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Fernando Alonso gets top marks, not as much Scuderia Ferrari. This is the personal report card by Luca Montezemolo, president of Ferrari, who draws the final balance of the season that ends with the Brazilian Grand Prix. Despite some clashes during yet another complicated year for Ferrari, the president expresses important words for the Spanish driver, who will finish in second place in the 2013 World Championship. The Spaniard tried to challenge the German Sebastian Vettel, who dominated the 2013 World Championship with his Red Bull securing the fourth consecutive title.
"What grade would I give Fernando Alonso's season? I'd say a solid eight on the report card. I think he is a really excellent driver. I've been alongside people like Niki Lauda, Alain Prost and Michael Schumacher, all of them fantastic. But Alonso is truly incredible in racing, he knows when it's necessary to push and when instead he needs to calm down to preserve the tires".
It is precisely the tires that have been a determining factor in the championship that is heading towards its conclusion. Ferrari has adapted worse than other teams to the changes introduced by Pirelli during the year.
"I never like to talk about excuses, and I prefer to think about the team's successes at the beginning of the season. In the first half of the championship we won two races, Ferrari was much more competitive. It's a fact... When the tires changed we paid a huge price and I don't like an F1 where a driver has to be careful not to destroy the tires. But the reason why I'm not happy and satisfied this year is because we failed to develop the car after the excellent start. That was our problem".
2014 will be characterized by a genuine regulatory revolution. And for 2014, with the shift from 2.4-liter V8 engines to the new 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 engines, Montezemolo foresees a positive turning point.
"I am thrilled that the rules are being changed. I don't like a championship where aerodynamics affects 90% of the performance. We don't build airplanes or satellites, we build cars. Engines, gearboxes, suspensions, these things are crucial too, especially for us because, as I said, our experience in Formula One allows us to transfer the technology to our cars".
Ferrari’s season nears its end and Fernando Alonso, on the eve of the Brazilian Grand Prix bids a special farewell to who has been his companion for four years, Felipe Massa:
"I wish Felipe all the best for next season, although I hope he's not too strong. We've had fun. We've always worked closely together, and we’ve built a friendship off the track too, partly due to the activities organized by the team, like the training in Lanzarote, as well as the time spent together in Madonna di Campiglio. We've shared good moments. On the track there were highs and lows, in Felipe's case usually related to the tires we had, like in 2011 when he struggled a bit more than me. But he has always been competitive and I hope that here, in his home race, in front of his home crowd, he can do well. I am sure that Ferrari, including myself, will give 120 per cent for him to have a good weekend".
Alonso has never won in Brazil, but this place holds a special meaning for the Spanish driver.
"Interlagos means a lot to my Formula 1 career. Every time I come here I feel a bit nervous because, in my 12 years in Formula 1, on four occasions I have fought for the World Championship on this track, something I would have never predicted. This year it’s a bit strange to arrive here without being in contention for the title, but we still have some important goals, especially in the Constructors' Championship. But it's not the same level of stress".
The weather forecast predicts possible rain on Sunday, November 24, 2013. Alonso is cautious:
"It's always a bit random here, rain can come at any time, but we are so used to racing at Interlagos in wet weather that when it rains it's almost normal. It's a bit strange with dry conditions".
The Spaniard is especially happy that he no longer has back problems following the incident in Abu Dhabi.
"My back is okay now, and I think I have spent the last two nights a hundred percent without any pain. I've been able to train in the gym and even do some jogging. In Austin I never thought of handing over the car to Pedro de la Rosa. Once you've flown there, and you're on the spot, then you race! However, if there had been only a week between Abu Dhabi and Austin, I wouldn't have been able to race".
The occasion is also good for a season review:
"This season has been more or less positive for us. Obviously every year you start with the World Championship in mind, so, when you don't win the title, the season has not been good enough. Therefore we have to do better next year. However I am very proud to finish the season in second place, because last year, even though we finished second in the Constructors' Championship, I was left with a bit of bitterness in my mouth because we had come so close to winning the Drivers' World Championship. This year second place feels better because we clearly did not have the second fastest car of the batch. I think that I realized that we couldn't win the World Championship in Germany or Hungary, because we were too far behind Red Bull in terms of competitiveness, and the Silverstone upgrade had not worked well enough. In Germany and Hungary, before the summer break, we were not competitive".
