Apr.19 (PVM) After a dismal weekend in China, Ferrari touch down in Bahrain with no updates for the their below par F2012 and playing down expectations at a venue which in the past has been very kind, regarding results, to the Italian team.
Ferrari crew set up the team’s pit area in Bahrain
On their website the team declared, “It’s difficult to see how one can expect a different scenario to the one we witnessed in Shanghai. However, that does not mean the team arrives in Bahrain resigned to its fate; quite the contrary. Even though there are no updates on the F2012, the team is absolutely determined to do its utmost to bring home a good result”
Of the seven previous editions of the Bahrain, four have been won by Ferrari: 2004 with Michael Schumacher, 2007 and 2008 with Felipe Massa and 2010 with Fernando Alonso, with the Spaniard bagging two wins during tenure at Renault.
But team principal Stefano Domenicali, who returned to Maranello straight after Chinese GP, acknowledges the difficulties that have beset his team in the opening races, “We knew we would have problems in Shanghai and Sakhir. Of course, we’re unhappy at not being able to bring home the points tally we could have done in China. I think we had the potential to at least get Fernando into the top five and Felipe into the points, but both of them spent almost all their time in traffic and, especially in the Spaniard’s case, never managed to lap consistently with a clear track ahead of them.”
Ferrari scored an unlikely victory in Malaysia
Also admitting, “As a result of the lack of top speed, Fernando therefore had to try and overtake at other parts of the track and take risks. In Bahrain, we will try and limit the damage more effectively, as we did not manage to do so in China. Above all, we will have to get the most out of the tyres, both in qualifying and in the race.”
“Understanding when and how much can be got out of the tyres has been the key factor to this first part of the season,” continued Domenicali. “It can make the difference and we must improve our ability to analyse and predict their behaviour.”
However it is not just doom and gloom for the world’s most popular F1 team, as they will no doubt be inspired by Alonso’s remarkable win against all odds in Malaysia which has limited the damage done to their title aspirations, with their seriously below par 2012 car.
With reference to the Sepang triumph, Domenicali points out, “This has to be a stimulus to further speed up our car development. The real contest in these weeks is the one taking place in Maranello, where everyone is pushing strongly to try and find any available hundredth of a second in performance terms, in every area. We will have a few new things in Mugello.”
Although no updates are expected to be bolted o n to the F2012 in Bahrain, different story come the next round in Spain. Domenicali revealed, “It we will take right up to the last available day prior to the Spanish Grand Prix to introduce the very latest updates. I am sure that our rivals will also be doing the same, so it will be a case of showing that we can be cleverer than them and do a better job.”
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