Stefano Domenicali exit??

[CK]

Well, looking at the performance of the past couple of Ferrari F1 cars, the signs are all there that Ferrari is no longer capable of returning to the glory days when Brawn was there. Changing the team principle may only satisfy the board. The new one need to know how to get a proper technical lead. After all, Formula One is a very technical business. Without a capable technical director to oversee the overall technical strategy of the car design and the supporting functions, I don't see Ferrari can produce a car capable of winning the title again.

With a complete change of design rules this season, it really shows the technical weakness of the Ferrari team. The chassis is even worse than those of Force India and Toro Rosso.

I hope that I am wrong and Ferrari can return to a competitive team.

C K
Canada

[Tiffoc]

Yes, Schumi took 5 years to win the title OK. But:
1-he found Ferrari in a MUCH WORSE situation that Alonso did
2-he also came quite near at 2nd and 3rd try.... well like Alonso anyway
3-without something as unusual as the Silverstone accident, there's little doubt he'd done it in '99
4-Schumi's contribution in terms of setting up was doubtlessly quite important... something that starts to be a doubt about Fernado's abilities on that (beyond what we may say without any substantial grounds) but then also today's f1 has seen driver's role (in terms of developement) vanish virtually to zero.

J

Your point (1) Yep! totaly agree...
Point (2) agreed again James and point (3) is a carry on of point (2)
Now point (4) is the interesting one, Schumi's relationship with his mechanics was second to none... So much so! he took the majority with him after leaving Benetton to Ferrari.
He would stay up all night working with his mechanics, setting the car up, giving not only practicle advice as the driver, but offering mechanical advice as well...
Not everybody realizes he was a fully skilled mechanic himself. His father wanted him to have a professional Career, just in case. So Michael's input on the car was again, yes! second to none.
But even with all that input, it still took him 5 years

Fernando is different yes, but driving wise, he's as good as Michael, canny, shrewd and will take on the best of 'em. Remember that fantastic overtake on Schumi at the 130R at the Japanese GP. He can do it for Ferrari, given the car...

[czarneckims]

Great - looks like they've selected (as interim at least) a marketing guy to run Ferrari F1.

What could possibly go wrong...

Mike

[Stabmaster_Arson]

Now Stefano Domenicali won't be able to see my t-shirt/logo design. Darn!

[JM]

Sacking the team boss (yeah I know they say it was his decision) after two races shows simply panic. A fallback into old times. I can't see anything positive coming out of this.

[daveyman]

Shame. He always presented himself as a decent guy but something clearly needed to change at Ferrari. Maybe they need stronger technical leadership? Don't see Ross Brawn as the answer, doubt he'd want to go back and if he did he's only gonna be a short term answer. It would probably take 2 or 3 years to feel any benefits of changes that he'd make and surely by then he really would be at the point of retirement. I reckon Ferrari need to bite the bullet and look to the future rather than going for a 'star' name.

[Terry]

The answer is simple. Ferrari need Adrian Newey.

[Seiiki]

I think they need Newey to design a winner. Brawn to steer the team the right way. Keep both drivers because they are still the best pairing in the sport. Get some Northern European discipline back in the fold from their engineers, designers and specialists. Had Schumi been okay, he could head up the organizational structure as well. They need a BIG TIME overhaul before the shareholders at FIAT turfed out the entire program for bleeding red ink year after year. To be quite honest, I don't think the revenues earned from high performance vehicle sales exceed the cost structure of their F1 and sportscar program. They better turn around soon before some prudent financial analysts pointed out gapping holes in their financial statements.

[daveyman]

I don't know if Ferrari NEED to win to be solvent but I think a Ferrari not winning for a period adds to the mystique of the name. Throw in a few politically motivated departures/arrivals and you've cracked it. Ferrari were floundering when I first discovered Grand Prix in '86 and it was thrilling to slowly watch the drama of clawing their way back but I'm afraid for me it just became too clinical with the Schuey superteam era. We have Mclaren for clinical!

[MoFo]

To be quite honest, I don't think the revenues earned from high performance vehicle sales exceed the cost structure of their F1 and sportscar program.

Of course not, but Ferrari aren't a vehicle manufacturer, they're an apparel (/'lifestyle branding') company.