Finally, the Spanish driver doesn't hesitate when asked what is his best memory of 2012:
"It was Barcelona: I won two Grand Prix this year, one in China, the other in Barcelona, in front of the home crowd. With all the support I received it was a fantastic event for me. That day left me with the most beautiful memories".
Felipe Massa, moved, hopes to experience a special weekend:
"I hope to enjoy my last race with Ferrari. I want to thank everyone, including Stefano Domenicali, a great friend who has done so much for me. I want to have fun and finish with a good result, which would make everything even more exciting".
Massa will race with a special helmet, entirely dedicated to his history with Ferrari.
"It's my way of thanking the Scuderia for all these years together and expressing the great pride of having raced with this team. My gratitude goes to all the people I've worked with, been friends with, with whom I have shared various good and bad times".
The Brazilian driver won 11 races with the Maranello team, with the best one being the 2006 race exactly at Interlagos:
"That is the happiest memory of these eight years. For a Brazilian winning at home is something special, for Senna for example it was more important to win in Brazil than to win the championship".
Massa then reflects on the darkest moments in his history with Ferrari, recalling the 2010 Hockenheim race and the controversy that followed the team order, forbidden at the time, which cost him the victory in favor of teammate Fernando Alonso.
"The worst moment was undoubtedly the accident in Budapest in 2009 but I also have bad memories of the German Grand Prix in 2010. In any case Ferrari is every driver's dream, it was also mine as a child, my first racing suit was red. I'm lucky to have achieved it".
Massa's Formula 1 career will continue with Williams:
"I'm 32 years old now and I'm getting older but I'm still convinced I can give a lot to F1, with Williams it's another start and I believe it's the right time to change teams, there will be new rules and I think that at Grove there is everything I need to do well and I'm very happy and motivated. I'll do everything to make Williams great again".
In a last-day-of-school atmosphere, where only Sebastian Vettel seems truly motivated, with that mad desire to equal the record of records, thirteen triumphs in one season like Michael Schumacher with Ferrari in 2004, it's time for taking stocks and farewells, with Mark Webber's final race in Formula 1:
"I'm leaving while I'm still a champion, because I think it's the best way to honor Red Bull".
With the epilogue of Massa's Ferrari adventure:
"Brazil is the best place for a farewell, I still have a lot of work to do and a hopefully successful career, but in the meantime I will wear a new red helmet in the race to thank everyone in Maranello who has loved me".
Farewells, with the mind already looking at the future, as the cars in the free practices, if the weather allows it, will begin testing next season’s Pirelli tires, but also final balances and, in Ferrari’s case, many regrets for yet another championship as losers. Regrets that Alonso tries to downplay.
"We wanted to win the World Championship, it didn't happen and therefore we can't be happy. But I'm proud of what I've done, of my second place among the drivers despite not having the second strongest car. I won two races, in China and Barcelona, and especially the latter will be engraved in my memory forever, the mighty roar of my people. At Silverstone, Nurburgring and Budapest, I understood that there would be nothing we could do this year either. With the break we should have taken a significant step forward and instead for the second year in a row things got worse. I don't know why, I'm not an engineer, you’d have to ask Domenicali why we can't improve the car during the break: what I do know is that from the end of August onwards only Vettel has won".
Now he will try to give Ferrari the second place in the World Constructors' Championship.
"The pressure is lower, the stress is contained, but the motivations are the same as always. Not only that, the whole team has an important task, to help Massa finish on a high".
Then everyone will work for 2014.
"Where we have to fight for the World Championship. The goal is the same, but this time we would like to reach it".
He has already tested the new car in the simulator.
"At first it seemed undriveable, then it improved. And I'm sure that in Australia, on the debut, it will be an excellent car. Capable of making us dream".
Plot twist: with Felipe Massa's departure Fernando Alonso's life becomes more complicated. In fact the Spaniard will no longer be Ferrari’s lead driver in 2014. And these are not mere rumours or strategic analysis because it was Ferrari's president himself, Luca di Montezemolo, who made things clear:
"I don't like to talk about a number one and number two driver. Times determine who is number one".
