F1: Scuderia Ferrari- Team preview

Ferrari at this year’s Suzuka GP

Ferrari, the 63 year old Formula One racing team has been losing its dominance to the Red Bull Racing team. Recalling the season after 14 races, the ratio of podium positions of Ferrari to Red Bull was 9:8 and this year it is 9:15. This calculation shows that the Austrian team is at par of the “Prancing Horses”. There is one young 26 year old driver behind the shooting high of the Bulls—Sebastian Vettel—one driver who has destroyed the hopes of the other drivers in winning the most precious award in auto racing; The Driver’s title.

Fernando Alonso, their main driver has managed only two wins, one in China and other in his home Grand Prix, Spain. Felipe Massa is yet to win a GP this year; the Brazilian had just one podium finish which was also in Spain. In the ongoing year, Ferrari stands second in the Constructor’s Championship, 118 points behind Red Bull and has advantage of just one point over Mercedes. There is lot of possibility of watching the Italian team beaten by the duo of Nico Rosberg-Lewis Hamilton by the end of this year.

In the driver’s title, the second title contender, Alonso is 77 points behind Vettel, who could be crowned the World Champion in the coming weekend if everything goes his way. The Spaniard cannot do much about it so he should try and defend his second position which looks in danger; seeing Hamilton cutting his gap from him. The previous race, Korean Grand Prix was not a great one for the Ferraris; they were off the podium after being there for three races in a row from Belgian to Singapore.

Felipe Massa

He has only five races left for Ferrari as Kimi Raikkonen will be replacing him in 2014 season. Massa has not had a great year; he is on the seventh position with 89 points. He can be defeated by the Frenchman Roman Grosjean for the seventh position as he is just 17 points ahead of the Lotus driver. With already two retirements in the season, he cannot afford to have any more bad races. Massa has out-qualified his Spanish teammate five times, which shows his driving capabilities. He has to execute them on the race day. After the announcement of Raikkonen joining Ferrari next year, Massa has decided to not compromise his wins for Alonso’s victories. In the previous race he finished ninth, he might want to do well in the upcoming Japanese GP.

Felipe Massa in 2013

Number of race starts	14
Wins	Nil
Pole positions	Nil
Podiums	1

Fernando Alonso

He has been the most consistent driver in the last two or three seasons. Although he doesn’t have the fast car, he always manages a podium finish. The P5 is his lucky position, only in the rarest of the rare races like the last weekend’s Korean Grand Prix; he fails to come on the podium even after starting fifth on the grid. His current position in the driver’s title is second, way behind Vettel. With Raikkonen nearing to the first runner’s up place, a single race can change Alonso’s fate completely. Japanese GP in the weekend will showcase his position in the race of the driver’s title.

Fernando Alonso in 2013

Number of race starts	14
Wins	2
Pole positions	Nil
Podiums	8

Ferrari will try it’s best to delay Sebastian Vettel’s party for the fourth straight Championship. Ferrari’s team principal, Stefano Domenicali, said in an interview after the Korean Grand Prix “We know it is almost impossible to win the title, so congratulations to him (Vettel) and to what they are doing because at the end of the day if they have (the title) they deserve that.” Alonso is known for his strong fight back, so although his team must have lost hopes, he will still fight till the last race.