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Ferrari's
team principal Stefano Domenicali showed the true soul
of Ferrari when he spoke after Felipe Massa won the
Brazilian Grand Prix and clinched the Constructors'
championship, but 18 seconds later lost the Drivers'
series to Lewis Hamilton.
Domenicali was passionate, generous, admiring,
complimentary, humble, philosophical and understanding.
And like the racer that he is, he appreciated the
extraordinary finale that came down to an amazing last
few last seconds. "It is impossible to say that that
isn't true. It was an incredible end to the season and
once again I think we have to be proud of what we have
done. There is no reason for us to look back and say,
what if, what if. With what ifs you can build the world.
"The only thing I can say is that we are extremely happy
with the achievement we have done today on the
Constructors' championship. In eight of the last 10
years we were champions. It is something only Ferrari
has done so I am very proud of the team, and all of the
guys - here and those at home. For us it is a great
achievement."
Domenicali went onto pay tribute to the maturing driver
who is Felipe Massa, who so nearly won the Drivers'
championship. "I am very happy also for Felipe. He did
an incredible season - no one in the beginning could
have said something like that.
"This year Felipe did two races that will remain in the
history of his growing career. One was Hungary, where
unfortunately we had a problem but he was really
fantastic. And there was today. Great maturity and I am
very proud to have Felipe in our team, because that is
the way that we should look ahead for our future. You
know, we are still very hot after the end of racing, but
you can be sure that after a couple of days we will be
fully committed for next season. For Felipe to lose the
championship by one point, as it was last time but the
other way around, I know it can hurt. I saw in him a great serenity inside because he did the
maximum. That was really a great day today."
Domenicali continued. "I think that Felipe has matured a
lot. He is really a great driver. Now he's done a lot of
pole positions, so on the single lap he is already on
the top. And he has grown significantly in performance
lap by lap, and the consistency of that. And also today
in the mixed conditions, with the pressure where you
don't know where you are going then it shows a lot. So I
think within these kind of races, you can see how he
will go ahead. From this victory lost you can be strong
inside and that will be the case for him."
There were a few seconds when Felipe Massa was World
Champion after crossing the line, and some of the team
were celebrating before Lewis got past Glock. Did
Stefano believe Felipe had won the title? Ever the
realist, Domenicali replied "to be honest, I knew in
that moment you can be too emotional and not rational.
So I had a document checking off what happens if
scenarios. So I was checking, okay first, second, third,
fourth - still champion. And then I saw Lewis fifth, I
said okay it is not done."
What about the outgoing World Champion, Kimi Raikkonen?
"I think for sure this year was a difficult year for
him. But he is happy because we won together as a team.
And he is looking forward to starting again, because for
sure this is not the one that he knows. I already said
that a lot of people were talking last season about
Valentino Rossi being finished this year, and he has
actually done a lot. So I am expecting the same kind of
approach in 2009."
Domenicali also reported that he had been in touch with
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo. "Yes, he was very
proud, very, very proud of the team. We have a briefing
soon and I will have a speech with all the guys, and he
is very close to Felipe. He said that for him he is a
champion - not only for himself, but also for us."
Ferrari had won one championship but lost the other.
Would Domenicali have preferred it to be the other way
around? "No. I think to be honest, I am very proud of
what we achieved. I am very proud of what we achieved."
Domenicali was also complimentary of Lewis Hamilton. "I
went there to congratulate him because in sport that is
the way it has to be. I went there, I did my job. I
think it is correct. At the end of the day he won by one
point and it means that he was better by one point. He
is a World Champion, he lost last year by one point and
next season we will see."
Domenicali was asked if the season and the finale had
been good for Formula One, and replied philosophically.
"I believe that it is very important for the future of
F1 to be constructive when we have to be constructive,
and to fight just on the track where we have to fight on
the track in a sporting way. I think that is a very
important step for the future. We are looking ahead for
many important things from the regulation point of view,
so that is the way it should be in my point of view."
Finally there was a positive point to be taken from
negatives, said Domenicali. "I think that, as always,
with the what ifs you win every time. We have to take
the negative points of this year in order to improve and
to change the things that didn't go well. But in a very
cool way, rational. But I would like to stress one point that I am very
proud of. That is the fact that all the people who are
part of this team share the same values, the same
passion, the same philosophy. They are all honest people
and are all proud to work for this great team. I have
the honour and the privilege to be their boss." There
speaks a leader.
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