. Everyone wants to see overtaking, everyone wants to see duels. Now I am a protagonist in this sport and I don't want to race with the brakes on, I don't want to give up to save the tyres".
Meanwhile, he has been attacked by the Object association, which deals with the exploitation of women's images in advertising and beyond, for spraying champagne on a hostess at the Chinese Grand Prix after his victory in Shanghai. All without the woman's consent.
According to Rox Hardie, head of the association, the driver made a disrespectful gesture and must apologise. While waiting for the English newspapers, Rosberg took stock of the situation in the usual article prepared for the Bild newspaper.
"If I start in front, Lewis can do whatever he wants. I don't care. The season is still long and I have to rely on typical German qualities: I have to keep working hard with my team. Then I can find those 0.04 seconds. Another Mercedes double in Bahrain would be fantastic. But this time it should be the German national anthem".
The day after the Shanghai altercation, things seem to be calming down at Mercedes. The controversy with Lewis Hamilton is already a thing of the past for Nico Rosberg. In fact, the two seem to have patched things up, according to Hamilton himself on Twitter:
"The post-race was pretty intense, but we had a very positive meeting, a good discussion. There was a lot of constructive criticism and now it's all in the past for everyone: we're already thinking about Bahrain".
Meanwhile, the mood at Ferrari is very different:
"The prospects for Ferrari? Let's put it this way. If I told you that we're going to Bahrain to scare Mercedes, you'd all laugh. We are working to wipe that smile off your faces".
Maurizio Arrivabene jokes, but only up to a point. Ferrari have been humiliated by Mercedes, and in the absence of a credible third team on the track, Massa and Bottas' Williams were half a minute down on Raikkonen, Alonso's McLaren is on the verge of self-destruction, and the Red Bull without a third team keeps catching fire. Sebastian Vettel's podium is something of a guarantee. But the hours after the Chinese Grand Prix are full of good omens, as the car once again looks competitive. Mercedes struggles in qualifying and in situations where tyres don't make a difference. But when the Pirelli tyres are crucial, in any situation where the car has to be pushed to the limit, whether for strategic reasons or because of external factors, the roles are reversed and it's Mercedes that suffers tremendously while the Ferrari, a softer and more balanced car, excels. The race, the first of the year on a representative circuit where all four drivers from both teams adopted the same strategy, demonstrated this with rare clarity in today's complicated Formula One. In the first stint on soft tyres, Mercedes had a reduced advantage. After the first pit stop, when they changed to new softs, a set that had to last as long as possible, Ferrari took the lead. Vettel was just behind Rosberg, who was having a nervous breakdown, caught between his old black nightmare and his new red fear. Then, when they switched to the harder, more durable tyres that don't fear friction, Mercedes could unleash all its greater power without fear. And it pulled away, ignoring the grace and kindness of the competition.
The sensations of that second stint, those few laps with the unleashed reds, have remained in everyone's memory. And more than anything else, they justify optimism. James Allison smiles as he savours the pastries in the Ferrari hospitality area, while outside the Chinese sun sets behind the peach and lotus trees planted by the government to soothe Ecclestone's aesthetic itch.
"Yes, the tyre factor is crucial. The heat helps us, but unfortunately in Bahrain, where the climate should be similar to Malaysia (a race won by Ferrari), it's a night race, so the asphalt will be less hot".
A seemingly insignificant sentence, almost an observation. On closer inspection, however, it betrays an intention that, until a few months ago, would have been considered ambitious - the intention of those who, sooner or later, aspire to surpass the best.
An ambition more or less openly shared by everyone, as Sebastian Vettel explained, increasingly happy with the choice he made at the end of last summer to leave the melancholy of Buckinghamshire for the allure of the Emilian plain.
"If we stay behind them, keep the pressure on and get closer to them, there will come a moment when we will be really dangerous".
The rebirth of Ferrari under the leadership of Sergio Marchionne. To crown the CEO of FCA and President of Ferrari, President John Elkann wrote a letter to Exor shareholders.
"The 2014 Formula 1 season has been an unmitigated disaster for Ferrari and inevitably changes had to be made. The most significant was the departure of Luca di Montezemolo, who had led the company with great energy and commitment for over twenty years. Montezemolo was particularly adept at preserving the charm and magic of the brand and creating the best cars in the world. Until 2008, during Luca's presidency, Scuderia Ferrari managed to increase its success on the race tracks, thanks to the duo of Todt and the unattainable Schumacher. Now the responsibility of returning to those glories falls to Marchionne. A lot has changed at Maranello and I am happy to say that we have made a good start to 2015. With Maurizio Arrivabene at the helm and two great world champions, Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel, at the wheel, the team is back on the top step of the podium".
Elkann goes on to say that while the 2014 F1 season was a disaster, it was an excellent year for the brand, with revenues up 18%. He adds that Ferrari will soon begin a new life as a listed company, becoming one of the subsidiaries directly owned by Exor.