Very few people expected Ferrari to be on the hunt for the 2012 Formula 1 title this season, let alone chasing Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel until the last race of the year.
The Ferrari F2012, a creation of Pat Fry and his team, was initially recalcitrant and well off the pace in opening rounds. However, the engineers kept working hard on it, developping new aerodynamic components and new exhausts, especially.
Two-time world champion, Fernando Alonso, drove extremely well all year long and motivated the employees of the Scuderia like no other. At the end, Ferrari ranked second in the Constructor's standings with 400 points, second to the mighty Red Bull team.
Fernando Alonso
2nd in the Driver's Championship with 278 points
Best place in qualifications: 1st (2 poles, Great Britain and Germany)
Best race result: 1st (3 wins, Malaysia, Valencia, and Germany)
Retired twice
Felipe Massa
7th in the Driver's Championship with 122 points
Best place in qualifications: 3rd (Italy)
Best race result: 2nd (Japan)
Retired once
After a somewhat difficult early season -- probably due to erroneous aerodynamic data from the wind tunnel tests -- the F2012 improved steadily in the hands of Alonso, who led the championship for much of the year. Vettel eventually beat Alonso to the driver's crown, but Massa's improved form helped the team to second in the constructor's standings.
Alonso was superb all season long, making very few mistakes. He was unfortunatly taken out of the race in the chaos that took place at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix; a retirement cost him dearly. The Spaniard climbed on the podium in the final five races, as well as seven times in the last eight races. That's consitency.
Alonso's teammate, Felipe Massa, struggled to come to grips with the tricky F2012 and was comprehensively outclassed by Alonso over the first half of the season, rarely making it into Q3. He scored only 11 points in the first eight races of the year (in comparison, Alonso scored 111 points during the same period of time).
The Brazilian slowly improved before scoring his first podium since 2010 in Japan, and adding another in Brazil. He is lucky to keep his seat at Ferrari for 2013.
The Ferrari F2012, a creation of Pat Fry and his team, was initially recalcitrant and well off the pace in opening rounds. However, the engineers kept working hard on it, developping new aerodynamic components and new exhausts, especially.
Two-time world champion, Fernando Alonso, drove extremely well all year long and motivated the employees of the Scuderia like no other. At the end, Ferrari ranked second in the Constructor's standings with 400 points, second to the mighty Red Bull team.
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| Photo: Ferrari |
Fernando Alonso
2nd in the Driver's Championship with 278 points
Best place in qualifications: 1st (2 poles, Great Britain and Germany)
Best race result: 1st (3 wins, Malaysia, Valencia, and Germany)
Retired twice
Felipe Massa
7th in the Driver's Championship with 122 points
Best place in qualifications: 3rd (Italy)
Best race result: 2nd (Japan)
Retired once
After a somewhat difficult early season -- probably due to erroneous aerodynamic data from the wind tunnel tests -- the F2012 improved steadily in the hands of Alonso, who led the championship for much of the year. Vettel eventually beat Alonso to the driver's crown, but Massa's improved form helped the team to second in the constructor's standings.
Alonso was superb all season long, making very few mistakes. He was unfortunatly taken out of the race in the chaos that took place at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix; a retirement cost him dearly. The Spaniard climbed on the podium in the final five races, as well as seven times in the last eight races. That's consitency.
 |
| Photo: Ferrari |
Alonso's teammate, Felipe Massa, struggled to come to grips with the tricky F2012 and was comprehensively outclassed by Alonso over the first half of the season, rarely making it into Q3. He scored only 11 points in the first eight races of the year (in comparison, Alonso scored 111 points during the same period of time).
The Brazilian slowly improved before scoring his first podium since 2010 in Japan, and adding another in Brazil. He is lucky to keep his seat at Ferrari for 2013.