Race strategy will be crucial this year given the new spec tires provided by Pirelli, argued Domenicali in a race preview for the season opening Australian Grand Prix. Stating the obvious, the Italian official said the new Pirelli rubber is completely different than the one developed by predecessors Bridgestone, and this will change the face of the sport in 2011.
For the first time in many years, pole position will not count that much for the Sunday running, as making the right pit stop or choosing the right tires at one particular point in the race will be far more important coordinates of F1 racing this year.
“More pitstops means the role of team members becomes even more important in terms of deciding the final outcome of the races,” said Domenicali. “A further impact of having more pitstops is that possibly qualifying and therefore grid position will be less important than in 2010.”
“In simple terms it is more likely that a car that has not set the fastest time and taken pole position can still go on to win the race. It will be absolutely vital to have the right strategy in order to win the race,” he added.
At the end of the 2010 campaign, Ferrari made an important move by signing former Red Bull chief strategist Neil Martin for the 2011 season.
Asked if he set a target for this year's championship, Domenicali smiled: “The goal is so clear I don't need to repeat it.”
Google News