Ferrari team chief doesn't fear axe

Frustration has twice boiled over within Ferrari this year as key personnel have paid the price in the pursuit of perfection.

In January, after the pitwall gaffe in the final grand prix of last season in Abu Dhabi that cost Fernando Alonso a third world title, Chris Dyer lost his job as head of race track engineering. Then on Tuesday Aldo Costa was ousted as technical director in the wake of a disappointing start to the year, most notably in last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix when a new rear wing was declared illegal and had to be replaced.

After overseeing the team's worst season since 1993 just two years ago, and given their wayward form on this occasion, Domenicali is aware his head is on the line. Currently drivers Alonso and Felipe Massa are 67 and 94 points adrift respectively of runaway drivers' championship leader Sebastian Vettel, whilst Ferrari are 110 behind Red Bull in the constructors' championship.

Speaking in the paddock yesterday ahead of tomorrow's Monaco Grand Prix, Domenicali said: "I'm not worried about it to be honest. It's very straightforward. First of all I cannot answer the question, it's someone above me (president Luca Di Montezemolo] who can answer this, but I know the rules of the game. I'm an independent guy and truth is, this is my life. I have been with Ferrari for 20 years so you can imagine what this means to me.

"Of course, I am responsible and I will try to solve things as much as I can, but if things are not going well it's normal the leader has to, let's say, pay for it."

Domenicali has confirmed that firing Costa, who has now been moved on to another area "within the company", was not an easy task. "From an emotional point of view, it was a very difficult decision, as you can imagine when you've worked with a person for many, many years, grown up together," added Domenicali.

"But I am responsible for the team, and you have to take care to be as rational as possible to do the things for the benefit of the team."

There has been considerable criticism of this year's car, namely that while it looks beautiful it lacks innovation in comparison to the likes of the Red Bull, McLaren, and even the Renault.

Domenicali is determined that innovation drives his team forward as he said: "That's the objective. I said last year in Turkey that is what I wanted from my people, to see innovation on the car, in conjunction with performance.

"If you are being innovative but not performing then it does not look good. It is something that I want for sure."