Ferrari demands performance
Ferrari has not won a championship since Domenicali took over the team, yet he keeps his job |
All Formula One teams work on a weekly basis under severe pressure to perform, but none more so than Ferrari.
The Ferrari team are Formula One's marque team, they are the only constant in an ever changing sport.
Drivers and teams come and go on a regular basis in F1, but Ferrari remain throughout and are normally found at the front of the grid challenging for pole positions, challenging for race victories and challenging for World Championships.
Since their debut at the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix, Ferrari have made 850 starts in F1, claiming 207 pole positions, 219 race victories, 16 Constructors' Championships and 15 Drivers' Championships.
It's an impressive record and while pole positions and race victories have been achieved in a regular basis recently, championships have been lacking.
The last constructors title was in 2008, while the last drivers title was the rather fortuitous 2007 World Drivers' title that Kimi Räikkönen took from under the noses of McLaren's Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.
Fernando Alonso who now drives for Ferrari of course was the main challenger to Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel in 2012, but this season with the new F138, Ferrari hope to more competitive and take another title.
'The key objective we have is of immediately delivering a competitive car.' Ferrari Team boss Stefano Domenicali told the BBC following the Italians unveiling of their new car.
'We have come from a season that has been intense to say the least. To come second at the last race is always difficult.
'But we have already forgotten those things which left us with regret last year and we have started improving on the positive aspects of 2012, such as reliability and strategy during the races.
'There are plenty of things that allow us to look forward to the new season.'
The new car was developed using the former Toyota F1 wind tunnel in Cologne after Ferrari decided that the wind tunnel at the Maranello factory was not reliable and was in need of improvements.
There have also been a few changes in terms of personnel at the team whilst aerodynamic design work has been key for Ferrari as they started 2012 well off the pace in regards to Red Bull and McLaren.
Visually unlike other cars who have launched recently, there are notable differences with this seasons Ferrari, obviously the paint work, but there are clear alterations to the design of both the front end and rear end of the car.