The Singapore Grand Prix is just around the corner, and Ferrari enters it with the momentum of Alonso's victory and Massa's third-place finish. Massa reflects on his season on the eve of the night race:
"It's a mixed assessment. There were some negative races, for sure, but I must say that in the last four or five, the balance has been quite positive for Ferrari. Perhaps we are the team that has scored the most points in the last four races, demonstrating that we have grown a lot during the championship. Now we have five more races that are very important, and we hope to continue in the direction of the last ones".
Massa goes on to analyze his season further:
"I am even more disappointed and a bit pissed off about those three races where we could have scored good points. In Canada, I had an incident right away and then another one at the end; in Valencia, we had a problem with the safety car, and we could have scored good points with both cars. Finally, even at Silverstone, I could have, but we didn't manage. Considering all this, looking at how much I fought, I could have been in a good position".
Regarding the challenging Singapore track, he says:
"It's very, very difficult: one lap is like two laps in Monaco, with many consecutive turns, and then we race inside the city, with intense heat, and we race in the evening. There is a big difference from the circuits we know, but I liked it a lot in 2008. I maybe had the best qualifications; I was six tenths ahead of the second, who was Kimi Raikkonen, and in the race, I had the victory in hand, then what happened happened, with the safety car. I was very strong. I hope to be competitive again".
For this race, Massa will have a new chassis.
"Nothing changes, the cars are the same, the chassis are the same".
On finding the right setup, he adds:
"For the Singapore track, we need to look at Monaco; they are more or less in the same direction, both are street circuits, and Monaco was not a bad race for us. Everything worked well, and I think we can be competitive here too. However, we must be careful with Red Bull, which has taken almost all the poles, and also McLaren, which sometimes goes faster and sometimes less".
Finally, Massa once again shares the great emotion of being on the podium at Monza.
"Getting on the podium at Monza and seeing a kilometer of Ferrari fans was a unique experience. It pleased me a lot, with all those people jumping and shouting your name. I will never forget it".
Fernando Alonso has arrived in Singapore, where on Sunday, September 26, 2010, a crucial Grand Prix for the World Championship will take place.
"I have just arrived in Singapore, where a very important weekend for our season begins tomorrow. As a welcome, I found a nice storm that, however, did not lower the temperature much; indeed, if possible, it increased the humidity".
The Spaniard gives an update on the upcoming Singapore race.
"In the two previous editions, we have never raced in the rain, and the forecasts for this weekend are not particularly encouraging. There will, therefore, be an additional element of unpredictability in an already very uncertain Grand Prix. I really like the atmosphere of this race: racing at night was a really great idea. The unusual schedule has never been a problem for me: I chose to arrive as late as possible because over the next few days, I will continue to stay on European time: going to bed late at night and having breakfast in the early afternoon, just as an example. In the two previous years, it worked perfectly, also thanks to some small secret tricks, so there is no reason to change this approach".
Regarding the Singapore circuit, Alonso is optimistic:
"As seen in the first two editions, this track fits quite well with my driving style: two podium finishes in as many races have made me arrive here with some confidence. I know that a new podium finish would be very important for the standings, and I am convinced that if we can do everything perfectly, we can make it. We showed it in the previous race weekend in Monza, and we have all the cards to repeat it in Singapore. The track is quite similar to Monaco in technical characteristics: slow, with many undulations, and the need for a lot of aerodynamic load. And if in the Principality, the F10 behaved quite well - let's forget how things went from a personal point of view - then there is another factor to count on to face this appointment with confidence. Having said that, none of us forgets the words that our boss, Stefano Domenicali, constantly repeats to us: let's keep our feet on the ground, stay humble and focused because our opponents are very strong and equally determined".
The Ferrari president, Luca di Montezemolo, adds:
"Ferrari comes from a great victory in Monza, made in front of its supporters at a delicate moment of the season. Sunday in Singapore, we have a very important race on a circuit, unfortunately, like too many in the championship, where the start and the qualifying will be crucial. Let's see. Every race from now on is a final. I think it's important to do a great team job. And we have a strong, united, and determined team. And we'll play it until the last race".
The medal system for awarding the Formula 1 driver's title is back in the spotlight, pushed as usual by Bernie Ecclestone, a longtime supporter of this revolution. The circus patron considers the points system a failure:
"Even the introduction of the new points has made no difference. If we had the old system, the situation would be exactly what it is now".
Ecclestone proposes the gold medal for the winner of the Grand Prix: the driver with the most Grand Prix victories during the year would win the World Championship, abolishing points for placements.
"Webber would have four medals, Hamilton and Alonso three. We'll see what happens, we'll wait. Who will win the World Championship? Webber has a good chance, and I think Red Bull can be very fast from now on; I think it can certainly be said that one of the two Red Bull drivers is the favorite".
However, it's a promise from Fernando Alonso on the eve of the Singapore Grand Prix:
"We can have a fast car anywhere in the remaining races".
Ferrari is there, and they will fight until the end.
"We may not have the fastest car in the slowest corners or in terms of top speed, that's true. But overall, we have a very competitive package on all types of circuits and in all conditions".
The Spaniard believes it.
"Everything will depend on the setup of the car and the updates we can bring. If we get on the podium five times, we could be very close to the title; none of the top teams has been consistent so far. Webber has an average of 14 points per race and is in the lead, which means that if he finishes in third place in the next races, he will score more points than the average with which he is leading the World Championship".
The Singapore Grand Prix will take place at night, and Fernando Alonso has no issues with it.
