Ferrari: We need to keep our feet on the ground
After Fernando Alonso claimed Ferrari’s first victory of 2011 at Silverstone on Sunday, the mood at the Italian team’s Maranello factory couldn’t be better. But amidst the celebrations and congratulations, President Luca di Montezemolo has urged everybody to stay fully focused and continue to do all they can to improve the squad’s championship chances.
“We managed to win and that is down to you and I want to thank you all for it,” said Montezemolo. “You have done well and have shown, every single one of you, how to react at a difficult time. You did not lose heart and you managed to improve in all areas. In Stefano Domenicali you have a boss who has proved to be a leader and the congratulations I gave him immediately after the race on Sunday are for all of you.
“Now however, we must keep our feet on the ground, which is something we are used to, given that we know what it means to win. We must take another step forward, because we want to win again this year: to succeed in that, you must all try and do your best in your daily work, trying to achieve a personal pole position.”
Ahead of British round, Ferrari had endured a miserable start to their 2011 season. From the opening eight events they had qualified on the front row once and clinched just three podium finishes, and even after their Silverstone win, they are still third in the constructors’ championship with exactly half the points of leaders Red Bull (328 to 164).
With so much ground still to make up, team principal Stefano Domenicali was just as keen as Montezemolo for Ferrari to keep up the good work.
“We have got back on our feet thanks to you, but there is still a long way to go,” added Domenicali. “It’s been quite a while since we had the wherewithal to win and we managed it at a track that did not look too suited to us beforehand. Let us continue like this. We are a long way off the leaders, but who knows, if things go in a certain way, the air could begin to get more rarefied.”
Ferrari's next challenge, the German round, takes place at the Nurburgring from July 22-24.
Credit: Formula One Administration Ltd (www.formula1.com)
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