Ferrari Work Flat Out for Easter to Catch Rivals

We're not sure what other Italians are doing for Easter, but the ones working for Ferrari's Formula 1 operation certainly hadn't had the time to celebrate it properly this year. And that's because everyone at Maranello is working flat out to make a significant progress before the Great Circus moves to Europe two weeks from now.

Viewed as a championship favorite before season start, Ferrari entered the new season slow on pace – especially in qualifying – and the latest result in China shows their race performance needs fixing too. After 3 races, their point deficit towards Red Bull and McLaren is already too big, so the package in store for Turkey is viewed as “crucial” for the rest of the 2011 season.

And that view was made clear by the very president of the Prancing Horse, Luca di Montezemolo, who used a birthday message to Felipe Massa – shared on Ferrari's website – to tell the world that the 3-week period between the Chinese and the Turkish Grands Prix is determinant in Ferrari's efforts to close the gap to the championship leaders.

“Your talent and your good nature mean that each and every one of us appreciates you as a driver, but even more so as a person,” he told Massa, who turned 30 last week. “Enjoy this day with your lovely family knowing that we can expect the new few weeks to be crucial for our championship chances.”

Before the Chinese Grand Prix two weekends ago, team principal Stefano Domenicali and technical duo Aldo Costa and Pat Fry traveled to Maranello to set up a “Plan B” for Ferrari, worried that the latest updates used for the 150 Italia haven't worked the way they were supposed to (increase downforce).