Evidently Massa's performances have dug a significant furrow in the Maranello team management:
"Alonso knows he has to win for himself but also for Ferrari. Ours is a team and I want both drivers to act as team members and not just for a one-man show. They are two drivers with great experience and I think it is also in Alonso's interest to have a driver in the team capable of fighting with his rivals as is the case of Kimi".
Obviously anyone who remembers Alonso's incredible overtake in the pit lane at the Chinese Grand Prix against Massa knows that between the two of them it will most likely end in a clash: Fernando is tough and Kimi is no less so. And, above all, both of them are fierce when it comes to making things clear straight away. In other words, we are in for some excitement.
But why then sign someone like Raikkonen? Someone paid by Ferrari for a year to do nothing?
"With a car built on the basis of completely new rules we needed an experienced driver and this is important. And then let's not forget that Kimi is the driver who won Ferrari's last world title. I saw him very strong with Lotus, in good shape and very motivated. We needed a driver who could win races or at least take points away from our main competitors. I believe Raikkonen can do that".
Montezemolo then sets the goal for the next season, starting with some statistical data from the last few years.
"Being number one in F1 is not easy. But I always repeat that from 1997 until now, except for two years, we have always won the championship or lost it at the last race of the season. Despite several strong opponents like McLaren, Renault or Red Bull Ferrari has always been there, first or second. But while we have to be happy about this on one hand, on the other hand I want to win and I don't like to finish second. This is the goal for next year".
On Friday, November 22, 2013, the two Mercedes cars of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton take the lead in the timesheets after the first free practice session of the Brazilian Grand Prix, the final round of the World Championship, held at the Interlagos circuit. The German driver, in a rain-affected session, sets the fastest time of 1'24"781, outpacing his teammate by 0.449s. Sebastian Vettel secures the third position, 0.606s behind Nico Rosberg. Fourth place for Jenson Button, ahead of Fernando Alonso's Ferrari.
Mark Webber takes the sixth position, followed by Sergio Perez in seventh. The other Ferrari, Felipe Massa’s, places eleventh, while the two Lotus cars of Kovalainen and Grosjean finish in ninth and thirteenth positions respectively. Nico Rosberg continues his dominance in the second session too. Still in the rain the German of Mercedes laps the Interlagos circuit in 1'27"306, ahead of the Red Bulls of compatriot and reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel, and Australian Mark Webber. Heikki Kovalainen sets the fourth fastest time, followed by Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes. The first among the Ferraris is the one of Felipe Massa, author of the seventh time, further back Fernando Alonso, only eleventh. It’s better to think about 2014, as this season risks ending with yet another disappointment for Ferrari, a second place in the Constructors' Championship, with 10.000.000 euros more in the bank than the lowest step of the podium, practically an impossible goal to achieve, given that Mercedes, which already has a 15-point advantage, flies on the wet Interlagos track, with Rosberg dominating free practices and teammate Hamilton not far behind, while Ferrari is struggling, with Alonso more than 1.5s off the pace and Massa, supported by the home crowd and eager to make a good impression in his last time with Ferrari, who performs better than the Spaniard, but is still seventh at 1.2s. It's better to focus on the coming year, but even here those who love Ferrari already risk experiencing some stomach ache, when they hear a categorical Montezemolo affirm that Alonso will not be the number one driver, at least at the beginning he will be on equal footing with Raikkonen, the chronometer will decide who deserves to be the lead driver. A diktat that marks the end of privileges for the Spaniard and that is accompanied by a not-so-subtle message, a probable response to Alonso's dig the day before. An elegant way of saying I still finish behind Vettel despite Ferrari, to which Montezemolo replies in kind:
"Alonso knows he has to win for himself, but also for Ferrari. Ours is a team and I want both drivers to act as team members and not for a one-man show. They are two very experienced drivers and I think it is also in Fernando's interest to have a rival alongside him who can challenge him and fight with our main rivals".
Not someone like Massa, a pageboy or helper depending on the case, but a real warrior who can bring home results for the constructors' championship as well. Maranello, to replace the Brazilian, who bid farewell after eight years, could have bet on a young promise, but Montezemolo was against this. He wanted Raikkonen, at all costs:
"Because with so many new rules, we needed a driver with a lot of experience. Kimi won Ferrari's last world title in 2007, with Lotus he made a great comeback, I'm convinced he will help us a lot in our championship dream. Because I don't like finishing second, I can't take it anymore. In 2014 I want to win. Woe betide if we fail".
