Team strategy

[Knock-on]

Ferrari is 11 points ahead in the Constructors but 5 and 8 points behind in the Drivers Title fight.

I think McLaren will just keep on pushing both drivers and hope to close the constructor’s gap. Those 11 points can vanish if Ferrari has a bad meeting.

However, what should Ferrari do?

After all, they get paid on where they finish in the constructors and it doesn’t look like they have any particular team #1 and #2.

Should they let their drivers carry on racing or is there a case for going all out to get a WDC?

After all, the Constructors may be where the money comes from but who really cares when the WDC has all the glamour and bragging rights.

[Anderton]

I think they will be going for the constructors, maybe inducing team orders for one driver to back off a little bit if they are behing their team mate.
Ferrari will definitely want to win the constructors this year, after the few criticisms that they only won it last year through the court rooms..

[Robinho]

i think they have to keep trying to win both, and to do that they'll need motivated drivers, so they need to race for it - as soon as they give up on something or concentrate on one thing only they limit their chances - the way it is going i think either team could take both titles, or they could share, i wouldn't want to call it at this stage, the last thing either teams needs to do is write off one title and risk winning nothing

[Mark]

So they should put everything behind Massa?

[Knock-on]

Interesting Rob. Or it could be that in going for both, they could end up with neither.

Lewis is in a pretty delicate position IMHO. If it was a 1 on 1 title fight, he could afford to race to the limit knowing that if his title contender wants to come past him, he can defend his line to the full.

However, with 2 Horses snapping at his heals, he knows if he tangles with one of them, the other will be through.

I don’t think Ferrari can make a call to either driver to go #2 at the moment either.

[Storm]

I think they will let both race on till there is just 1 guy left with a real chance like last year...till that they need to push with a 2 pronged attack if they want to win even 1 of the 2 titles.

[ioan]

Letting both drivers to fight at their best will get them the best result for the Constructors Championship.

At the moment when one of the drivers will have no mathematical chances to win the title they will surely concentrate on the most fortunate one.

[jso1985]

However, what should Ferrari do?


Go for both? if Massa's engine wouldn't have failed, we could be saying that their strategy is working!

[Hawkmoon]

Putting my cards on the table I'll say Ferrari will win the WCC and Hamilton will win the WDC. McLaren have the luxury of backing Hamilton's bid with Kovalainen but Ferrari obviously don't have that option. Assuming the teams performance continues to stay roughly even then I think it's advantage Hamilton as the Ferraris will take points of each other for sure.

The opposite is true in the constructors as having both drivers fighting for the title will be an advantage. Ferrari's 11 point lead is only what it is because of three engine related failures this year. How many mechanical DNFs have McLaren had? None that I can think of. So McLaren are lucky to be that close as the gap should be more like 30 points.

[jas123f1]

Putting my cards on the table I'll say Ferrari will win the WCC and Hamilton will win the WDC. McLaren have the luxury of backing Hamilton's bid with Kovalainen but Ferrari obviously don't have that option. Assuming the teams performance continues to stay roughly even then I think it's advantage Hamilton as the Ferraris will take points of each other for sure.

My tip is Ferrari for both titles. Massa was unlucky in Hungary but he was showing the space of Ferrari and the same Kimi as soon he past Alonso he was very fast. I think that race was good for Massa his self-confidence – now he knows that it’s not impossible to overtake Lewis.. Quite easy - as a matter of fact :D