Ferrari eye 'special' Alonso era

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Speaking before the Italian Grand Prix, a competition that Alonso won through pole position last 12 months and one that retains a special importance down the middle of all Ferrari fans, Domenicali made clear the actual Spaniard was central in order to his team's future fortunes.

Ferrari enjoyed unparallelled achievement with Michael Schumacher in early years of the century, with the seven times champion winning five titles in a row for that Maranello team, and think Alonso can bring back again the glory days.

It took Ferrari five seasons to crown Schumacher the champion with them, the German joining in the early nineties after two titles with Benetton and having to wait until 2000 for his 3rd.

Alonso, also a dual champion with Renault, became a member of in 2010 and narrowly missed out on the title. This year, along with Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel dominant, the 30-year-old offers won only once -- additionally Ferrari's sole win -- but is signed up until the end of 2016 at minimum.

"I was part of the group since 1991 so I know very well the story," said Domenicali of Ferrari's travails after the end of their Schumacher era in 2006 and hard years before that invested turning around the group in the 1990s.

"Prior to doing a fantastic season, we took six or even seven years before being competitive, to win in a continuous way.

"So we are putting down once once again the basis to end up being strong for a very long time," he added.

Domenicali said the current situation differed from Schumacher's period because the landscape of Formula One had changed markedly since the days when there was no limit on spending and teams blew fortunes on the test track.

The present cost constraints have resulted in "apart from one single specific situation with (Red Bull designer) Adrian (Newey), there aren't any more big egos that make the difference," said Domenicali, tipping his limit to Newey, who has designed title-winning cars for three teams.

"Now it's a matter of team work that needs to be really working close collectively in the best method.

"So I think which now we are on this process to build in the team and I think that in one year we are hopefully ready to begin anew another long series of victories."

As part of that, Ferrari brought in Jim Fry from McLaren last year with former technical overseer Aldo Costa leaving the company. Australian Chris Dyer seemed to be replaced as head associated with race track engineering.

The important thing to it all, however, is Alonso.

"Fernando is a big asset for us and he is another responsibility that we have because if he trusts the team in such a way to be part of us for such a very long time, it means he really believes we can do a sufficient job together," said Domenicali.

"You want to give back to him this trust and we want to win together."

The Italian language was quoted recently within the German media as saying that there were only 2 team leaders among the present drivers in Formula One -- Alonso and Schumacher, now with Mercedes and making small impact in an uncompetitive car at age 42.

Domenicali made obvious he had meant no snub to 24-year-old Vettel, who is actually cruising to his 2nd successive title, and had been referring to specific characteristics.

"What for me is really a leader is someone that actually has achieved something extremely important and is showing something unique," he said.

"Sebastian for example is an excellent driver. He has received a world title and I would say that he is going to win the second 1 and is becoming an innovator. He's younger.

"When you don't say that he is a leader it doesn't mean that he is not great. The way that he's driving and the method in which he is behaving is actually very close to be there," continued the Italian.

"Numbers, age and experience make the difference due to that. Sebastian will be the next one."

If Vettel, winner of seven of 12 races so far this season, was once dubbed 'Baby Schumi' by the German media, it is actually Alonso who is the great German's heir apparent from Ferrari.

The Spaniard, like his predecessor, has spoken of Ferrari being their 'second family' and have known how to nylon uppers the team around them.

"Fernando is very similar (to Schumacher) in the way in which he is fitting in the team," said Domenicali.

"I think that his period of getting into the team was much shorter than the one that it took Michael to obtain in, maybe because from the characteristics of the personality, the language and the like, but I see them very similar on several things.

"The more that I know Fernando, the more I will compare them," he additional.

"Of course to earn seven titles is some thing almost impossible in the future, in my view.

"But if we at least begin anew to win for Fernando the first name with us, then we will see. The downhill will end up being easier. That is obviously our aim."

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