Even on Saturday, November 23, 2013, rain affects the third and final free practice session. The intensity of the rain decreases in the last fifteen minutes, allowing the drivers to switch to intermediate tyres. The fastest is Mark Webber, who precedes the two Lotuses of Romain Grosjean and Heikki Kovalainen. The other Red Bull Racing driver, Sebastian Vettel, only completes four laps, on rain tyres, and does not go out on track in the last part of the session. Due to the small number of sets of full wet tyres available, many teams prefer to do a limited number of laps with their drivers, with Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg and the two Ferraris not setting valid times. Max Chilton and Esteban Gutiérrez receive reprimands from the stewards for crossing the line that marks the pit lane, during free practice. In the afternoon the weather conditions improve compared to the morning so that, at the beginning of the qualifying session, all the drivers use intermediate tyres. The fastest of the first phase is Lewis Hamilton, ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg. Sauber driver Esteban Gutiérrez completes 14 laps during the session, but fails to qualify for Q2: along with the Mexican, also Pastor Maldonado, and the Caterham and Marussia drivers are eliminated. In Q2 drivers use intermediate tyres again. In this phase Romain Grosjean sets the fastest time, ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso. In the final moments of Q2, Sergio Pérez, is the author of an off-track excursion, which leads him to crash into the barriers. The session is thus interrupted with red flags.
The Mexican does not qualify for the decisive phase, along with his teammate Jenson Button, and Heikki Kovalainen, the two Force Indias and Valtteri Bottas. The start of the third and decisive phase is delayed by about half an hour, due to adverse weather conditions, with rain increasing again. Many drivers, however, already at the end of the first warm-up lap, return to the pits to switch to intermediate tyres. In this first phase Mark Webber sets the best time. But later, already on the first attempt, Sebastian Vettel manages to set an unbeatable time for the other drivers. For the German it is pole position number 45, the ninth of the season. The front row will be composed of Nico Rosberg, who precedes Fernando Alonso. The Spanish driver expresses mixed feelings, after securing third place in qualifying.
"We know that we improve our performance in the rain and we were looking forward to a wet race this year. It only arrived in the last race. Anyway, I am happy to finally be so far ahead on the grid, we started between sixth and tenth place in the last races. But I'm not completely happy with my lap. I lost a lot of time, I couldn't have beaten Sebastian (Vettel, ed) but second place wouldn't have been difficult. Anyway, I'm not sad, tomorrow we have all the opportunities in front of us".
The strongest driver of all time, as defined by Ecclestone, knows no pauses. Rain or shine, wind or oppressive heat, slippery asphalt or as smooth as a billiard table, Vettel is always there, destroying everyone, king of the poles, with the ninth of the season and number 45 of his career conquered in Brazil, at the end of a lottery-like qualifying, which lasted 40 minutes more due to the mass of water that had accumulated on the track, right at the beginning of the most exciting moment, when the ten best drivers try to start as far ahead as possible in the race. An impressive superiority, blessed by his team principal, Christian Horner, and by the driver himself, ready to admit that in certain weather conditions getting everything right is simply great. It is, as are the monstrous gaps inflicted, more than 0.6s on Nico Rosberg's Mercedes and a full second on Alonso's Ferrari, not to mention people like Felipe Massa (ninth), relegated to 1.6s. Huge gaps, capable of cancelling out, in absolute terms, the cunning of teams like Ferrari, really good at throwing their drivers into the best positions, waiting until the last good moment to send them out on the track, when the wet tyres were giving way to intermediates and the asphalt was drying. A daring and brilliant move, partly exploited by the Spaniard and not at all by Massa, eagerly awaited by the home crowd, it is his last race in the red suit, and in practice highly disappointing. Alonso on the other hand manages to achieve a third position that represents the best grid placement of the season, equal to Malaysia, China and Bahrain (last in order of date, on April 20, 2013), because in this World Championship Ferrari has never managed to give him not only a pole position, but not even a front row. The crazy weather has helped him, but he is the first to express regrets:
"Because I made a mistake at turn 4, went off track, lost 8 tenths and threw away second place. I'm not happy, I could have done much more. This means that I will try to beat Rosberg in the race, to help the team finish second in the World Constructors' Championship".
