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Article #217: Todt Not Surprised by McLaren Supremacy

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Jean Todt, the boss of Ferrari was not facing an uphill battle. He had a good
surprised by the supremacy of McLaren at start that he quickly moved to the 12th
this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix. slot. But from then on, he was always in
McLaren's Fernando Alonso from Spain traffic making it difficult for him to
smoothly won the race while rookie Lewis grab a chance to over take. He added that
Hamilton from Britain ranked 2nd, also he never had a clear track. It was only
from McLaren. his strategy that worked.
Meanwhile, the Ferrari car of Brazilian Nonetheless, he was optimistic that we
Felipe Massa was over a minute behind and would not give up for he will do even
placed 3rd. Finn Kimi Raikkonen, another better in the next rounds.
Ferrari driver, only managed to drive his About Ferrari
way to the eighth place. This is due to An Italian sports car manufacturer based
some problems in qualifying like his in Maranello and Modena, Italy, Ferrari
starting as the 16th. was founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929 as
McLaren Team Principal Ron Dennis said Scuderia Ferrari. It sponsored drivers
that his drivers could have gone even and manufactured race cars before
faster but they opted to protect their producing the street legal vehicles in
respective positions. He uttered this 1947 as Ferrari S.p.A.
despite the cozy nature of their winning. Aside from automobiles, Ferrari also has
Nonetheless, Todt did not have sour-grape a merchandise line that is internally
of their defeat. He humbly said that from managed. It distributes eyewear, pens,
the beginning he knew the McLarens were perfume, clothing, and high tech bicycles
very strong and during the Monaco Grand to laptop computers. Also included in the
Prix they were much stronger. So there line of its products is the Ferrari
was no surprise that their team will get oxygen sensor. All bears the Ferrari
their supremacy. The Ferrari team brand.
congratulated the McLaren team and hoped Despite his extensive road car business,
to give a better round in the remaining Enzo Ferrari's true passion has always
races in the championship. been auto racing. His company started as
Todt further said that Felipe was very an independent sponsor for drivers in
close in the qualifying. Felipe finished different cars. It soon became the Alfa
less than one tenth behind Hamilton. He Romeo in-house racing team. Then, after
added that another Ferrari driver, Kimi, Ferrari's departure from Alfa, he started
had a qualifying problem that he was not designing and producing his own cars.
able to go through. So he ended up in the This legendary team had its maiden
16th place. appearance on the European Grand Prix
Todt admitted that the McLaren team was scene after the end of World War II.
indeed the quickest and there is no About McLaren
question to that. McLaren is a motor racing team that is
He pointed out the problems due to slow based in Woking, Surrey, England. Founded
traffic holding up faster cars on the in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren,
tight twisting circuit when he was asked the team is famously known as a
to explain the vast extent between constructor of Formula One. It had also
McLaren and his team in Monte Carlo. He competed in the Indianapolis 500-Mile
said that Felipe was right behind Race, Canadian-American Challenge Cup and
Hamilton during the first pit stop. Then 24 Hours of Le Mans.
they decided to put on softer tires. But The present McLaren team was established
the others stayed on the harder ones. in 1981 by the merger of the original
Then Felipe took over about five laps to Bruce McLaren Racing Team with the
pass one car. Sadly, he lost 15 seconds Project 4 team. Now, it is managed by Ron
in those five laps. Dennis as part of McLaren Racing, a
Todt said that with such incident, they member of the McLaren Group. The group
already anticipated Felipe's being in the also controls companies like the McLaren
3rd place, unless the other two in front Automotive road car division.
had a difficulty. One of the most sought after Formula One
Raikkonen was also severely affected by teams, McLaren won more Grands Prix than
the traffic. It never allowed him to any constructor except Ferrari and
start on his advantage in speed. As a numerous World Drivers' and World
result, it quickly moved him up the Constructors' Championships. With 11
field. His being in the 8th place left drivers' and 8 constructors'
him 15 points behind Hamilton and Alonso. championships since 1966, McLaren is the
He said that he really knew he would be most successful team.






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