"I don't have special preparation for this, except for staying connected to the European time zone. Regarding humidity, it will be very high. The only issue is artificial light, which alters visibility: we are practicing other sports at night to train our eyes to react quickly in such conditions".
Felipe Massa also speaks, expressing a more cautious outlook compared to his teammate.
"It's difficult to say which of the upcoming races will be positive for us. The important thing is to be as consistent as possible; we will try to analyze the situation race by race".
The Brazilian is excited about the idea of driving at night.
"I like this track; I hope to be very strong here this year. We have many new features on the car here: the track is similar to Monaco, requiring a lot of aerodynamic load. I believe we will be competitive. I will get in the car to win: I can still win the World Championship even though it seems difficult. It's the best possible attitude, not only for me but also for the team. Rain? Here, it would indeed be a concern; it would turn the race into a lottery. Nevertheless, we must be ready for any eventuality".
The Marina Bay Street Circuit underwent resurfacing between turns three and seven, as well as turns thirteen to seventeen, after drivers complained about its bumpiness following the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix. The Singapore Sling chicane was adjusted to allow for a more gradual curve, enabling a safer exit for drivers. The outside wall at turn 21 was brought closer towards the race track to cover up half of a drain that was previously exposed to cars, and the pit lane was resurfaced to allow for a smoother exit for drivers rejoining the circuit. Hamilton, a vocal critic of the circuit's condition, described it as dangerous because it had remained uneven, and said the Singapore Sling chicane is:
"The worst corner I have ever driven in Formula One".
Despite the safety modifications made to it, the organizers of the Singapore Grand Prix have introduced a new machine to clean the surface of the track after drivers had problems with a dusty and slippery track surface in the previous year's race. Two days before the first practice session, drivers expressed concerns over low visibility caused by rain showers combined with the glare from the circuit lighting. There are two driver changes for the Grand Prix. Hispania Racing announced that Sakon Yamamoto, one of the team's drivers since the tenth race of the season, will be replaced for the weekend by the team's reserve driver Christian Klien because he is suffering from food poisoning. Several journalists noticed a seemingly healthy Yamamoto in the paddock, suggesting that he has been dropped for sponsorship reasons instead. Team principal Colin Kolles confirmed that the arrangement will be for one race, and Yamamoto will return to the cockpit at Suzuka. Pedro de la Rosa was summarily dropped by Sauber and replaced by Pirelli test driver Nick Heidfeld, who last drove for the Sauber team in 2009. The change was made because of de la Rosa's poor performance relative to that of teammate Kamui Kobayashi, and Heidfeld's knowledge of the Marina Bay Street Circuit and the Yas Marina Circuit. Several teams are making modifications to their cars in preparation for the event. McLaren, Red Bull, and Williams are all revising their front wings. McLaren's revision is designed to separate airflow into two separate channels, with both directing airflow around the outside of the car's front tires. Red Bull's design, used in the Friday practice sessions, has two vertical slots to the rear of its endplate along with another to avoid creating a vortex when it operates with the planes and endplate. A previous design, debuted at the British Grand Prix, is used both in qualifying and in the race. In addition, the team uses a revised diffuser to allow for better management of airflow to the top of the diffuser's side section. Williams's design debuts for the first time and is designed to make the tire act like a diffuser which takes air in to improve its efficiency. On Friday, September 24, 2010, the first practice session is initially held on a wet track with a clear sky after rainstorms earlier in the day left standing water on parts of the circuit, and high humidity slowed the drying process.
These conditions mean drivers use intermediate tires first before dry tires are utilized in the session's closing minutes. Webber sets the fastest time of the first session with a late lap of 1'54"589, one-tenth of a second faster than Michael Schumacher in second who is briefly quickest before Webber sets his lap. Adrian Sutil, with a lap of 1'58"827, is third fastest, ahead of Vettel and Jaime Alguersuari. Button, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Sébastien Buemi, Kubica, and Vitaly Petrov round out the session's top ten fastest drivers. In the second practice session, when the track is still damp in some sections, Vettel sets the fastest time of the night, a lap of 1'46"660 on super-soft tires; Webber finishes with the second-fastest lap. Button drives aggressively and battles Vettel for the fastest time throughout before he ends with the third quickest lap, half a second off Vettel's pace. Alonso, who is fourth fastest, runs wide at turn 17 while on a quick lap and slides down the access road at the next corner; he stalls while attempting to rejoin the track and abandons his car, requiring marshals to push his Ferrari away from the track. Hamilton, Barrichello, and Massa are in positions five to seven. The two Mercedes drivers are eighth and tenth; with Nico Rosberg ahead of Schumacher, separated by Kubica. Sutil's Force India is launched into the air when he hits a curb at the Singapore Sling chicane, and his front-left suspension is broken upon landing requiring him to miss half the session, and Alguersuari's left-rear tire makes contact with a barrier but he avoids major damage to his car. Sutil is fined $10.000 by the stewards because he attempts to drive back to the pit lane in his damaged car and does not stop at a safe position on the circuit. As much as the Friday free practice sessions may have limited significance, the message from Singapore is clear: the Red Bulls have returned to dominance. The game of finding the favorite - the favorite pastime of all Formula 1 drivers during the prelude, spending time hiding behind instrumental or even hypocritical predictions, well beyond the pre-match tactics of football - was won by Alonso. He was right: the favorites are the Red Bulls. Vettel and Webber's lap times have frightened everyone. Behind them, there is no one, just empty asphalt for the infinite space of a second. Then, finally, the front wing of Jenson Button's McLaren is glimpsed.