There would be 10.000.000 reasons to try, the amount in euros that the overtake on Mercedes is worth, and with this slippery asphalt it would also be possible: however, it would take another driver in the trenches, since the Germans also have Hamilton (fifth), but Massa found aquaplaning (as if it had been sunny for his rivals) and finished ninth. He claims he still hopes for a podium finish, but perhaps even a miracle would not be enough. Ferrari wants to try, knowing that Lotus is out of the game, as Vettel wants to conquer yet another record, thirteen triumphs in one year like Michael Schumacher in 2004, and prove Bernie Ecclestone right. Who in his verdicts also blames the change of engines, the switch to the 6-cylinder turbo, and praises Christian Horner:
"The best man to replace me. In a few years, of course".
On Sunday, November 24, 2013, at the start of the Brazilian Grand Prix Nico Rosberg immediately takes the lead, although Sebastian Vettel is able, already by the end of the first lap, to regain the lead of the race.
Third is Lewis Hamilton, who however resists Fernando Alonso only until the second lap. The Spaniard attacks and passes the Englishman at the end of the pit straight. Mark Webber, Felipe Massa, Nico Hülkenberg, Romain Grosjean and Daniel Ricciardo follow. During the second lap Hamilton is also passed by Webber. On the third lap Grosjean's race ends, as his engine explodes at Subida dos Boxes. A lap later Alonso takes second place, also passing Rosberg. The German, on lap 7, loses another position, to Webber. Jenson Button makes his way through the back of the field, starting from fourteenth place, but with a car set up for dry conditions. By lap 8, the Englishman is in eighth place. During lap 13, still on the pit straight, Webber takes advantage of Alonso's slipstream and overtakes him under braking. A lap later Button is seventh, having also overtaken Hülkenberg. The struggles of Mercedes with the tires are evident, with Rosberg being passed by Massa on lap 15. Five laps later the Brazilian is the first, among the front-runners, to change tires. During lap 22 Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton also return to the pits: however the British driver comes back on track behind Felipe Massa’s car, who thus gains a position and is fourth, behind Fernando Alonso. Two laps later Mark Webber also comes into the pits: the mechanics are not precise, and with a five-seconds long pit stop, they send the Australian back on track behind Fernando Alonso. Sebastian Vettel's tire change, on the other hand, is flawless. However Webber quickly manages to recover his position from Fernando Alonso while, further behind, Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton are fighting for fourth place. Neverthless the Brazilian Ferrari driver is penalized with a drive-through for crossing the line that marks the entrance to the pit lane twice, in an area where transit is not allowed. After serving the penalty Massa drops to eighth place. Jenson Button rises to fifth place, ahead of Nico Rosberg and Sergio Pérez. Subsequently, light rain begins to wet the track, but the intensity is so weak that it does not affect the drivers' driving. During lap 47 Valtteri Bottas tries to unlap from Lewis Hamilton: however the two cars touch on the rear tires. Bottas goes off track, and is forced to retire, while Hamilton, with a deflated tire, manages to reach the pits. The two Red Bull Racing drivers are called back to the pits, awaiting a possible entry of the Safety Car.
