Under the Singapore lights late on Sunday, the fabled Italian team’s lead driver Fernando Alonso finally dropped mathematically out of the chase for the 2011 title.
Domenicali said recently that German Vettel, on the cusp of securing his second consecutive world championship for Red Bull, is not yet as good as Ferrari’s Spanish driver in terms of leading a team.
According to him, the great champion at Red Bull is Newey, the car’s designer.
“Obviously there is teamwork,” Domenicali told Spanish sports daily Marca, “but what is clear is that they are the only team that has this genius that is Adrian Newey, who has done a great project.
“Formula one has changed a lot compared to the past, when there were a great many personalities in formula one. Now there is only one, and this guy is with Red Bull,” he added.
Newey is staying with the energy drink-owned team next year and beyond, but Domenicali thinks Ferrari will be able to fight wheel-to-wheel in 2012.
“They are good, but I think this area of the blown diffuser is precisely where we have not been able to get the performance we wanted.
“They have been very good with this but I think the car for next year will have fewer areas where you can find something else in the rules.
“So I am quite optimistic because we started (the 2012 car) very early, some people will say in August, and the first wind tunnel numbers are very encouraging.”
Domenicali revealed he uttered the word ‘Wow!’ when he first laid eyes on the concept of Ferrari’s 2012 car.
“Yes, honestly I did because we have changed the design philosophy,” he said. “Will it be better than this one? It has to be. One hundred per cent.”
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