It's not a good time to be a Ferrari fan. Given Manchester United's Wembley woes at the weekend, it's a fair bet that many Asian sports fans are pretty miserable at the moment.
The Prancing Horse has gone lame this season. No points after the first three races. Younger readers will have never known such a crisis. Those of us who are a little older will remember the last time Ferrari were rubbish, but you have to go back quite some time. The last time they were in the same position at this stage of the season was in 1981.
What has happened to the famous team to leave them not featuring in either championship? In all honesty, Ferrari management don't seem to know themselves. Part of the problem is that they left development of the F60 way too late. Like McLaren, they poured resources into the last year's title battle to the detriment of this season and its raft of rule changes. Unlike McLaren, they've not shown signs of recovering.
A double diffuser won't be ready until the Spanish GP next month. Team boss Stefano Domenicali says the main thing is not to panic. But he admitted that if those improvements to the car don't harvest results, Ferrari may write off the season and concentrate on next year. It's just unheard of and will alarm their legions of fans across the world.
There was an enlightening moment at the hearing into the so-called double diffuser that has given Brawn GP their advantage this season. The Ferrari representative described Ross Brawn as incredibly arrogant. This was the same man who brought them such success over the past dozen years or so. The triumvirate of Brawn, Jean Todt and Michael Schumacher were unstoppable in their pomp. There was definitely more than a hint of arrogance about them, emanating from certainty and unity of purpose.
It may be that the current Ferrari management, without Todt or Brawn, lacks the arrogance needed to succeed. Formula One is certainly no place for shrinking violets or for learning on the job, and the calls from the pit wall this season haven't always been the best. You would think that given the resources and pedigree of Ferrari, a return to success is only a matter of time. Fans will be praying that it's the case sooner rather than later.