Ferrari and Alonso getting on terms

Ferrari started the season with the best possible result, they beat everyone. Neither was it that unexpected, they had spent the best part of last year developing their ‘10 car at the expense of the ‘09 car, they had Felipe Massa back, and the former world champion Fernando Alonso joining to take them back to the front. Since then however it’s gone downhill and fast. We’re seven rounds in and they are only in touch because the other teams have squabbled over the wins.

So what has happened? Some of it is simple mistakes, they got in wrong in qualifying for the Malaysian GP and then add to that Alonso practice crash in Monaco and his latest error in Turkey that ensured a 6th row start and it’s always going to be hard to rack up serious points. Massa hasn’t been himself all season though whether that is Alonso showing his form or Massa not being up to it we can’t know. That is without reliability issues that have cost Alonso points.

The car also isn’t fast enough, they can’t keep pace with the McLarens or the Red Bulls and it seems both Mercedes and Renault have overhauled them in the raw speed stakes at the European venues. Their development hasn’t had the effects they wanted and they need to push harder if they want to get back to the front. Alonso himself has remarked on how fast Ferrari developed the car when he was racing against them and it’s not like they don’t have the people or the facilities.

The car will show better when they sort out the qualifying performance and may be able to challenge the Mercedes and Renaults but it will need an injection of performance to match the McLarens and the Red Bulls. If anyone can drag a slightly slower car around faster than it should it’s Alonso as he showed at Renault but that’s not what we want to see him do, we want to see him in a car that can truly challenge for the win. Come on Ferrari, treat us and Alonso/Massa to the car that they deserve and can fight for wins with.

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