Ferrari: Look beyond the numbers

Five points don't explain the difference. Between the 35 points of 2012 and the 40 of this year there is much more, especially in terms of the overall competitiveness of the team, understood as a combination of car and drivers. Last year the haul was mainly the result of the extraordinary talent of Fernando Alonso who, despite having a car that was clearly inferior to much of the competition, was able to take a good fifth place in Melbourne and prevail at the end of a sumptuous race in Sepang.

The F2012 certainly did not prove competitive in qualifying, with only one placing in Q3, ninth place in Malaysia, out of four attempts. The performance of the F138 was very different, with an average grid placement of 3,5 (one placement in the front row, two in the second and one in the third), very different from the 12,25 of a year ago.
This year's 40 points are split almost equally between the two drivers. It is true that Fernando (18 points) paid a very high price for yesterday's zero and is 17 points less than in 2012 but this deficit was more than compensated by Felipe Massa, who took home 22 points while the year last year it was still dry. The Brazilian brought the number of consecutive races finished in the points to 12, confirming in these two Grands Prix the constant growth that had characterized the second half of last season.
A united team, two strong and determined drivers, a competitive car: there is still a lot of work to do to be ahead of every opponent but the ingredients to fight to the end for both world titles are all there. This is the first verdict of 2013.