The most famous and successful team in F1 history is next on my list to talk about for next season. Will their new driver line up deliver them success? Do they have a chance of ending the recent spell of Red Bull domination? If any team can, Ferrari is that team.
It was announced 2 weeks ago that Felipe Massa was to leave the Scuderia at the end of the 2013 season, after a reasonably successful 8 year spell at Maranello. The Brazilian, who partnered 3 different world champions during his spell at the team, famously missed out on the championship in 2008 and has not won a race since then. Was it right to let him go?
I think now is the right time. He has been cast in the shadow of the incredible Spaniard Fernando Alonso during the last 4 years and consistently struggles to attain podium finishes. It is sad to see such a nice guy and a talented driver leave this team for both the fans and the team. It means no support coming from his home country of Brazil, except if a young driver like Nasr or Razia break onto the F1 scene.
Despite all this now is the right time for them both to part company. It is clear that he has great talent, but at Ferrari that isn't good enough. The Italian team need more than a man who can just score in the low points every race; they need a quick, consistent driver who can score podiums week-in week-out and challenge for race victories. However, I do hope that he is considered for either a seat at Lotus, or if that doesn't work out, a return to Sauber. Force India could be on the cards? We shall see..
Going back to what I said earlier, Ferrari require consistent podiums and high-points finishes. In that aspect they have made an excellent choice.
Shortly after Massa announced he was leaving Maranello, it was announced by the team that his replacement would be Finn Kimi Raikkonen, moving to the Scuderia from Lotus-Renault. I'm fairly sure the Tifosi are very happy indeed!
Raikkonen enjoyed a 3 year spell previously at Ferrari and endured the most successfully spell of his F1 career, taking the 2007 Driver's Championship. However, at the end of 2009, he was cast aside by Luca di Montezemelo so Fernando Alonso could join the team. He returned to F1 after 2 years In rallying to lead the Lotus-Renault team to success. Immediately, Kimi has something to prove. Not only does he want to conclude his career with another championship, he probably deep down wants to prove to the team that letting him go in the first place was the wrong move..
How will he do though? I think he's made the right move and with that Ferrari have a double-barrelled championship threat. He can consistently score points and podiums at Lotus, who have struggled a fair amount with their car this season after an excellent start. Obviously there are no guarantees that the Ferrari next year will be good, but with a better car Kimi will definetly challenge for the Championship, no doubt about it.
It also increases their Constructor's championship chances with both he and Fernando Alonso in the team. I've made it clear of my opinion that the Spaniard is the best on the grid due to his exceptional ability to put the car in places that it shouldn't be in come race day. How will he and Raikkonen get on? Fine I think. People are making a huge thing about how Alonso will "whinge and whine" at the fact their is no number 1 & 2 driver in the team anymore. I think that's a load of shit!
I do think it will be very close between them all year although Fernando will have the edge at the start of the season, due to 4 years of previous experience at the team. It's also clear that Ferrari are no longer going for a number 1 & 2 driver line up anymore and are opting for 2 drivers of equal status. That delivered them 2 consecutive championships in 2007 and 2008, when Raikkonen and Massa were on equal footing.
As for Alonso, I really don't think he will leave. If he can ever win his 3rd Championship and not be in a Red Bull, Ferrari is the best option!
Did Ferrari make the right driver choice, yes they did! Will having 2 equal drivers destabilize the team? No it won't. Will it deliver success? Ask me this time next season...
As for the other candidates for the seat, let's give them a mention:
Nico Hulkenberg: A strong showing at Monza put him right in the frame for the seat. He will obviously be disappointed with this news, but there is a drive at Lotus available. But, is it the right time to be joining the money-troubled team? That's an article for another time.. Anyway, it is clear that Ferrari were unwilling to risk going for a young driver and instead opted for experience. Unlucky Nico..
Paul Di Resta: Will Paul ever make it to the front? Not at this rate unfortunately. His sudden dip in form has really dented his chances of finding a top drive for next season. Another year at Force India looks on the cards. Will he get the Lotus seat, I'm unsure at this moment. Will he leave F1 altogether? He might be tired of being stuck in the midfield..
Jules Bianchi: The Marussia driver is considered to be Ferrari's long term future. He is not ready for a seat yet, but does have a chance at either breaking into a midfield team by either opting for Sauber or Force India. We could see this man in a Ferrari seat in the future, now is not the time.
Overall, Ferrari have made a good decision. It all rests now on the designers and engineers to create a competitive car that can fight for both championships and end Red Bull's dominance of the sport.
2014 Ferrari Driver line-up:
Fernando Alonso (staying put)
Kimi Raikkonen (signing from Lotus)
Next time we talk about a team's 2014 chances, it will be Mercedes. Thanks for reading..
Thanks again,
Matt
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