The reigning World Champion, still in the running for the World Championship, narrowly precedes Fernando Alonso (fourth fastest) who went off track, with the car turned off twenty minutes before the end of the second session. Behind the Spaniard, also quite close, is Lewis Hamilton, one of the favorites for the ultimate victory in the World Championship. However, Felipe Massa did not seem comfortable on the challenging Singapore track. After working hard during the first practice session, he remained somewhat detached from the leading group, posting the seventh fastest time of the day. Now, the Ferrari team will have a night to optimize the car and recover some tenths from the leading pair, in anticipation of tomorrow's qualifying, which, if the weather forecasts are correct, risks featuring a significant equatorial downpour as the main protagonist. Over the past week in Singapore, there have been copious and precisely timed practice sessions every day from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., the scheduled race time. Moreover, the track has difficulty drying. It is estimated that the asphalt takes about an hour and a half to return to normal conditions. It is easy to imagine a situation on the brink of practicability, with visibility reduced to a minimum and racing conditions changing from lap to lap. In such a scenario, the fastest to understand the weather changes wins the pole position. At this point, with five races to go and five drivers tightly packed within a handful of points, Fernando Alonso's ideas become very clear.
"I get five podiums and bring home the World Championship".
Massa's thoughts, on the other hand, appear somewhat more blurred:
"I will race to win races, Fernando has a better chance for the World Championship. But if I win, it's still a great result for Ferrari".
It's a somewhat clumsy choice of words from the Brazilian, more important for the embarrassment it reveals than for its meaning. After behaving inexplicably throughout the year, he has finally understood what his place in the team is for this season, and while he cannot explicitly say it, he is sending signals to Fernando Alonso, but especially to Stefano Domenicali. Peace breaks out, therefore, at Ferrari, on the eve of what is in some respects the most important race of the season. With a victory or even a podium, Alonso's chances of winning the title could significantly increase. With a failure, it would be the end. Massa, enlightened by the not-so-few market rumors that want him moved to Sauber, has decided to start smiling again and behave like a team player. A transformation culminated in the effort not to succumb to the temptation of attacking Alonso again for the so-called crashgate, the fake incident with which Nelson Piquet Jr. handed the victory of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to the Spaniard (depriving Massa of precious points for the World Championship). The Brazilian's return to the right track could prove to be the key move in Ferrari's pursuit, which, on the one hand, finds Alonso 21 points behind Webber (and 16 points behind Hamilton), but on the other hand, is also the only team where the two drivers seem willing not to collide. Fernando Alonso says:
"We have two drivers racing for us, but they respect each other, and I don't know if the same can be said for other teams. Then we have the most versatile car of all. The others are good on fast circuits (McLaren) or on slow ones (Red Bull), we perform well on all of them".
Alonso sounds optimistic, but it's clear that it's just a pose. On the issue of engines, however, the Ferrari is the only top team to have used all eight available units at least once (penalties kick in from the ninth onwards), and in Singapore, they will install one that has already raced in two other events. From now on, any problem would be fatal. However, the real uncertainty is the weather. Rain falls, and tension rises on the uneven asphalt of Singapore. The Red Bull accelerates, and Fernando Alonso suddenly discovers how heavy the Ferrari's steering wheel is. Stress from the front page, he jokingly calls it. And he's right. The good thing is that, at least judging by his face and the tone of his answers, this presumptuous and talented Spanish driver handles stress quite well.
So, listening to him, there's no need to worry too much when he vents, almost jokingly:
"The problem with a championship like this, with five or six drivers in the running for the title, is that every mistake, even the smallest one, is magnified and ends up on the front page".
If the championship had been a two-horse race, even venial sins wouldn't have been noticed. And yet, every minor detail is now under the spotlight. Just like the mistake with which Ferrari tarnishes the first day of practice. A day of sweat (never so copious as here, where the pit straight practically coincides with the equator), a day of attempts and approximations, a day that would ultimately have produced a more reassuring result than the fourth time seen at the end. Fernando was doing great when, just as he was making the maximum effort (the engineers' computers tell of a lap practically identical to Vettel's record), he lost control of his car, brushed against the wall, and then came to a stop in the escape route, turning off the engine and saying goodbye to the last precious twenty minutes of free practice. The location of the incident is suggestive: between turns 17 and 18, the same where Nelson Piquet Jr. deliberately crashed two years ago.
"So, if you want to say I made a mistake, go ahead. I always make mistakes. I made a mistake even in Monza, made a mistake before, and I'll certainly make mistakes again before the end of the World Championship. Only, let's hope they're not big mistakes...".
He smiles. Partly because deep down, he knows that in Monza, at the start, he really made a mistake. And partly because he still sees that Ferrari is competitive, the team works well, and the chances of closing the gap in the standings are not so remote. As for the dynamics of the off-track excursion, Ferrari communicates that it was due to the failure of an experimental part of the gearbox. Nothing serious. Although it would have been essential to complete the test session. It will be discovered that the mysterious malfunctions seen on the track, including the two at Ferrari's gearbox, would be the indigestible fruit of powerful magnetic fields that suddenly activate near the track and disrupt the sophisticated electronics of Formula 1. Fortunately, the origin of these magnetic fields is - or rather, would be, because the theory is highly controversial here in the paddock - much less mysterious: it's all the fault of the Singapore subway. Which is modern, efficient, and very extensive. But unfortunately, it passes right under the track.
"It's a true story".
Giorgio Ascanelli, the technical director of Toro Rosso, one of the most experienced and knowledgeable men in F1, smiles.
