nice comments from Stefano regarding Schumi Carol from autosport Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali is sure Michael Schumacher will be fighting for this year's championship with the Mercedes GP squad. The German driver is making a sensational return to grand prix racing with Mercedes, having quit the sport at the end of the 2006 season. Although Schumacher, 41, has not raced F1 machinery for over three years, Domenicali has no doubts that the seven-time champion will be as strong as ever. "Michael is ready to fight for the title," Domenicali told Spain's Onda Cero radio. "He is a great champion and a great driver, and if he has chosen to come back it's because he knows he will have a competitive car, and he too will be, surely. "We can't forget we wanted him to be Felipe Massa's replacement last season. He will be one of our rivals, just like Mercedes, and Rosberg, McLaren, with two great drivers, and Red Bull. The title will be fought between ourselves and another three teams." Domenicali, whose team is hoping to return to championship-winning ways this year with Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, said he is confident about the Italian outfit's future. And he believes Ferrari must work calmly since the start of the season, even if the car is not as strong as expected. "We have worked hard during the past months and we will have to keep doing it during the season, which will be long, with 19 races. We need to avoid getting anxious from the first race if things don't work well from the start. "If we start with calm and rationality, and to Ferrari's competitiveness we add Fernando's strength, we have a good mix to look to the future with confidence."
Sounds to me as if he is excepting the car to start off on the back foot and hopes to get up to speed ASAP.
No one knows for sure how their car will perform with the new rules, ie, full tanks, long wheelbase, small tires. Lots of changes and limited testing. Just think next year no double diffuser so more re-engineering will have to be done....thank God the FIA wants to save money....engine freeze-how about a rules freeze?
EXCELLENT POINT I think if they really wanted to cut the costs as well as put on a better show, it would have been to leave tank size as is and go to a distance that would leave about 1/2 gallon of fuel for the thirstiest car. So the races would be about 1 hour long. You would see a lot more action instead of follow the leader.....maybe.
Thanks Dave-BTW i bet by 2012 they'll go back to fuel stops to "improve the show" and the cars will go back to shorter wheelbases, etc. I say screw the rev limitations on the engines-keep the 2 race rule etc. but lift the rev limits.