The mechanics, though, forget one of Vettel's tires and he loses several seconds; Webber too, now at the box, is forced to wait for the team to finish changing the tires on the German's car. Vettel and Webber maintain first and second place, but with a reduced gap to Fernando Alonso. Later Hamilton is penalized with a drive-through for the incident with Bottas, while Van Der Garde serves the same penalty for ignoring blue flags. During lap 65 Maldonado spins at S do Senna after a collision with Vergne. The rain, also expected in the final laps, does not arrive, so the standings remain unchanged, at least in the top positions. Sebastian Vettel wins for the ninth consecutive time, improving his streak of consecutive victories. The German secures his thirteenth win of the season, again equalling the record held by Michael Schumacher, set in 2004. Mark Webber ends his F1 career by securing second place and setting the fastest lap in the race. Worse than the most ferocious cannibals. It's true that only by breaking through the wall of exceptional achievements one can receive compliments from heads of state, with the proud German Vettel devouring with his eyes the praise from Chancellor Angela Merkel, published on her website and lavish with congratulations, it's true that achieving thirteen victories in a season on the track, a number of triumphs that only Schumacher in 2004 with Ferrari managed to conquer, is the stuff of steering wheel phenomena, but many at the end of the race wonder if the four-time World Champion had not done better leaving the victory to Webber, his teammate bidding farewell. Some people thought so, but not way: because Vettel is like that, just as his worthy master Schumacher was, he is never satiated, he would eat everything, at the cost of risking indigestion. The others, the so-called rivals, try to challenge him, but there's nothing they can do. Even at Interlagos his scream on the radio, something that all fans have become accustomed to, echoed loudly, like his determination, his desire to excel and his perfection. The asphalt was dry, but the clouds were not promising anything good, the unpredictable weather made everything complicated, damp and slippery asphalt, with a slight fog at the end and a few raindrops just to make everything more challenging. Moreover, for once, Vettel started poorly, allowed Rosberg to pass him and for one lap, the first, he had to bite the brakes as second (decisive overtake right under the finish line) and on lap 48, when he was by then the undisputed leader, the team lost a wheel at the pit stop, the right front, causing him to lose a lot of time.
In short, there were some hints for a different result than usual, and instead nothing to be done, once again he is the dominator, with the inevitable Teutonic anthems, his German one and the team’s Austrian one. Webber? Let’s leave him second, for goodness’ sake. After all Vettel, behind that forced grin, also knows how to be ruthless. In bidding him farewell he says:
"We didn't have a great personal relationship, but there has always been professional respect for each other and together we have done what was good for the team".
An elegant way of saying: we were never friends, why should I have given him anything? And then how can we forget the heated quarrel at the beginning of the season in Malaysia, with Vettel forcefully taking the victory and Webber telling him off, threatening that nothing would ever be the same again. The problem is that in this 2013 fighting with the German was impossible. Thirteen victories out of nineteen races, a stratospheric superiority. It might even be considered unrepeatable and in a way he admits it too, stating:
"I'm quite sad that this World Championship is over, because I never thought I could win so much. After the break I had exceptional weeks, the car kept improving. I hope such moments can be repeated".
He will do everything in his power to make them happen, claiming that after a short break he will get back to work immediately. Adrian Newey, the designer of Red Bull Racing, is ready to hand him a new jewel, the cannibal already has fork and knife in his hands. He insists: he wants to devour everyone again. Save yourself if you can. At the same time, on the other hand, there are rumours of a President Montezemolo angry over the penalty imposed on Massa, a drive-through that stains his farewell to Ferrari and prevents him from stepping onto the podium. Montezemolo speaks on the phone with the drivers otherwise he locks himself in a strict silence, but some people swear that he will already thunder against the race stewards today. Massa, on the other hand, does so immediately, lacing what was supposed to be an emotional farewell with bitterness.
"These judges feel like kings, free to sanction anything, against all common sense. It's true, I crossed the pit entry line, but I didn’t gain an advantage, I didn't overtake opponents, I didn't jeopardize my safety. With that drive-through they destroyed my race and I wasn't the only one who committed that infringement".
Except the others were spared. Even Domenicali talks about ignored common sense, about disproportionate punishment.
"Massa was fourth, they pushed him back. To think that Alonso was ready to let him pass: he had voluntarily decided to give him the podium".
However for Massa, of this last day with the red suit, only a T-shirt will remain, worn by all the men of the team, with the inscription Obrigado Felipe, with the mechanics' applause before the race and the maxi souvenir photo with champagne taken at the box in the evening. Instead Webber's farewell, on the emotional front, was quieter. He wanted to experience a unique emotion: during the lap of honour he took off his helmet and drove with the wind in his hair.
“I wanted to hear the roar of the crowd properly".
He is convinced that he called it quits at the right moment and has no regrets about the second place.
"These have been wonderful years, I will never stop thanking Red Bull. Formula 1 has filled my heart, but now I can't wait to get into a Porsche. For my new challenge".
He had promised the team:
"I will do everything to beat Mercedes and take the second place in the constructors' championship".
And he had sworn to Felipe:
"If you catch up with me and overtaking me means a podium, I'll step aside, because you deserve a great closing party".
