Ferrari still believes in its chances

Fernando Alonso sees his title chances slip away after a race to forget for the Spaniard. Starting only tenth on the starting grid, Felipe Massa's teammate had difficulty avoiding the pitfalls of Spa-Francorchamps. After battling in the middle of the peloton to grab a few points, following his clash with Rubens Barrichello, the Spaniard made a mistake, annihilating any hope of a top ten finish.

The stable of Maranello betting everything on the Drivers' title, and Ferrari now being 80 points behind Red Bull, the abandonment of Fernando Alonso was not favorable for his plans. The Spaniard therefore remains at 141 points, while the first two in the Championship, Lewis Hamilton, the new leader, and Mark Webber, his direct opponent, increased their lead over the rest of the pack, after a goalless score for Sebastian Vettel and the abandonment of Jenson Button.

Stefano Domenicali, who is trying to make the most of the situation, still believes that the delay can be made up, facing the several leading drivers who left Belgium without a single point. “ In 2007 we were 17 points down with two races remaining and we became champions », likes to recall the sporting director of the Scuderia. “ We will continue to attack, because today three of the five contenders did not score points. We are one of them, but maybe it will be the other way around next time, so we must continue our efforts. »

The sporting director is now waiting for the next race at Monza to take his revenge, a circuit on which Ferraris are used to shining. Nevertheless, he keeps an eye on the leading team, even if the very fast Italian track should put the engine at a disadvantage. Renault. " I hope it's true (that the Red Bulls have a drop in pace at Monza), but I do not believe it », added Stefano Domenicali. “ They have a very fast car. Maybe this is part of their tactic. »

Alonso adopts the same state of mind as his sporting director. “ I am very disappointed, because it is a bad result, but that does not mean that I am giving up my chances of being titled. » The Spaniard just has to be patient to try to catch up with the leading men at the next Italian Grand Prix on September 12.