Ferrari completes analysis of failed DRS
Following Fernando Alonso's problems with DRS during the Bahrain GP, Ferrari engineers went on to investigate the problem the deprived the Spaniard of a possible podium. Team principal Stefano Domenicali does however not lose his courage for what is to come next.
Analysis revealed that the problem was caused by the breakage of a mechanical component within the system. It’s the first problem of its kind on this system seen in the three years during which it has been used. Ferrari stated the failure is not something that causes concern for the long term but notes that reliability will remain one of its most important points of focus.
“It’s hard to recall a race where so many things went wrong,” commented Stefano Domenicali back at Maranello. “The DRS failure prevented Fernando, who yet again produced a great performance, from fighting Vettel for the win. Then for Felipe, there were the two tyre related problems that pushed him out of the points and prevented from getting the top five finish that was within his grasp. We had the potential to get these results, but we were unable to do so, partly because of external influences.”
Responsibility therefore lies with reliability, from the smallest to the biggest components, to ensure the level of perfection that has to be the standard for Ferrari. “We must work with renewed attention on this front,” continued Domenicali. “We must also continue to develop the car and increase our understanding of the tyres, which is more crucial than ever this year. In these first four races of the season, we have not managed, for various reasons, to bring home the points that were within our grasp. That’s why the gap to the top in both classifications seems quite large, but we must not be discouraged by this, quite the contrary, because we have seen so often, both in our favour and against, how things can change in a hurry. We believe in our ability to be in the fight for the titles right to the end and this time, we have been in that fight since the start, which has not been the case for a while. At the same time, we must be aware that in order to achieve our objectives, we have to be perfect in every area.”
