Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali is confident that the Italian outfit will make a big step forward in 2012 after a difficult season that brought just one win.
The team made it clear some time ago that it has to be more aggressive with its new car, and Domenicali insists that the targets he has set can be met.
“That’s what I want, that’s what I hope, and considering the persons that are around in the factory, that’s what I believe will happen next year,” he said after yesterday’s Brazilian GP.
“The only thing I can say is we’ve put down targets that are very, very aggressive. It seems that we are working around these targets, but as always we need to wait and see what the others are doing, we need to wait and see what the cars will be at the first qualifying session in Australia. But all the conditions of a good job are there, so I’m very confident that we will do a good job.”
Asked to sum up his team’s season, Domenicali said: “We didn’t perform as we wanted, and this is for sure the basic that we need to improve all around. For sure Fernando did a fantastic season, so I cannot say anything on that. On the other hand I know that for Felipe it was a difficult season, but he knows that he count on all the team, and we have to make sure that he will have a good car, and then it’s up to him to show how good he is.
“We rely on him because he’s part of our group and our family. We are pretty sure that next year also in that respect we will have a pretty good couple of drivers.”
Meanwhile he denied that there was a chance that Robert Kubica – rumoured to be of interest for Ferrari for 2013 – will get a chance to drive the simulator.
“No, not really. If you remember we’ve been speaking about drivers for Ferrari since January of last year. I think that maybe next week we’ll come back to the Valentino Rossi position! So, no.”
Adam Cooper F1 
Unfortunately it doesn’t appear Robert will be able to do much more than simulator work by mid 2012. Even if he were fit and ready to race I doubt he would sign up as a team mate with Fernando. Though they are good friends, Kubica seems to be a man who would want to lead a team (as he was with Renault) and Alonso is already doing that. Ferrari’s been shopping for talent this year and I hope the changes bear some fruit. Already looking forward to the new season.
2012 will be a crucial season for Ferrari to re-establish themselves at the front of the field again.
It will also be a make or break season for Domenicali, should he fail in bringing one or both titles back to Maranello then chances are that Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo will be looking for a new team manager for the Scuderia.
Likewise for Massa, with Luca and Stefano already putting Felipe on notice that he has to prove he is worthy of an extended Ferrari contract and with the teams driver development young guns such as Jules Bianchi and Sergio Perez waiting in the wings should he have another lackluster season.
Ferrari need to throw caution to the wind and be extremely aggressive with their new car as they have a lot of ground to make-up to Red Bull, McLaren and possibly, Mercedes? Still, they have all the ingredients required in terms of budget and talent, next season should be very interesting indeed both on track and off for the Reds.