The good-hearted Alonso failed to keep his promises, but this time it wasn't his fault. There is no second place in the constructors' championship, by just 6 points, there is no happy ending, in terms of an excellent result, in Massa's Ferrari adventure, but there is a rediscovered podium for the Spaniard, something that had been missing since the 22nd of September, since the Singapore Grand Prix, with a brilliant third place, almost at the same pace as the Red Bulls. Alonso says at the end of the race:
"The car worked very well here. It was a complicated race, difficult for everyone, unfortunately we were expecting rain and it didn't come. On mixed conditions we can't keep up with Vettel and Webber, we knew that, with rain it would have been different. However I still consider this podium as a good omen for the future, a good starting point for a 2014 that must be a winning one, at all costs".
As for himself, he is ready not to back down.
"I hope that next season will take a completely different direction. In December I will spend several days in Maranello, to test on the simulator, as well as to participate to the Ferrari's Christmas events. I'll have few holidays, I will also start my physical preparation immediately. I have great motivation: I know that Red Bull is very strong, but I trust Ferrari, its people, its philosophy. We can beat them, sooner or later we must succeed".
It is evident that he has a great desire to draw a line over this 2013, disappointing even if it ended with the usual second place in the drivers' championship, and to turn his gaze to the future. The present, however, is also a sincere farewell to Massa.
"I am sad about the unfair drive-through he received, it cost him the podium. When I realized he was fourth, I imagined a big celebration for him. He has been a fantastic teammate and a great friend, the colour of the suit won’t divide us for sure. We had a lot of fun together, both on and off track".
Raikkonen will be the partner with whom to launch the assault on the World Championship. A title that Alonso no longer wants to let slip away. Knowing that he can count on the great reliability of the car (the Ferrari engine is the only one that has never broken down during this season), but with a very specific request: if you want to win the title, you cannot spend an entire year away from the front row. After the conclusion of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Luca Montezemolo takes stock of a tiring and painful World Championship for Ferrari and looks with hope to 2014, which will see the return of Kimi Raikkonen in place of Felipe Massa. On the other hand, the president demands answers from his team:
"Definitely a year to forget, a disappointing season. There are mainly three reasons for this and I have them clearly in mind. The first was the inability to develop the car in the second half of the season: I want explanations because, if we don't understand the reasons, then it's a bad sign. The second is the tires, without looking for excuses. We built a car for certain tires, with which we proved to be very competitive. Then the tires were changed, certainly leading to disadvantages for us and advantages for others. Furthermore, there was an interpretation of the regulations by a team that was strange to say the least and a related sentence that was rather Pontius Pilate-inspired. While the former reason will be discussed among ourselves, the latter will be discussed in the appropriate places. Finally, we missed Massa’s points in the World Constructors' Championship. Now we have to understand what happened this year and work better for the next".
In the Formula 1 environment, there is also chatter about Ferrari's lack of political weight:
"I've been hearing about this story since I worked with Enzo Ferrari in the 70s. We have an agreement with Ecclestone and the FIA and we are the only team that has a veto right: more political weight than that is not possible! We are aware of our strength in Formula 1 which, without us, would be something else entirely. That said, it's true that weight is also given by a winning car and that's what was lacking. The rest is just idle talk".
Regarding the penalty given to Felipe Massa at Interlagos, Montezemolo says:
"I think it was disproportionate and unfair, just as Hamilton's was: if Felipe had kept fourth place we would have finished second in the World Constructors' Championship. Sometimes the gentlemen who show up at the races to be Stewards make decisions that are a little ridiculous and anachronistic. You must be careful, I say this for credibility, for the work of teams that invest money and for drivers who risk their lives".
And then he acknowledges that:
"Fernando Alonso is right to be proud of the second place: he had a great season. We need to give him a faster car and he will get the most out of it. Eight instead of ten as a grade? My eight is worth a ten because this is a grade I give as an incentive: I hope to give it to him next year and to give an eight, at least, to the team. For next year I would like to give him an even better car than Red Bull. Let's not forget that we know how to do it: just think of the five-year period 2000-2004, the successes of 2007 and 2008. I thank him for his commitment and determination this year and for his willingness to leave the podium to Massa last Sunday in Brazil, a demonstration to the great atmosphere in the team. It is not Newey who is his rival: the drivers are, starting with Vettel, Hamilton and a much-matured Rosberg; furthermore, there is a Raikkonen who will try to win, to be a stimulus to him and to bring us those points that have been missing this year".
