That rear wing will be covered with with Marlboro's barcode, come race weekend.
The first test is going to be absolutely crucial for Ferrari. I can't help but feel that this year is an important year for them to win. This is as good as it will get for them.
They now have the best driver in F1, who happens to be absolutely blistering form and completely motivated to his own and Ferrari's cause.
They seem to have a good design team (given that their car finished 2010 as the 2nd fastest on the grid).
They seem to be bang on schedule with regards to the development of their 2011 car.
They have one of (if not the) biggest budgets in F1.
The last time we had this scenario, Ferrari won everything and the only person to eventually stop them, was the guy who is now driving for them!
The way I see it is that the only way anyone will prevent Alonso from winning the title in 2011, is if the opposition produce a car that is much much faster than Alonso's Ferrari. RBR achieved this last year, but I'm not sure if this can be achieved again for the 2nd year in a row. Also, I can't help feel that Hamilton has not progressed in the way that I expected. He is definitely in the top 2 (2nd to Alonso), but after such a stunning start to his F1 career, I would've expected him to rank higher than Alonso. What Hamilton has going for him is his raw speed which is currently unmatched by any driver in F1 (including Alonso). Could McLaren possibly produce the fastest car in F1? Going by previous form, I would say, "no". Over the last 2 years, McLaren's design team has been found to be 2nd rate, behind RBR and Ferrari. Only when other teams reveal their secrets (double/triple diffusers, complicated under-tray, etc), are McLaren able to copy and move up the field. One thing McLaren did get right though, is their KERS system. And in Hamilton's hands, it proved to be a devastating weapon. This could bode well for McLaren.
When McLaren turn up to their first test, we should get a much better idea as to just how good the leading 3 teams are (McLaren, Ferrari and RBR).
In January 2011 however, if I were a Ferrari fan, I would be EXTREMELY excited and optimistic about 2011.
PS. A point about Ferrari management. I hold Ferrari's management in the highest regard. For me, they are the absolute best when it comes to managing drivers/situations, for the good of the team. No other team even comes close. They are clearly unwilling to settle for 2nd best. They recruited the most complete driver in F1 in 1996 (along with a lot of Bennetton's successful design team). They won. And when MSc retired, 3 years later, they hired Alonso. Unlike Ron Denis (note: I did not use the name 'McLaren'), they are not in F1 to play happy families...instead they want to win at any cost. When Denis got rid of Alonso, the writing was on the wall for him and when Whitmarsh took over and hired Button, Whitmarsh certainly went up in my estimation. The guy said he wanted the best drivers and as he couldn't get Alonso, he opted for the other World Champion available. The only weakness that McLaren have is their design team. If they could make changes or get lucky over a Winter, they will be able to give Hamilton a great chance to add to his World Title.
