GreenBkk.com Formula 1 | Domenicali upbeat over 2012

Domenicali upbeat over 2012

Ferrari team boss confident design team will improve car for next year

Last Updated: November 30, 2011 1:25pm

Stefano Domenicali: Thinks

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali is confident that his team have what it takes to return to the very top of Formula One next season.

The Italian marque took just a single grand prix victory in 2011 - courtesy of Fernando Alonso at Silverstone - and finished a distant third in the constructors' championship.

They once again could not match the pace of the Red Bull and also struggled to keep up with McLaren at several races.

But Domenicali hopes that a shake-up of technical staff will enable Ferrari to end a drought of world titles that stretches back to Kimi Raikkonen's success in 2007.

Although Domenicali is optimistic about his team's chances for the 2012 campaign, he admits that he will not know for sure where they stand until the start of the season in Australia.

"That is what I want and that is what I hope," Domenicali said of Ferrari's hopes of returning to the front of the grid next year.

Factory

"And considering the persons that are around in the factory, that is what I believe will happen next year.

"But the facts come out when you go on the track. The only thing I can say is that we have put down targets that are very aggressive and we work around these targets.

"We need to wait and see what the others are doing and wait and see where the cars will be in the first qualifying in Australia. But I am confident we will do a good job."

Domenicali concedes that the Ferrari needs to develop a stronger aerodynamic package if they are to fight for the title.

He added: "We know we have to improve the car all around because otherwise you cannot be competitive.

"For sure the main area of improvement is aerodynamics and, with the regulations, this is the reason why we have anticipated the development of the car.

"We try to have more time in the wind tunnel, try to work as hard as we can in the new situation where we can rely more on the data we are analysing - work hard, head down and looking forward to coming back next year."

Credit: Sky Sports (www.skysports.com)