SADLY, I think the Scuderia still has a long way to go before we can consider them likely winners, but Felipe Massa at least started the Spanish Grand Prix from fourth place and spent the majority of the race battling among the top three positions.
I really feel for Massa. The Brazilian drove his heart out in Barcelona. He used the power boost provided by his KERS energy recovery system to blast ahead of the two Red Bulls into the opening corner, then held them back for all but the last dozen laps of the race. Sixth place was a poor reward for his efforts.
The Brazilian's drive was ruined by a refuelling problem which prevented his car getting enough fuel on both his pit stops. My co-commentators, Damien Smith and Alex Yoong, and I were all surprised when Massa made his second stop about six laps before we expected. Little did we know he would not get sufficient litres in his tank for a second time.
One can only imagine Massa's thoughts when he was first forced to give up his pursuit of Sebastian Vettel. Then he had to slow and let Fernando Alonso through to fifth. Still, it gave the Spanish race fans something to celebrate.
The refuelling glitch is typical of the many "quality control" issues that have bedevilled Ferrari this season. One simply cannot imagine them being tolerated in the era when Ross Brawn, Jean Todt and - dare I mention his name? - Nigel Stepney were ruling Maranello.
Brawn and Todt, of course, elected to step down at the same time as Michael Schumacher retired. Chief mechanic Nigel Stepney was, of course, implicated in the "McLarengate" spying scandal. Whatever the reasons for their departure, their absence has clearly left a vacuum that has still not properly been filled.
One can sympathise more on the mechanical failings that have come with the team's rush to integrate the previously unproven KERS technology in the cars. In that respect, Ferrari are no worse (and possibly responding slightly better) than rivals McLaren, Renault and BMW.
The KERS system may have provided Massa the power boost which gave him an early third place in Barcelona, but the system is heavy and compromises the car's weight distribution, leading to poorer handling. The reliability of the system and its effects on the car's gearbox and engine management were clearly demonstrated in Spain by Kimi Raikkonen's erratic and short-lived race.
I'm still cynical about the supposed tactical blunder which left Raikkonen languishing in the pits instead of progressing through qualifying.
I believe that despite what has been said, the team knew of the throttle control issues which eventually led first to the loss of Kimi's KERS system, then his retirement from the race. The "tactical error", I believe, was a smokescreen, as they hoped that reducing the running on the car, then "tweaking" the electronics on the starting grid, might have cured the problem.
That's a positive sign, in a way; the team knows they have a car that is getting better and doesn't want rivals to know exactly where it stands. The fact is that Ferrari is now close to having a car which can match the Brawn or Red Bull's pace.
Meanwhile, if you are looking for an old Ferrari-style, Schumacher-esque performance, look no further than the team headed by former Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn. Jenson Button has now won four races out of five. Sounds a bit Schumacher-esque, doesn't it?
It has been suggested that, given current form, Jenson could win his first title, possibly as early as the British or German GPs. This is almost a repeat of 2002, when Michael had the title sewn up with six races remaining. Or even 2004, when Schumi won 12 of the first 13 races.
Aside from Red Bull, Ferrari could still be the only other team that could stop that happening. A Ferrari spoiling a Schumacher-esque performance?
Seems a little ironic, really!
The writer is STAR Sports' F1 race commentator
This article was first published in The Business Times.
