By the Scuderia Ferrari's own admission, the Chinese Grand Prix must be a turning point in its difficult start to the 2009 season. After the first two rounds held in Australia and Malaysia, the team has yet to record a single championship point; it is Ferrari's worst season start in over 15 years.

Following the Malaysian race, Team Principal Stefano Domenicali quickly saw the urgency in the current state of affairs: "Clearly we have to extricate ourselves from this situation."

Once back in Italy shortly thereafter, the mood was filled with tension during the race debrief held at Maranello HQ.

"I met some very angry people and I'm using an euphemism here," Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo stated after the meeting. "Angry with themselves, but very determined to react."

"The team remains united and I believe in them," he added.

Amid calls from management that every person within the team take responsibility for their role in the championship campaign, Ferrari has proceeded with a reshuffle in order to tackle the situation and turn their results around.

"The goal is to anticipate as much as possible the introduction of new technologies to reduce the performance gap as fast as possible," reads a Ferrari statement.

Technical Director Aldo Costa has been put in charge of the new task force. Team Manager Luca Baldiserri joins him in coordinating the work accomplished at the Maranello factory, while remaining in close contact with the data being recorded at the circuits. With Baldiserri staying in Italy, on-site activities will now be covered by Chief Track Engineer Chris Dyer.

The challenge Ferrari faces is not only of a technical nature however: strategic errors occurred as well. In Malaysia, a qualifying blunder saw Felipe Massa standing in the garage while the Q1 timer ran out, and come race day a bad tyre call ahead of the oncoming rain dropped Kimi Raikkonen several positions down the order.

Ferrari will be bringing a modified front wing to China as the team hopes to gain back some ground, and (depending on what happens at the FIA Court of Appeal hearing on Tuesday) team engineers will begin implementation work on a 'double-decker' diffuser design.

Along with Renault, BMW and Red Bull, Ferrari has appealed the race stewards' decisions to green-light the contested diffusers used by the Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams teams at the Australian and Malaysian races. Chief designer Nikolas Tombazis and design consultant Rory Byrne will represent Ferrari at the hearing.

The Court of Appeal's decision is expected to be known Wednesday. If it approves the controversial diffuser design, the seven other teams will enter a new type of race as they rush to redesign their own diffusers... and it is a sure bet that they have already begun to look into it.

Daniel BASTIEN
© CAPSIS International

 

I think it is my fault…
I should not have gotten the Scudi

 

Don't be so hard on yourself! I bet your Scud money went straight to the F1 team! Ferrari just felt the need to screw up because their friends at McLaren were screwing up so bad...

I'd be willing to bet that most of the those teams have already developed a new rear wing and have even done a little testing. If the wing is approved, the new wing will be on the car in time for China.

 

In other news, Ferrari announced their new major sponsor, Captain Obvious.

Seriously. For the kind of money Ferrari commits to this program, plus Bernie's annual bribe millions, if that hasn't been the mindset all along then what the hell is going on in Maranello.

As for the diffuser situation, if both Ferrari and McLaren do not have a double diffuser design ready to bolt on TODAY in anticipation of the ruling results then some engineering heads in both camps need to roll.

 

Hey, I'm doing my part! I bought a $600 key!!

 

Mabrook Dana....
You poser you

 

Now thats funny!

 

Poser!!!!

 

Thank you for doing your bit to aid the prancing horse .... oh and by the way you are officially a poser........ jk the key looks awesome