The Prancing Horses Galloping Back -- The Ferrari Renaissance in F1 Season 2015
The "Red Renaissance" has begun. After four races of this F1 season, Ferrari is back to where it belongs -- challenging the Mercedes for the title.
"In the evening we learned that we are very quick on one lap again and that Ferrari is very dangerous to us on a long run. They have serious pace, it looks like they are a genuine threat", said Nico Rosberg after the free practice sessions of the Bahrain Grand Prix last week. (Hamilton Wins Bahrain Grand Prix)
The threat became reality in the closing laps of the Bahrain GP. In lap 56, Rosberg, who suffered brake problems, ran wide at Turn 1 and that allowed Kimi Raikkonen to pip past the German to grab the second spot.
"Numero Uno is back, Ferrari's back!" -- The Scuderia pit crew exulted after on the team radio as Sebastian Vettel took the chequered flag in Sepang. (Ferrari now a Major Threat to Mercedes)
A third place finish at the Australian Grand Prix made the Ferrari fans sit up and take notice but a win after almost two years at the Malaysian GP was enough for them to begin the celebrations.
They were elated but they wanted more. (Red Bull Face Engines Limit Crisis)
A third place in China confirmed the belief but a second place finish for their Finnish driver at Bahrain has finally rang the alarm bells for the Mercedes -- the Prancing Horses have got their gallop back!
After Mercedes swept the entire 2014 season, the Formula One desperately needed someone to saddle up and take on the Silver Arrows.
McLaren weren't going to -- certainly not this season -- and last season's runners-up Red Bull were still caught up with the struggles of their Renault engine. Williams, last year's surprise package, did look like the ones who could push the Mercs with their solidity.
But to go to war with the Silver Arrows, you need a bit more than just solidity.
Year 2014 was a forgettable one for Ferrari and there were significant changes made in the team's constitution. The team chiefs Stefano Domenicali and then Marco Mattiacci were gone along with the engineering director Pat Fry and the chief designer Nikolas Tombazis. They even parted ways with their star driver Fernando Alonso.
Enter Maurizio Arrivabene.
© Reuters
Since a winter of turmoil at Maranello, Arrivabene replaced Mattiacci at the helm of the Prancing Horse's F1 team and the results showed in the two subsequent testing sessions in Barcelona.
"I think the changes we have made make a lot of sense", said Arrivabene, "They were helping people to express themselves, their professional skills, to be liberated somehow and to express in the work that they're doing their passion for the team."
Arrivabene is a man with a no racing experience. The 58-year-old Ferrari boss has two decades of marketing and promotion experience and has been a part of Ferrari for some time representing the sport's sponsors.
"I'm not a magician and there will be no miracles", Arrivabene declared after he took over. The new team principal admitted last January that since the car SF15-T was already equipped in December, the new team could only apply certain modifications.
"It would be good if they could come a bit closer," Rosberg said in the post-race news conference after the Australian GP.
"Seriously? So you hope you slow down -- is that what you're saying," was the Sebastian Vettel's reply.
"I hope that you can give us a challenge," Rosberg responded.
After four races, there has been no magic but Nico Rosberg's demands have been met. Along with James Allison, the technical director, Arrivabene has brought Ferrari back to where it belongs -- challenging the Mercedes for the title.
Then again, four races don't make a season but the signs are there.
Most importantly, after so many years of failure, the Scuderia has finally found the right combination that has turned the wheels in the right direction.
They have found a team principal who doesn't mind losing as long as the team sticks together and keep improving. They have found a German jockey for their Italian stallion -- a star driver in Sebastian Vettel, who has a thing or two to prove to the world after being outperformed by a younger Daniel Ricciardo last season.
Then they have Kimi Raikkonen.
The title is far off and Ferrari still has a long way to go. They are still some paces short of consistently beating a Lewis Hamilton-driven Mercedes but they have thrown the spanner in the wheels and have reclaimed their place as one of the most dominant forces in the circuit.
The "Red Renaissance" has just begun.