"Obviously, there's no scientific evidence that it's like this. It could also be a coincidence. But at that point on the track, otherwise inexplicable damage has occurred in the last three years. Toro Rosso had the same thing happen to us in 2008 during Friday's free practice; we had to go pick up Sebastian Vettel. His car had stopped suddenly. Electronic problems with the gearbox. It had suffered damage caused by an external energy to the car that we could only explain with the presence of a very powerful magnetic field. Similar to what a train can generate when it passes. With all the electronics we mount on these cars...".
So, from that day on, the Toro Rosso team started installing Faraday cages to protect the most vulnerable parts of their cars.
"Yes, the ones you studied in school. I think other teams have also studied such systems. Also because the problem has occurred other times. If I'm not mistaken, even Mark Webber had to stop last year".
In short, among the thousand variables that determine the luck of a race, from now on, magnetic fields will also have to be considered.
"Of course. But not from now on. It's an old problem. Dating back to 1988 when the first maxi screen ever appeared at an F1 circuit paralyzed the Ferraris of Alboreto and Berger passing underneath".
On Saturday, September 25, 2010, the rain hits the circuit in the afternoon, ending three hours before the session starts, resulting in several damp patches on the circuit though the air temperature remains hot. Different sections of the circuit dry out at different rates, making it difficult for drivers to tell precisely how wet or dry certain corners are. The teams run intermediate tires before switching to the super-soft tire as the session progresses. Some drivers run deep into turn five. Vettel is the fastest driver of the session with a time of 1’48”028 set in the last twenty minutes of the one-hour period. The time is four-tenths faster than championship rival Alonso. Hamilton, Massa, Rosberg, Webber, Nico Hülkenberg, Kubica, Sutil, and Buemi complete the top ten ahead of qualifying. Hispania Racing driver Bruno Senna's right-rear tire gets onto a white line at the Singapore Sling chicane and spins. Senna later brushes a wall entering the Esplanade Bridge in the final minute and stops his car, causing the yellow flags to be shown; drivers are unable to improve on their lap times because of the limited time available. A few hours later, the feared rain is not present during the qualifying session, although the circuit still appears damp in certain sections due to the afternoon rain. Nevertheless, Q1 is interrupted by a red flag about ten minutes before the end: Felipe Massa's Ferrari is stranded on the track, and the marshals cannot safely remove it. The Brazilian reports an electronics issue. Having not set any times, he is last and eliminated along with the six drivers from the new teams.
In Q2, Alonso reports technical problems and is called back to the pits. Shortly after, Petrov crashes and damages the suspension. However, the Ferrari driver returns to the track soon and sets the fastest time, later beaten by Sebastian Vettel. Michael Schumacher makes it to Q3 after four races. In the final part of qualifying, Alonso sets the best time, with none of his rivals capable of beating him on the last lap. He invented this pole position. He did it, driving with anger in a Ferrari less fast, less effective, less reliable than the Red Bull, making two monstrous laps on a track muddled by equatorial rains and humidity, leaving the favorite Sebastian Vettel with only his presumption in the condition of having to make no mistakes. Back against the wall. And since presumption is the worst company on a car hurtling at three hundred kilometers per hour, Vettel made mistakes. Twice. Right in those two laps. Fatal errors. And so tonight, under the glare of the lights that illuminate one of the most challenging and dangerous tracks in the World Championship, Fernando Alonso will have no one in front of him at the start. On the horizon, only the abrupt incline to the left of the sparkling straight. An extraordinary opportunity to score maximum points and approach the leading pair. Of course, he must make no mistakes, must be perfect because it's true that it's difficult to overtake in Singapore, but it's also true that it's very easy to make mistakes, especially if the weather conditions - a decisive aspect more than ever in this race - are not optimal. And it's a safe bet: they won't be. Because it always rains here in the afternoon, and after that, the track never dries. So, the drivers don't know in what condition they will find the asphalt in the next 50 meters.
"It's like driving on a road paved with marbles".
This is the imaginative description of the sensation one experiences. It will be an endless race, in which between Safety Car periods and strategic choices, nerves will need to be kept steady. Alonso has decided to face it with the same ferocity as in qualifying. And the tone with which he responds to the journalist who asks if he is worried about starting from the first position - since this year, he has not gotten one start right - shows it well:
"For me, the start will be good. The car, the track, the race pace, and the weather will all be good. We have to do our best, and I think that after tonight, we are in the ideal condition to do it".
The wall of certainties erected by Fernando shows a crack, albeit tiny when asked about Felipe Massa. Despite all the summer controversies, he counted a lot on the help of the Brazilian in this final phase of the World Championship. He hoped that Massa would cover his back in difficult moments and take away crucial points from rivals. And instead, Massa will start last, on the other side of the battle. Not his fault, though. The car abandoned him at the most crucial moment. A gearbox failure, quite inexplicable:
"Suddenly everything blocked, gearbox, engine, and tires".
Having no more penalty problems, he can use a new engine. But it's a meager consolation. He had worked like crazy all Friday to fine-tune the car - it was his idea, successful for Alonso, to dismantle the F-duct - and found himself overwhelmed by colossal regret: without the breakdown, he wouldn't have contested the first position with Alonso and Vettel, but he would certainly have been able to defend his teammate from the attacks of Webber and Hamilton. And that wouldn't have been a small feat. So, Alonso's performance deserves applause. The Spaniard, after setting the fastest time in the first part of practice, immediately placed himself behind Vettel in the second to conclude the third, the decisive one, as the undisputed leader. The impression that his car was indeed there had already been felt on Friday when only a mechanical failure in the gearbox (again the gearbox) had hindered him in the fast lap (fast, said the Ferrari simulators, almost as fast as that of Red Bull). That impression was confirmed right away, even though the car showed a small uncertainty at the beginning of the second part of qualifying.
