Domenicali: It hurt to lose the title
Credit: PlanetF1.com (http://www.planetf1.com)
Stefano Domenicali admits it hurt to lose the Drivers' Championship at the final hurdle in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Fernando Alonso headed into the season finale as the favourite to win the World title, holding an eight-point lead in the Championship.
However, the Spaniard could only manage seventh place in the grand prix after a strategic error from his pit wall put him down the order and trapped behind Renault's Vitaly Petrov.
Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel won the grand prix having started on pole position and in doing so snatched the title from Alonso by four points.
"First of all I want to congratulate Vettel with his title because I think it is important in this sport to recognise..." said Ferrari's team boss.
"What I feel inside is for sure a lot of pain because when you arrive there and see you can do it, you feel very painful.
"And for sure it was the worst race of the year for us, so that is why it hits you very strong in your head.
"But after this moment the only thing you can do is try to disconnect, breathe a lot and recover the batteries to push the people to do a better job next year because we have all the elements to do it.
"We know that we can count on a group of people who have grown and need to grow again, and this is something I would like to say to Fernando - because he did a fantastic season.
"He always pushed the people to work, he never gave up and I feel sorry also for him, this is true."
Alonso's loss brought to the fore questions about whether Ferrari were right to use team orders in July's German GP in the double World Champion's favour.
Questioned about the matter, Domenicali told Autosport: "In England maybe, but in the rest of the world it was not an argument any more since two days after that discussion.
"Germany is like another grand prix. It was a first and second for Ferrari as it was another race for Red Bull.
"Honestly I am really serious about it - and I don't know why in a certain country, and it is England to be honest with you - there is this certain weight on the shoulders because honestly you need to have the perception not only of what is happening there but what is happening around the world.
"That is my personal view without any negative comments about anyone - if you understand what I mean.
"In my view there was a debate and it was too long for nothing - and honestly we were speaking of nothing because unfortunately I had to say that Vettel won by four points."
Credit: PlanetF1.com (http://www.planetf1.com)
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