Ferrari and McLaren are not thinking about titles

Although having won one and two victories respectively, Ferrari and McLaren are experiencing a start to the season they consider disappointing for teams of their standing and are spared neither by the Italian press for one nor by the British press for the other, to the point that the heads of the two team bosses have, at one time or another, been on the chopping block.

« For the first three months of the season, I would give Ferrari a negative rating for its performances, but I would say that the second part of this season’s start was better because, although we won only one race, we were competitive enough to win more. So I would raise the rating a bit, maybe slightly above average, in the hope that it will continue to rise in the second half of the season, » professes Stefano Domenicali.

The boss of the Italian team does not see his team competing with Red Bull for the constructors’ championship, with Ferrari currently having exactly half the points of the Austrian team: « We must not pay attention to the standings but rather ensure that our performance is always at the highest standard, race after race. We know, of course, that it is particularly difficult because the competition is very strong. Then, we will see later what to expect in the championship, but for now, we will fight race after race » explains Domenicali, echoing Fernando Alonso’s comments on the evening of his victory at Silverstone.

Some, however, think that after this victory, the Scuderia can be pleased to have salvaged their season, but it’s not enough for the men from Maranello, even if it’s already better than nothing. « We know that Ferrari cannot congratulate themselves on having won only one race so far this season, but it was very important for everyone’s morale […]. I never thought we would have a winless season. Don’t forget that over the past eighteen years, Ferrari has always won at least one Grand Prix per season. Eighteen years is a long time, and I don’t think other teams can say the same. »

These statements echo those recently made by the Team Principal of the McLaren team. “We are neither happy nor satisfied, we are disappointed,” proclaimed Martin Whitmarsh. “It’s a fact and it’s quite obvious: our car is not fast enough, that’s how it is. Are we focused on winning the title? Well, frankly, at the moment, that’s probably not the right goal. We need to become competitive again as quickly as possible, win races, and see what happens next.”

Just like Ferrari, McLaren is not having a season that reflects its status, despite two brilliant victories in China and Canada. Of course, we arrive at a Grand Prix with the objective of winning, but that will never be enough for McLaren. The fact is, for Ferrari and McLaren, if we don’t win, then we are going through a difficult period. McLaren has been in Formula One since 1967 and has won a quarter of the races, so we have no excuse if we don’t win, just like Ferrari. Two or three years ago, Red Bull wasn’t winning, and no one criticized them, and other teams can also afford to leave without winning, but we cannot and that doesn’t bother me. We want to win, and so we are hard on ourselves and obviously very disappointed if we don’t win. So, two victories are good, but we would have liked many more.

But more than their disappointing individual performances, the two historic teams have to face a well-oiled machine. “I know Adrian Newey very well and he is doing an excellent job for Red Bull, a well-funded team,” declares Martin Whitmarsh. “If we take Sebastian Vettel, he made a mistake in Canada, but it was the only one from him. If you can qualify very well, as he does, if you have the fastest car, if you are in pole position and you don’t make the slightest mistake, then you have every chance of securing the victory. […] It’s racing! We have two great drivers, and if we put them in the same position as Sebastian, then I am sure they can beat him.”