Ferrari are aiming for a substantial point haul in the German Grand Prix this weekend.
The Italian team has scored just four points since introducing its exhaust-driven diffuser package at Valencia two races ago. It will have further changes to its diffuser for this weekend’s race.
They expect the F10 will work well on the Hockenheimring and allow them to challenge Red Bull:
The circuit characteristics, on paper at least, are more likely than recently visited venues to play to the strengths of the Ferrari F10, although it is fair to say that for a variety of reasons, the fact that the car has improved dramatically in recent races has been masked by a series of unfortunate and unlucky incidents, that have kept it out of the top places.
Nevertheless, on the stop-start track in Montreal and the higher speed street circuit in Valencia, it proved competitive and even if it could not match the Red Bull benchmark at Silverstone, here too at the English circuit with its high downforce, fast corner characteristics, the car was good enough for the second row of the grid.
The engineering team at Maranello has not eased up at all and there are further updates on the car this weekend, with changes to the diffuser and therefore everything points to another competitive weekend for Ferrari.
No matter how much progress has been made in terms of car development, there are no points awarded for technical excellence and it is clear that, this weekend and at the race in Budapest just seven days later, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro must bring home a big points haul if it intends to be fully in the hunt for the championship title.
Ferrari are 113 points behind constructors’ championship leaders McLaren, with a maximum of 387 left to be won this year.
2010 German Grand Prix
Fixy
20th July 2010, 10:15
I hope they will earn points, if both drivers can avoid mistakes and accidents.
If they qualify in front they won’t have problems at the start, but if they start in midfield they will risk a collision at the first turn. Let’s hope Alonso will make a good start.
US_Peter (@us_peter)
20th July 2010, 18:41
Agreed. I’m not a big Ferrari fan, but it would be great to see Alonso back in the running for the title, simply to see the points tighten back up between all the front runners. The closer it is going into the end of the season, the more exciting it will be.
f1yankee
20th July 2010, 10:36
woooo let’s go ferrari!
Tango
20th July 2010, 10:38
I bet they are !
wasiF1
20th July 2010, 10:41
If they don’t perform well in the next two race then I think they will be out of the title contention.
Dev
20th July 2010, 10:50
Ferrari will be behind Red Bull & McLaren for this race… and since this is Mercedes home GP.. i expect them to bring reasonable updates and maybe challenge for a podium.
Alonso will again make mistakes, Massa too is not in form… so i guess Ferrari will have a disappointing race.
i’d love to be proven wrong… it would be great if we have a three way battle for the championship. Red Bull Vs McLaren Vs Ferrari.
sato113
20th July 2010, 11:16
yeah and then a monumental title showdown between ALO, HAM, WEB and VET at Interlagos! (lets pretend Abu Dhabi doesn’t exist…)
Eric
20th July 2010, 11:39
reckon there bad luck must have run out by now surely.
it would be excellent to see them up on the front of the grid, 1st and 5th maybe, with Webber, Vettel, Hamilton, Button.
whether McLaren sort there Defuser out enough to threaten Red Bull will be interesting, plus will it hold up during the race?
Renault’s Kubica should be up there as well as Rosberg, wouldn’t it be nice to see Schumacher put in a blistering lap, now that would make it fantastic for all the supporter from Germany, better still if some how he managed to make it onto the podium.
Speed Damon
20th July 2010, 11:52
sato113, that would be awesome. Tell you what would be cooler though. Vettel takes out Webber and himself and Hamilton and Alonso, but Button wins making it a five way battle during the last race. This would make for the best racing ever.!!! :)
Xusen
20th July 2010, 12:21
For button fans ..i am sure fans of Hamilton, Vettel, Webber and Also will disagree.
I personally want it to go down to the last race and we do have last day battle for the title…then whoever wins deserves it.
BasCB
20th July 2010, 12:28
Well maybe we should have Alonso winning in that case with Rosberg and Massa close behind!
I would think Ferrari does not hope they get points, but race in a way as to get them. In the mean time a lot of fans will hope they will do so, it would be a shame if they dropped out of the front battle.
Cacarella
20th July 2010, 14:32
Any Idea who’s being quoted here?
Was it Domenicali?
Fixy
20th July 2010, 15:26
It’s written on Ferrari official site: http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formula1/News/Headlines/Pages/100720_f1_germangp_aiming_for_a_big_points_haul.aspx
I think it’s just a journalist for the website.
sasbus
20th July 2010, 17:06
Intersting quote:
“Anyone who does not believe that we can win the world championship would do better looking for another job.
at:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/85377
Personally I think that Ferrari must make sure that they dominate on Sat and have a no mistakes on Sun, for the next couple of races for this to happen. Otherwise it’s back to the workbench for 2011.
Icthyes (@icthyes)
20th July 2010, 15:51
For some funny reason, I can see a sneak Rosberg win on strategy. Probably not though.
I think Ferrari are too far behind in the championship now. They have to regularly beat one of the Red Bull or McLaren and both of them in other races to be able to challenge strongly, and I don’t see that happening. They’ll be there mathematically until the Far East rounds, but I think that’s when their challenge will be over.
BasCB
20th July 2010, 16:10
That would be a magic moment. Rosberg bringing it home in the German GP. He would be Germany’s no. 1 driver immediately i suppose.
If there’s real rain, i think Vettel will be pretty well positioned to have a go at winning it, as will Mark (Red Bull grip advantage). If it’s changeable during the weekend maybe Rosberg has a chance, as have both McLarens and Alonso, if he and his team cut out the mistakes. Who knows, Kubica might throw in a suprise as well.
US_Peter (@us_peter)
20th July 2010, 18:45
Don’t count out either of the McLarens or either of the Mercedes if it rains. They’ve all proven to be great rain drivers at one time or another. Kubica and Sutil as well…
Todfod
20th July 2010, 17:17
Do or die race for Ferrari. Unless Fernando wins, and Massa finishes on the podium, Ferrari’s chance for WDC are finished. I have a feeling this result will be their best of the season (just as bahrain obviously).
bosyber
20th July 2010, 20:25
I am sure Ferrari do hope to get good points. It is interesting to that for three races now they have started sure, than confident, and now eager for points. I hope they manage it this time, with a flawless race for both drivers to let us see how fast the Ferrari’s relative speed now is, and to keep them into both championships.
With McLaren likely to now have a working EBD, Renault getting over a not so great last race, Merc. eager for a home win and gaining some pace, Williams finding pace, FI regaining some lost ground, and Red Bull as strong as ever, I fear Ferrari’s window of opportunity to be the 2nd fastest might be rather narrow, so they need to get it together now.