"The engine mapping was wrong. Fortunately, we had time to fix it at the last moment, and in the third phase, we were perfect. In the end, we managed to get 100% out of our car".
If Ferrari can understand and resolve the origins of so many technical difficulties overnight (two gearbox failures in twenty-four hours and a problem with the mapping of one of the engines are a frightening balance), Alonso can genuinely hope to reduce the gap from the top of the standings. Also because the performance of the two Red Bulls was more lackluster than expected and allowed both McLarens to achieve a truly unexpected exploit. On Sunday, September 26, 2010, the race begins at 8:00 p.m.. The conditions on the grid are dry and cloudy before the race; the air temperature ranges between 29 °C and 32 °C, and the track temperature is 31 °C; no rain is predicted during the race. Most drivers start on the super-soft compound tire. Alguersuari starts from the pit lane as his team discovers a coolant leak in his car. As the five red lights go out to signal the start of the race, Alonso maintains his pole position advantage heading into the first corner and withstands Vettel's attempt to pass him. Button gets an early advantage over teammate Hamilton, but Hamilton fights him to retain third place. Barrichello falls from sixth to eighth place. Kubica passes Rosberg at the start, but the German regains sixth position in the same lap. Further down the field, the early momentum is broken when Heidfeld, attempting to overtake both Force India cars at turn seven, hits Sutil's rear, damaging his front wing. Liuzzi subsequently goes into Heidfeld's rear-end after the latter squeezes him towards the wall, causing front wing damage to his car. Heidfeld makes a pit stop for a replacement front wing at the end of lap one, while Massa makes his sole pit stop for the medium compound tires. Liuzzi pulls over to the inside of the circuit on the third lap, at turn ten, with left-rear suspension damage resulting from contact with the wall. His retirement triggers the deployment of the safety car as marshals are required to push his car away from the track. Webber is the only top-running driver to pit for the medium compound tires during the safety car period on lap four. Red Bull tells Webber to enter the pit lane, assuring him that it is the right decision, though he questions the move. Several drivers towards the rear also choose to pit. Racing resumes at the end of lap five when the safety car pulls into the pit lane. Webber immediately pushes hard and passes Glock for tenth position, and a line of cars begins to form behind Glock.
Alonso begins to pull away from Vettel as he sets consecutive fastest laps. Webber passes Kobayashi at turn five to move into ninth on lap seven and withstands an attempt by Kobayashi to reclaim ninth heading into turn seven. Hülkenberg and Petrov's wheels make contact, and both drivers go off the circuit on the same lap; Hülkenberg manages to move ahead of Petrov with Massa taking advantage to pass Petrov. Webber catches Schumacher on lap 11 and passes the latter on the same lap at turn five after Schumacher runs wide. Vettel is told by his team to cool his brakes on the same lap as Alonso continues to extend his lead. Sutil gets ahead of Glock for eleventh place three laps later and starts to pull away from the queue behind Glock. Hülkenberg runs wide at turn seven on the same lap but does not lose any positions. Hülkenberg passes Glock in the first sector of the track for twelfth on lap 16. Vettel and Alonso trade fastest laps as they push hard in their efforts to build up a sufficient lead over Webber to maintain first and second positions after their pit stops. Massa, Petrov, Buemi, and Alguersuari all pass Glock on lap 17, thus eliminating the queue of cars. By lap 20, Alonso is leading Vettel by 3.2 seconds; he, in turn, is a further 11 seconds in front of Hamilton. Button is in fourth, 20 seconds behind Alonso, with Rosberg 3.3 seconds behind the World Champion in fifth. Webber changes his engine settings to give him a higher top speed in an attempt to get past Barrichello and decrease the time gap to Hamilton on lap 22. He avoids colliding with an Armco barrier at the entry of turn eighteen one lap later. Hamilton is told to increase his pace on the 24th lap to try to stay ahead of Webber after the pit stop phase. But his car has a large amount of oversteer, as his rear, Supersoft, compound tires begin to deteriorate, causing his lap times to drop off the leader's pace. Trulli drives to the pit lane and is pushed by his mechanics into the Lotus garage to retire with a hydraulic issue on lap 28. Hamilton makes the first scheduled stop for tires on lap 29 and re-emerges in eighth position behind Webber. Alonso and Vettel make simultaneous pit stops on the following lap; Alonso retains his lead despite Vettel's pit crew completing their pit stop first; Vettel avoids stalling and drives away in second gear.
