The Chinese Grand Prix this weekend produced signs from McLaren Mercedes that the Woking-based Anglo-German team is starting to improve its competitive position after a shaky start to the season with both its drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen, finishing in the points in Shanghai.
Sadly, the same cannot be said for McLaren’s old Italian rivals Ferrari who are enduring their worst start to a campaign for years. With no points for either of their drivers in China and no points at the first two races in Australia and Malaysia, the Scuderia are firmly at the bottom of the league and already there is talk of them abandoning development work on this year’s car.
The suggestion was made at the weekend by the seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher who is retained as a consultant by Ferrari and who believes the moment is already not far away when the team will have decide whether it would not be better to switch its attention to next year’s machine and effectively write this season off.
That is exactly what Brawn GP did this time last year, when still under Honda ownership team principal Ross Brawn realised the 2008 challenger was hopelessly off the pace. Now he is reaping spectacular rewards as a result, with his two drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello in first and second places in the championship respectively. Times Online
In the wake of their third point-less contest in Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix, dominated by Red Bull and Brawn GP, Domenicali insisted Ferrari will not abandon their bid to defend their title without a fight.
But, he added, if results do not improve when the Formula One circus returns to Europe and the team begins to race with a heavily-revised car, they are ready to give up on the 2009 season and start planning for 2010 instead.
“I think we have to wait. We need to stay cool. It is not easy, I know, but we need to stay cool because there are too many things that can change very quickly. The priority number one is to move from zero points,” he said.
Asked directly at what point Ferrari may decide to switch from working on recovering in 2009 to planning for 2010, he replied: “I think for sure we will see after Spain where we are.
“In that period we will see really what can be the situation, so when we come back to Europe basically.” Yahoo!Eurosport
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