The view from Italy on whether championship leaders Ferrari can finally get over the world title-winning line in 2018 - and whether change is afoot in their driver line-up for next year
Thursday 6 December 2018 15:08, UK
Ferrari go into this weekend's German GP leading F1's title races, the first time they have held points advantages in both world championships at this stage of the season since 2004.
So is there growing belief both inside and outside the team that, a decade on from their last title success, 2018 could finally be their year?
Sky in Italy's F1 commentator Carlo Vanzini gives the Italian perspective on Ferrari - explaining why they are now better equipped to deal with the pressure of a title run-in, whether their engine is now the best on the grid, and if Sebastian Vettel will have a new team-mate next season.
How is Italy viewing Ferrari's championship challenge?
Carlo Vanzini: "The mood is different from last year. Last year there was the idea that Sebastian could fight for the championship, but at this moment of the season Mercedes were in front in the Constructors' Championship by 55 points. Now they are behind Ferrari by 20 points.
"The feeling in Italy is Ferrari have a very good car and a very good team. Of course, the Italian fans know that Mercedes is quite strong, but there is really the mood that it could be the right year to come back to win the championship. At least one of the two - the double would obviously be the best situation.
"People are talking more about Formula 1. Not only about Ferrari, but for what we are seeing on track with some amazing races. This is good for everybody.
"What I see is that the Tifosi still have to fall in love more with Sebastian. They are waiting for him to win the championship.
"It's something that is quite natural; before being big fans, the Italians need to see that he wins - and that he wins a lot. It was the same situation with Michael Schumacher."
What's different from last year when their challenge crumbled?
CV: "Ferrari has done a big job to give stability to the team. With Maurizio Arrivabene, Mattia Binotto and a team that sometimes make changes in key positions.
"Maybe names that are not so famous, but who we know and that are important for the team. They don't do this with an earthquake, but by saying 'okay, now we have to have this person in that role' and what they do is to take someone from within Ferrari to bring them into a different role. This is the way to make people proud to be there and to push in their work. Even if, as sometimes happen, you have people that stay in their positions and maybe don't take risks to think about a different solution.
"This is to way to make sure that every weekend that there is something new on the car or a new idea to improve.
"Last year Ferrari lost the championship after the summer break, the Asian races were terrible, but when you are at the limit there's a greater risk to have problems like they had. Now they are stronger mentally so they know that they can really fight. They also think that they can cope with a grand prix with a problem, with no points.
"At the moment the team is growing and knows it will be able to fight to the end. And what we're seeing is that Mercedes is a little bit more nervous. They were calmer last year. Now we see that they have understood that Ferrari is really strong and the fight is fiercer this year."
Does Haas and Sauber's improved form show Ferrari now has the best engine?
CV: "At the moment I think they do, but we don't know if it's only an engine discussion or whether it's the quality of the other cars too.
"Haas with the Dallara chassis and Sauber, who at the start of the season everybody thought would be on the last row as at testing it looked a really bad car. But what they did with Ferrari was to improve traction coming out of corners. This is an advantage for those who don't have a very good car, because they can use more of the engine and less of the aerodynamics.
"Ferrari have a lot of power. The step they did on the engine is quite strong.
"If you think where they were in 2014 with the first version of the hybrid turbo power unit, it's incredible really. But in the case of Haas or Sauber, there's also good work from the teams around the chassis. If you look at Force India, they are not as strong as last year. Maybe some of that is for the power unit, but maybe it's also for the wider project."
Will Charles Leclerc replace Kimi Raikkonen in 2019?
CV: "Personally, I think Charles will be Ferrari's driver in 2019. But the situation is that while Charles has signed for Ferrari, at the moment he doesn't know when he will become a Ferrari race driver. He is also waiting to find out.
"I think it's time to change, although Kimi Raikkonen could still convince them otherwise with his results.
"I'm a Kimi fan. I like him and how he is. He's an old-style driver. He just loves to drive. He doesn't talk so much, but if you look at his Instagram it's fantastic every time. He's one of the heroes that you would love to see in sport, but it's time to change.
"It's the fifth season since he came back to Ferrari, without victories, and every season at one moment we say 'why isn't Kimi so strong?'. Then he has a very good race and so we always say 'Kimi has to stay'.
"It was the same in Italian football with Francesco Totti at Roma. An incredible player, but all season the manager had to give opportunities for him. Then Totti played and people said 'they shouldn't play him because we play better without him'.
"So I think that it's time to come away from this situation.
"Is it right or not? If every season you have to think that then maybe it's the moment when you have a very good, young driver that you make the change.
"But to find such a young driver at Ferrari you have to go back to the 1960s and the time of Ricardo Rodriguez, who was the youngest to drive for them.
"From the Schumacher era onwards, the youngest was Felipe Massa at 24 years of age. But Felipe arrived after being a Sauber driver and after being a Ferrari tester, when test drivers had the opportunity to drive the current car all the time. Now they don't, although I know Charles does a lot of simulator work at Ferrari.
"If you go into Sauber everybody says 'he's ready and he's strong, but don't push him'.
"But Ferrari is not in a hurry because they have both solutions and they can see how the championship goes. The Leclerc solution could be easier if Sebastian wins the championship because they can say 'he's won, let's bring a young driver on with him'. But maybe it could be different if he doesn't win the championship because Charles could theoretically arrive and be faster, I don't know.
"Charles is an intelligent guy. He will arrive to learn. He will also arrive to fight, but first he will have to learn from Sebastian. Then we will see.
"It could be a very similar situation to Fernando and Lewis at McLaren in 2007. But in that case there wasn't good management of the situation. They had to win the championship with Fernando and say to Lewis 'stay calm, next season. This first season we have to win with Fernando'. But you know what happened - both lost the championship."
