Strangely enough for a team that long had an image of occasionally temperamental brilliance, Ferrari's revival has come through reliability and consistency rather than having the fastest car.
Felipe Massa finished third and Fernando Alonso fourth in the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on Sunday, following their one-two finish at the season-opener in Bahrain.
Massa had a brilliant start, vaulting from fifth to second by the first corner. At that first bend, Alonso was involved in a collision that relegated him to 18th and last after the first lap.
"Fernando staged a fantastic climb through the field and might have got an even better result," Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali said. "In terms of the championship, today's result is very positive: those who are our strongest competitors at the moment picked up just a few points and even when compared to other drivers, we have extended our lead."
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SCHUMACHER UPBEAT: Michael Schumacher's comeback to Formula One remains underwhelming, with the seven-time world champion struggling into 10th place Sunday.
The Mercedes driver had his race all but ruined at the start, as he collided with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso at the notorious Melbourne first corner.
Schumacher had to immediately pit for a new front wing, and then again shortly afterward when many cars changed from intermediate to slick tires as the track dried.
"I could have had a good race today so it was a pity that I was hit right after the start," Schumacher said. "That incident decided my race obviously. But things like that happen and you have to just say 'that's racing'."
Even when he emerged back on track, it took Schumacher a surprisingly long time to pass Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari, who is 21 years younger than the German and who was a 1-year-old when Schumacher made his F1 debut.
Still, Schumacher remained upbeat.
"I was still having fun as our pace today was promising and for part of the race, we were going quicker than the top group," Schumacher said. "It was nice to pick up a point and we can take that good feeling into the next race where we will look forward to another challenge."
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LOOK BACK IN ANGER: F1 drivers are asking for a change in the side mirror positioning on their cars to put the emphasis on safety rather than aerodynamics.
Several drivers have complained that the 2010 cars have the side mirrors placed too far out to the sides, where they are subject to significant vibration and make it difficult to see what's happening behind on the track.
There have been several incidents of cars being blocked in qualifying due to the leading driver not seeing cars coming up behind him.
"I hope we put a proposal, as the GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers' Association) to see if we can have the mirrors back to where they belong," Williams' Rubens Barrichello said.
Sauber's Pedro de la Rosa inadvertently blocked some drivers in practice and qualifying in Melbourne, and has discussed the matter with FIA safety delegate Charlie Whiting.
"They have to come back to the monocoque, with the old style, as that is the best position to work," de la Rosa said. "The reason they are out is that they are an aerodynamic device so they give downforce. That is the reality. We have to compromise -- this is a safety issue."
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LOW RIDERS: The latest engineering arms race in F1 involves adjustable ride heights on the cars.
Red Bull have raised eyebrows with what appears to be a device which enables it to lower the car by a tiny fraction during qualifying, giving the team a marginal aerodynamic advantage.
Sebastian Vettel has taken pole in both races this season, with his teammate Mark Webber making it an all-Red Bull front row in Australia -- demonstrating a qualifying edge.
Under new rules banning refueling, all cars this year are built with a slightly higher ride height to enable them to clear the ground during the race. That means that when using light fuel loads in qualifying, the cars should be slightly higher than the ideal. Therefore any device which could lower the car during qualifying would be an advantage.
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh questioned the legitimacy of the adjustment, but also said all teams will try to make their own version if it is deemed acceptable by officials.
However Red Bull denies it has any such device.
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