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RSSMcLaren and Ferrari Gets Ready for the Final Move
BUDAPEST- Formula One began its mid-season break on Monday despite vows from sport’s heavyweights Ferrari and McLaren that there would be little let-up as they began preparations for the decisive stage of the season.
Both teams will be offering welcome time off to drivers and mechanics in a three-week pause from official test sessions before the European Grand Prix in Valencia on Aug. 24.
But serious work will go on at the respective bases after Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix maintained the tension at the top of the standings.
“We showed the worth of our team and our drivers but we lacked the total reliability which is absolutely vital,” comments Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicalli after Felipe Massa missed out on taking the overall championship lead due to an engine failure just three laps from the chequered flag. He adds that a three weeks of hard work preparation will be required before the European Grand Prix.
Ferrari also has found out a mechanical problem with Kimi Raikkonen’s car and instructed the Finn to ease up on the final laps. But Domenicalli stresses that the two faults were unrelated. Raikkonen got the car home in third place behind McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen and Toyota’s Timo Glock as Ferrari stayed on top of the constructors’ championship.
Lewis Hamilton’s fifth place following a puncture in the race’s middle section has made the McLaren man to stay on top of the drivers’ standings. Raikkonen climbed to second place, just five points behind. Massa ended third, eight points behind Hamilton.
Despite their technical setbacks, Ferrari could relax on the blistering pace shown by Massa, on his daring pass of both Kovalainen and Hamilton at the first turn.
“We obviously cannot say that everything is one hundred percent. We will have to push very hard these next three weeks in the factory in terms of the car’s development and reliability,” comments Massa after the disaster.
“If we had been out in front then it perhaps would have been a little different, but they showed some really strong pace,” said Hamilton. “We already knew they were fast. It’s just you guys (in the media) who seem to think there’s a huge difference.”
After the comment on last week that he feels need for a holiday, Hamilton seemed to have talked himself into a few extra press-ups. “I think Lewis has definitely set himself up for a more intense training program for the next three weeks by saying that”, commented team boss Ron Dennis.
Tags : Formula one, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, Mclaren, European Grand Prix, Toyota
Dashed were the hopes of all Ferarri fans as Hamilton won the first Grand Prix of the season. Having qualified on pole, Hamilton led for the majority of the 58-lap race around Albert Park before crossing the line 5.4 seconds ahead of Nick Heidfeld’s BMW Sauber with Williams driver Nico Rosberg back in third as only seven cars made it to the finish. But while McLaren were celebrating, it was a disastrous weekend for rivals Ferrari as both Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa retired with engine failures, although the former did subsequently gain a solitary point after Rubens Barrichello’s Honda was disqualified for a pitlane infraction.
Lewis Hamilton fans rejoice. The Mclaren driver has started on the right foot for the Australian Grand Prix for this Sunday. He has got pole position dropping out Robert Kubica of BMW. It’s going all good for McLaren as Heikki Kovalainen came third.
Will this year again see the 2007 winner Kimi Raikkonen taking a podium finish or will it be a battle for the first race of the new season. All remains to be seen on the 16th of March with the ING Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne the fist race of the 2008 season. Lewis Hamilton and Raikkonen have seemed to developed a need to go head to head against each other The rivalry will be settled and pride scorned or heaped upon the first winner. May the best man win.