With newer tires which provide more grip, Vettel records faster lap times than Alonso to close the time gap as the two come across slower cars. Kobayashi attempts to pass around the outside of Schumacher on lap 31, but the two make contact with Schumacher subsequently hitting a barrier. Kobayashi damages his Sauber, losing control of his rear-end, and crashes at the exit of turn 18 after his front wing is knocked off entering the corner. Senna is slow to react and buries his Hispania nose-first into the barrier alongside Kobayashi. These incidents call for the race's second safety car period to allow removal of both cars from the circuit which is on the racing line. Klien is pushed into his garage to retire with a hydraulic problem on lap 34. The safety car pulls into the pit lane at the end of lap 35, and the race resumes with Alonso leading. Hamilton gets a run on Webber who is caught behind di Grassi and lines up an overtaking maneuver on Webber and overtakes him on the Raffles Boulevard straight. Webber's front-right tire hits Hamilton's left-rear tire at turn seven. He escapes without significant damage, while Hamilton has a punctured tire and pulls off the circuit to retire for the second consecutive race. Webber feels vibrations on the front of his Red Bull car. His tire, which made contact with Hamilton's, has been pushed five millimeters (0.20 in) off its normal mounting on the rim, and Button draws closer to Webber who manages to maintain a good pace. On lap 37, Schumacher runs into the rear of Heidfeld's car and limps back to the pit lane to replace his damaged front wing creating sparks as it is dragged along the surface of the track, while Heidfeld retires after hitting a barrier. Button is urged by his McLaren mechanics on lap 42 to push Webber whose tires are older, while Vettel gradually closes the gap with Alonso. Hülkenberg, in ninth, makes an error on lap 44 which allows Massa to momentarily take advantage, but he fights back to retain ninth position. Kubica sustains a right-rear puncture on lap 46 and makes a pit stop on the same lap, rejoining in 13th. Upfront, Vettel has reduced the gap between himself and Alonso to one second by lap 50 as the pair continues to trade the fastest lap time. Glock starts to slow on the circuit and drives to the pit lane to retire. It is later confirmed that his retirement is the result of an issue with his car's hydraulic system. With the advantage of having newer tires which give him more grip, Kubica passes Alguersuari, Buemi, his teammate Petrov, Massa, Hülkenberg, and Sutil (who is holding up a queue of five cars) within nine laps. Vettel continues to pressure Alonso in the closing laps as the pair begins to encounter slower cars.
Kovalainen and Buemi make contact in the final sector of the lap, with the latter spinning around in front of the Toro Rosso, who is quick to avoid a head-on collision. Kovalainen's car suffers a cracked fuel tank pressure release valve, and he limps back to the pit lane, the rear of his Lotus catching fire during the final few turns. Kovalainen aborts the pit entry but does not make it much further as his car is consumed by the fire. Kovalainen stops on the main straight and vacates his car to extinguish the fire himself after members of the Williams team hand him a fire extinguisher. As Kovalainen is off the racing line, yellow flags are waved in the final corners instead of a safety car deployment. Vettel draws to within two-tenths of a second behind Alonso as the final lap starts, and comes across Sutil, Hülkenberg, Petrov, and Massa; both drivers manage to get past Petrov, and Alonso maintains the first position heading into the final sector of the track. The yellow flag for Kovalainen's car means that Vettel's final chance of an overtake, into the final corner, is denied, and Alonso takes the checkered flag on lap 61 to win the race, 0.293 seconds ahead of Vettel. Alonso secures his first grand chelem (winning the race from pole position with the fastest lap, while also leading every lap of the race) of his career, which is Ferrari's last until the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix, as well as the first since the 2008 French Grand Prix (both achieved across two drivers). Webber is third, 1.2 seconds ahead of Button in fourth. Rosberg, Barrichello, and Kubica take the next three positions. Sutil holds off Hülkenberg in the final sector of the track for eighth and ninth on the line with Massa in tenth. Petrov, Alguersuari, Schumacher, and Buemi finish one lap behind Alonso, with di Grassi and Kovalainen (despite his retirement) the last of the classified finishers.
"Throughout the race, I hoped that Fernando would crash into a wall".
Sebastian Vettel's helplessness, naively confessed after the finish line, is the best summary of what happened here in Singapore, in what could go down in history as the decisive race of the 2010 season. There was nothing to be done. For anyone. Fernando Alonso's superiority was absolute, indisputable, something that dominated the narrow streets of the city circuit from the first to the sixty-first lap, reducing everyone else to mere extras: the class leader Webber, the fiercest rival Vettel, the teammate Massa. With champions, it happens like this. In decisive moments, they emerge and make everything else disappear. Leaving only the echo of applause in the air. The victory completes a stunning series (three podiums, including two wins, in just four races) and brings Fernando's Ferrari within reach of Mark Webber's Red Bull, above Lewis Hamilton's McLaren. Now there is an 11-point gap from the leader, and a fifth-place finish earns ten points. But with champions, other things happen too. They manage, through charisma or force, to be followed, to push those who work around them. Exactly what happened to Ferrari, growing behind its leader until it became unrecognizable, until it became the gem it is now: a versatile and fast car that can compete on equal terms with Red Bull. Which is what happened in Singapore. Where the F10 grew from hour to hour, from Friday's practice when it hadn't convinced too much, to Saturday's qualifying when it seemed slightly below the Red Bull, to the race when, especially with the soft tires and the car at full load, i.e., at the start, it seemed decidedly superior. Tenths after tenths eaten up stubbornly, precious in this phase of the championship, like the nervous ability of the Spaniard who never seemed to suffer the pressure he had throughout the race. Monstrous pressure, more suffocating than equatorial humidity. Because before realizing the situation, Vettel tried to win. Indeed. He even started better than the Spaniard, who, as soon as he realized he had lost the initial sprint, decided to play defensively, immediately blocking the road to his rival. In Singapore, overtaking is very difficult, and Alonso took advantage of it. And after that initial almost contact, he engaged in a speed duel with Sebastian. Fast lap after fast lap. Fernando's goal was also to control Webber, who, starting fifth, had immediately changed tires (just like Felipe Massa, unlucky yes, but also incapable of a pass that was a pass) and tried to anticipate pit stops. The move only partially succeeded, so the Australian found himself in third place. And the only effort he had to make was to resist Hamilton's attacks. A task he fulfilled with too much determination, destroying the Englishman's car that was overtaking him. So the top two, lap after lap, pulled away, and when they had gained enough advantage (more than thirty seconds) on Webber to pit without too much risk, they stopped. Red Bull could try one last card, leave Vettel out for a few more laps to try to overtake Alonso by differentiating the strategy, but it was too risky, so they preferred to man-mark the Spaniard, settling for second place.
