Domenicali relieved to start with a win

Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali admits it was a big relief to start the 2010 season with a victory following their woes last year.

Fernando Alonso led home a Ferrari 1-2 in the season opener in Bahrain on Sunday. This is in sharp contrast to their 2009 start when they had to wait until the fourth race of the year to score any points.

"Well, for sure this race is very important for the team," Domenicali told Autosport. "After a difficult season like last year, and after a very difficult decision that we had to take last year everyone was ready with the gun to fire. But that is part of the game. This is the reason why I have to take certain responsibility. It is good because it shows that the decision was right. I have to thank all the people at home who worked very hard, they were staying together, because it is easy when you have a very bad season - everyone says you have bad people and it was better in a different period. But that is life. We know that.

"So the only way to react is to come back with results. In any case, what is important to see is that the car we have seen this weekend is a good base to look ahead for the future."

The Scuderia boss, though, isn't getting carried away after their magnificent performance in the Middle East.

"The season is very, very long and we have to stay with our feet on the ground because I am expecting all the others to be very aggressive and very competitive," he continued. "But we have seen a good car in both qualifying and racing conditions, and it proves that the work that has to be done is a lot still but we are starting from a good pace."


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