Ferrari is set to start the 2014 World Championship with Alonso and Raikkonen, a duo that promises great results on track and that, according to the president, is not at risk of falling apart:
"Those who have the honour and responsibility of driving for Ferrari must think first of all of the team and not of themselves - Montezemolo clarifies immediately - none of our drivers will ever harm the other. Alonso is perhaps the strongest driver during the races that I have ever encountered, although it is always difficult to make comparisons with the past. We brought Raikkonen back for his experience, for what he has done in these two years and because he is much loved, inside and outside the team. I was very pleased with the enthusiasm for his return, both inside and outside. I am sure they will help each other".
The statements of Bernie Ecclestone, who has defined Sebastian Vettel as stronger than Ayrton Senna, do not impress Ferrari’s president:
"Ecclestone speaks according to convenience but there is no doubt that he is a great driver. He is a serious guy, who has won a lot and therefore deserves respect. I congratulate him and Red Bull. Vettel to Ferrari? God works in mysterious ways but now the drivers are certainly not our problem".
And then he announces:
"Our goal for 2014 is to build a car that can win. A great reorganization has been done and valuable technicians like Allison have arrived - or returned. There will be new regulations that will allow to do more in areas, such as the engine, where there is great expertise here. We have valid reasons to be optimistic: there are all the necessary ingredients to win. We have come close to success too many times, now we have to win, I just hope there are no unclear aspects that will affect it. Forbidden to make mistakes? It will be like that for everyone".
For the world of Formula 1 it is almost a mournful event. In fact he curtain falls on the era of the V8 2.400 cc in the FIA World Championship, a very important event, as these eight years of uninterrupted presence have made it the longest- running engine in F1 history. The most successful engine manufacturer of the V8 era is Renault. In 2013 Infiniti Red Bull Racing and Renault Sport F1 won their fourth consecutive F1 World Constructors' Championship. This is the first time in more than twenty years that a constructor-engine supplier association has achieved such uninterrupted success. This kind of performance is almost entirely unprecedented in F1 history, as only McLaren and Honda achieved a similar result between 1988 and 1991. In 2006, the French manufacturer won the first world title of the V8 era with its Renault F1 Team, and with this latest title, the circle is closed. The 2013 title brings the number of Constructors' Championships won by Renault to 12. During the V8 era, the brand has contributed to the victory of five drivers' championships. Behind the wheel of his Renault F1 Team, Fernando Alonso inaugurated the series, becoming the first champion of this era in 2006. In 2010 Sebastian Vettel's reign was established and the young German won his first title. He then continued to monopolize victories in 2011 and 2012, until the 2013 Indian Grand Prix, when he became World Champion for the fourth time. This triumph allowed Vettel to equal the palmarès of Alain Prost, Renault's ambassador, four times winner of the World Drivers' Championships. Alain Prost states:
"I am delighted that Sebastian won the title. He is a great driver and he has achieved some magnificent victories this season, definitely among the most beautiful of his career. Singapore was one of these; even if from the outside it might have seemed like an easy race, he put in a lot of effort from start to finish. That's what distinguishes the greatest. You can notice his methodical approach and his ability to gather around him a team that is 100% motivated to lead him to victory, because he only cares about the final result. He is a great champion and I am sure that this title will not be his last. His team is excellent, the technical structure around him is stable, both within his team and on the Renault side, and, of course, he is still young enough to face new challenges. I am glad that he has equalled my four titles. I wish him good luck for the rest of his career, he will surely achieve more victories and will be a great Renault champion".
Plot twist: one of the geniuses of F1, Ross Brawn will resign from his position as team principal of Mercedes at the end of 2013. The one who announced this on Thursday, November 28, 2013, in a statement, is the British engineer himself, one of the architects of Michael Schumacher's successes with Ferrari. Rumours of a farewell to the Brackley team had been circulating for days and Brawn thus decided to formalize the news that was taken for granted in the circus. He will be succeeded by the two executive directors of the team, Toto Wolff and Paddy Lowe.