The race practically ended there. Apart from the last nerve-wracking lap when Vettel tried everything to overtake Alonso, who found himself in front of a wall of lapped cars, one of which, Kovalainen, was on fire, and the other, Schumacher, differently motivated. Keeping nerves steady and peacefully crossing the finish line was the final effort. Now, Ferrari's plan is clear. Although for obvious superstitious reasons, they prefer to talk about a dream in Maranello. At the end of the race, he enters the press conference room, wipes the sweat from his face, and begins the story. Starting from the last lap.
"We had been driving for two hours, with that crazy humidity, there had been Safety Cars and everything, there were yellow flags and the Lotus in flames on the side of the track, and suddenly I found myself in front of a group of five lapped cars. I couldn't pass them because of the yellow flags, but I had to be careful not to reduce the gap to Sebastian. I couldn't take any risks. I relied on the difficulty of overtaking on this circuit and on Vettel's need to take too many risks".
In Maranello, someone might have had a heart attack. Especially when it was understood that the first of the five lapped cars was Schumacher's.
"Yes, it was very difficult. But the whole race was tough. Physically, I mean. Probably Singapore is the toughest of the entire calendar. Two hours without a break, with 24 or 25 curves, immersed in humidity and heat with walls two centimeters away. That's why the victory means a lot to me. Monza is unique, winning here also means that the car works well even on circuits where a lot of aerodynamic load is needed. And this can be decisive for the championship. Four races are left, and now we know that we can be competitive anywhere. Thanks to the team, who did an incredible job".
At this point, would you bet on Ferrari for the final victory?
"It's still very tough. All five of us have the same chances. Webber, since he is in the lead with a decent margin, is the favorite. If he has a bad weekend, it wouldn't be a tragedy. For him".
What about the others?
"The others have to try to catch him. We will do our best. Maybe it's not enough, but we'll do it. Until the end, be sure".
Translating into percentages?
"There are five of us, we each have 20%. More or less. Mark a bit more. Anything can happen; each of us can win three consecutive races and take home the World Championship, or you can retire a couple of times and be mathematically out".
What will be the winning weapon?
"Keep the concentration very high, never make mistakes. And be convinced".
And are you at Ferrari convinced enough?
"This is a championship that lasts nine or ten months. In no other sport does it happen like this. Not even the football championship is so long. And it is impossible to think of being at 100%, focused, motivated, and energetic throughout the entire season, in all the races. What I can say is that now, in this phase of the championship, I am at the peak: 100% in terms of motivation and concentration. And it's good that this condition has come now. In other seasons, I remember that in September I was tired, all these trips, all these intercontinental flights... I was really stressed. This year, however, is different. I can't wait to go to Japan".
How will Ferrari adapt to the next four circuits?
"Some better, some less well, like Red Bull and McLaren. But it doesn't matter. What matters is always getting the most out of the car; then we'll see. After seeing the performance in Spa and the race pace we had here, nothing scares me".
Everyone is celebrating Alonso's triumph, but there is really something extraordinary in this victory, without taking anything away from Fernando's performance: the incredible work of the Maranello team that managed to revolutionize a situation that seemed compromised in a few races. We went from a car that was one second per lap behind the Red Bull to a car that is now the one to beat. Monza's victory, in short, can be said not to have been a coincidence, nor a triumph due to the unique characteristic of the Italian circuit, the only one where aerodynamic load counts for little. And already because now Ferrari is really competitive again. The miracle of the men from the Maranello team is all in the fact that they finally managed to find that aerodynamic load they had never had: no small feat because this is precisely the most difficult thing to do on a single-seater. You can suddenly find the reliability that was missing; you can find the horses you needed in a short time, but aerodynamic pressure, no: either you have it or you don't because it's not about changing something, but about redoing the whole car. Just to understand the point, you just need to see what happens every year in Monza: the best single-seaters in terms of aerodynamics are the ones that perform worse. And that's because the famous aerodynamic load, once you've found it, you can't easily let it go because it would mean redoing the car. It's not a matter of front wings, but of diffusers, shape, engine position, exhausts: everything contributes to achieving the decisive aerodynamic pressure that sticks the car to the asphalt. And all this, in a few months, Ferrari found it. So, if it is true that the strength of a team is seen in how it reacts to difficulties, then Ferrari deserves a medal.
"Revolutionizing the car and finding aerodynamic perfection now puts us in a position to fight for the World Championship victory".
Evidently, that medal, for now, moral, could now come in the form of a world title: with a car like the one seen in Singapore, the challenge is really possible.
"Why do I think we can really make it? Because we are in good shape, and above all because we are the team with the most experience. Ferrari has always been used to fighting for the title, and I, all in all, know something about championship fights".
After the euphoria and already regaining concentration for the Japanese Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso can't help but express a bit of healthy optimism. Understandable, given the fantastic race in Singapore. But also justified by solid technical considerations. Of which that on experience is only the first, although perhaps the most important. As demonstrated right here at the equator: in the analyses of the day after the race, with data in hand, it seemed evident that the strategy implemented by Vettel was not exactly the best possible. Certainly the most cautious. But certainly not the best. Because when Alonso, now safe from Webber's distant attack, came in for his pit stop, the German could have stayed out for another couple of laps and gained those seconds that would have been needed to overtake Alonso (whom he would then have been, as the race tells, faster in the last 30 laps). Of course, the move would have entailed its risks.
