Ferrari's Racing Weekend: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow!

Well what a disaster the Singapore Grand Prix turned out to be for Felipe Massa and the Ferrari team. Massa eased his way to pole position, and pre Piquet Jr.’s alarming error both Massa and Kimi Raikonnen seemed visibly in control of a race that looked to be heading for a one-two Ferrari finish, provided of course that Kimi could pass Hamilton on a track with limited overtaking opportunities.

And then it all fell apart.

A friend of mine recently seemed shocked and thought me harsh that I expressed my astute opinions as to why Felipe Massa should not be World Champion this year. The reasons for my statements; Massa has not yet shown a consistency of control and pace that I feel is necessary to deserve the crown.

Yes this year his pace is becoming increasingly more evident, and yes the pit stop incident today was in no way Felipe’s fault. He was the unlucky recipient of human error at the hands of his mechanics. Yet it is the aftermath of this incident and resulting penalty for a breach of safety that I am concerned with when I back up my claims of an undeserving Massa.

All of us will remember that Massa’s first seasons at Sauber were ones of mixed fortunes; at times showing evidence of pace, but on others showing a clumsy nature that saw him earn a string of non finishes due to driver error. His given drive at Ferrari left many perplexed as a result and left him with a lot to prove for us as spectators to think him worthy of his seat.

As previously stated there is no denying his constant improved pace, but it showed today that his clumsy elements to his driving are still yet to be quashed. It has now reached the point that if ever Massa is inconvenienced and ends up with a minute chance of points, you expect him to spin not once, but twice and sometimes even three times; a la Silverstone earlier this year.

Some would say it reflects the efforts of a man desperate to rescue some pride in the face of adversity, others such as myself see it as a Massa who can become easily distracted and throws lacklustre moves in order to improve his position.

Martin Brundle himself seems to share the same sentiment; proclaiming with relative calm that ‘there is Massa off the track again.’ If ever there is a Massa that can halt these seemingly predictable circumstances then there is a Massa worthy of winning a world championship.

Kimi also saw human error void him of a point’s finish and a stronger claim on not only third place in his defending season but also a constructor’s title for his team. It would seem maybe he has been struck with a case of the clumsy flu himself.

Not as dramatic as Sato or as predictable as Massa, but recently his concentration levels have slipped and mistakes at Spa and now Singapore have cost him valuable points in his quest for a strong finale to his anti-climatic second Ferrari season.

So a weekend that looked extremely positive for Ferrari teams ends with them firmly placed in the gutter; both team and drivers to blame. With only three races left of the current season one more destructive weekend such as the one just witnessed would surely end any chance of a double celebration at the seasons climax.