Ferrari up for title challenge with Alonso win
Domenicali seems to have changed his mind after Fernando Alonso stormed away with a win at the Italian Grand Prix.
MONZA:
Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali seems to have changed his mind after team driver Fernando Alonso not only ended Red Bull’s domination over pole positions this season, but also stormed away with a win at the Italian Grand Prix.
Domenicali, who had earlier claimed that the outcome at Monza would prompt his team to abandon its championship challenge, now believes his team is at the centre of the fight for the title.
Alonso is now third in driver’s world championship, 21 points behind Red Bull’s Mark Webber who tops the rankings, and teammate Felipe Massa is sixth with a substantial deficit of 63 points.
“The win has come at just the right time and at the right place,” said Domenicali referring to Alonso’s pointless finish at the Belgian GP that gave the team a huge setback for the title. “This season continues to throw up surprises: after the knock back in Spa, it might have looked as though we had had it, but we were not ready to think that way.
“Now the championship situation has opened up again, even if we are still up against very strong opposition.”
Brawn denies rumours
Mercedes team manager Ross Brawn has rubbished claims that his team will tailor its 2011 car around the driving style of Michael Schumacher who has had a bleak season so far, regularly outraced by teammate Nico Rosberg.
There have also been rumours about the German quitting by the end of the year, but Schumacher’s spokeswoman claimed they were untrue. “When he entered into the whole comeback scenario, he was fully informed about the situation with the car. That’s why he chose it to be a three-year contract — you cannot expect to come back and win straight away in that situation.” AGENCIES
Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th, 2010.
Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali seems to have changed his mind after team driver Fernando Alonso not only ended Red Bull’s domination over pole positions this season, but also stormed away with a win at the Italian Grand Prix.
Domenicali, who had earlier claimed that the outcome at Monza would prompt his team to abandon its championship challenge, now believes his team is at the centre of the fight for the title.
Alonso is now third in driver’s world championship, 21 points behind Red Bull’s Mark Webber who tops the rankings, and teammate Felipe Massa is sixth with a substantial deficit of 63 points.
“The win has come at just the right time and at the right place,” said Domenicali referring to Alonso’s pointless finish at the Belgian GP that gave the team a huge setback for the title. “This season continues to throw up surprises: after the knock back in Spa, it might have looked as though we had had it, but we were not ready to think that way.
“Now the championship situation has opened up again, even if we are still up against very strong opposition.”
Brawn denies rumours
Mercedes team manager Ross Brawn has rubbished claims that his team will tailor its 2011 car around the driving style of Michael Schumacher who has had a bleak season so far, regularly outraced by teammate Nico Rosberg.
There have also been rumours about the German quitting by the end of the year, but Schumacher’s spokeswoman claimed they were untrue. “When he entered into the whole comeback scenario, he was fully informed about the situation with the car. That’s why he chose it to be a three-year contract — you cannot expect to come back and win straight away in that situation.” AGENCIES
Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th, 2010.