The tires were worn, the Safety Car was always around the corner (if it had come out, it would have compromised Sebastian's race), and the traffic had gone mad. And all in all, a second place is not that bad. But if you want to win - experience teaches - you have to take a bit of a risk. Red Bull didn't do it, and now they find themselves closely pursued by a formidable opponent: Alonso's Ferrari. And it is precisely the overall form of Ferrari that makes the Red Bull and McLaren men's wrists tremble. The Maranello team seems to travel in the wake of enthusiasm, deserved after an incredible chase. A kind of drug that makes them strong - especially on the nervous level - fast, and courageous. Ferrari's team principal, Stefano Domenicali, recounts:
"Everything started in the weekend in Valencia. Regardless of how the race went, I remember that I felt a click. That something had unlocked. We realized that we had to work on certain areas, the front and the bottom, and we focused on that".
The stroke of genius was to stop chasing the competition (after the setback in development and performance when trying to copy McLaren's F-duct) and develop their own project, their own idea of a car. A versatile and agile single-seater, perhaps a bit struggling on mixed circuits but capable of adapting well to both city circuits (Monaco and Singapore) and fast tracks (Monza). And so, a handful of months later, Ferrari is back to being the best. Or almost.
"Of course, the important thing is not to get carried away by emotions. We didn't get discouraged after Istanbul; we shouldn't get too excited now".
Domenicali repeats his mantra. But this time it's not just a mantra. Because if it's true that Ferrari has an excellent car, a great driver, high morale, and even the prayers of Sergio Marchionne ("I'm very happy with Alonso's victory, and since Sunday, I pray every day"), it's also true that they are facing one of the best cars ever designed (Adrian Newey's Red Bull) and behind a fierce and unfortunately for Alonso, experienced team (McLaren with the two world champions Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button). All this on a series of circuits not exactly suited to their characteristics. Except maybe Brazil, a place of sweet memories (Raikkonen's World Championship victory in 2007) but also particularly bitter (Massa's defeat in the World Championship in 2008). Anyway, the day after the feat, the president of Ferrari revels in joy. As usual, he enjoys it and crowns the work of the team. Luca Montezemolo says during the celebration, where everyone in the team is gathered in the pavilion of the new logistics:
"These victories are the result of teamwork, they don't come by chance or from the sky. Everyone, from the people on the wall to those involved in the pit stop or inside the box, from those in the factory to the drivers on the track, you have all contributed decisively".
Fernando Alonso is back in full contention for the world title. With four races to go in the season, the Spaniard is only 11 points behind Mark Webber, the leader of the World Championship standings. And, as the president said, he crowns those who deserve it, addressing the team directly:
"I am proud to be your president, and I am happy for Stefano Domenicali and all his collaborators who did not give up when the situation seemed very difficult. This is the team I want: made up of people who work in silence, who do not get discouraged in difficulties, and keep their feet firmly on the ground when things go the right way".
Stefano Domenicali also thanks the men and women of the team for what was done during the Singapore Grand Prix.
"We are on the right path, but the difficult part is coming now. When you have to make up such a significant gap as we had just over two months ago, the effort becomes even more challenging as you get closer to the goal, and when every point weighs like a boulder. The search for absolute reliability, improvement in performance, respect for the working method, concentration at every moment, and, above all, a lot of humility: this is the recipe we must follow in the coming, decisive weeks. Let's enjoy the joy of the Singapore victory for a moment, but then, immediately after, let's think about the Land of the Rising Sun".
The plan for Ferrari is clear at this point. Hold on in Japan, surpass Korea in the best way, win the World Championship in Brazil, and then celebrate in Abu Dhabi, the Maranello of the Emirates, where the theme park, a kind of Ferrari World, dear to Montezemolo, will be inaugurated. In Maranello, for obvious superstitious reasons, rather than a plan, they prefer to call it a dream. But the substance remains the same. After all, there are fewer races left to the end, and the horizon inevitably becomes clearer. The Red Bull - according to a somewhat simplified version of reality - performs better on tracks that require high aerodynamic load, McLaren on faster ones, Ferrari adapts well to both types of circuits and struggles a bit on mixed ones (like Spa). So, after an appropriate measure of caution, Stefano Domenicali tries to bring some order:
"Now, in Japan, I expect to face a significant comeback from McLaren, with Red Bull always at its levels. While we, a bit more, should suffer".
Then there is Korea. And here, a separate chapter opens. Because the circuit introduced this year is a double unknown. We don't know what type of track it is, but we don't even know if the race will actually take place. Construction work on the facility is behind, as Ecclestone admitted again yesterday, but he appears optimistic.
"What needs to be understood is: what happens if the Koreans don't make it in time? To cancel a race, the regulations require force majeure. We would obviously prefer to compete, maybe elsewhere. Anyway, let's see what happens".
After Korea, the race on which Alonso and company place a good part of their hopes. Brazil. That is the place where in 2007 Kimi Raikkonen won the World Championship (the first after Michael Schumacher), and in 2008 Felipe Massa lost it, for a corner.
"Our car adapts well to that track, so we should be very competitive again".
Actually, being competitive in Brazil will be an obligation for Ferrari because the next race, in Abu Dhabi, will be on a circuit not exactly designed for Ferrari.
"The truth is that in this final part of the season, with so many drivers within so few points, with cars so close from the performance point of view, it is really impossible to make predictions. We just have to stay focused, work a lot, especially on reliability, and avoid being played bad tricks by pressure".