Ferrari noted similar concerns with Alonso’s engine and have elected to change the Spaniard’s as well, meaning the squad has gone through two power units before the first race has even begun.

We will change the engine on Alonso’s car for the same precautionary measure which determined the previous decision. @InsideFerrari.

Although the team will not be docked any grid slots, they will have to understand and resolve the problem quickly. Formula One teams are limited to just 8 engines per driver per season, and to lose two before the first race is not a good sign. It is possible the engines may be used later in the year for the free practice sessions, assuming the problem is not terminal.

Original article by BlogF1.

Bahrain 2010: Alonso Follows Suit & Also Gets A New Engine

Ferrari say the change is purely precautionary as Massa’s power unit started to show some worrying characteristics.

At 10am, when the FIA rules allow to work on the cars, the mechanics started to work on the F10 #7, replacing its engine.

This is a completely precautionary step: the engine, used by Felipe Massa up to the qualifying yesterday afternoon shows some abnormal parameters, but can still be used on the track, according to the applicable rules, during free practice sessions. Ferrari Statement.

Not the best start of the day. We are going to replace Felipe’s engine but just for precaution. The engine can be used again in FP sessions. @InsideFerrari.

Although Ferrari state the change is precautionary, and therefore it is likely the engine will be used again later in the year for Free Practice sessions, the fact that a power unit is showing signs of not being able to last a race distance in one piece is of slight concern.

Last year, Red Bull Racing ran close to the envelope with their use of Renault engines, the team admitting they may have to make an engine change and take the resulting grid slot penalty. Thankfully it didn’t come to that, but Ferrari may want to look very carefully at the engine the mechanics are pulling out of Massa’s car at the moment.

Original article by BlogF1.

Bahrain 2010: Felipe Massa Gets A New Engine Already

It is nice to be back racing and competitive in the right direction. I feel happy to be back after such a difficult time.

I was watching races on TV but it’s more exciting to be in the car. I am in a good direction, testing, driving go-karts, so it’s great to be back for racing.

If you look what happened to us, it is a good start for us. I feel very positive to start in second and third, it feels great. For sure Red Bull and some teams are strong, so the race will be difficult but I am happy here to be fighting for top.

I think we did a good job yesterday to prepare for a long distance. We used both tyres and swapped tyres on the long runs. I think we are in the right direction so let’s see how we are going to be in the race tomorrow.

There are many things that will happen in the race, let’s wait and see but I am really optimistic. Felipe Massa.

I am very happy obviously. At is the first race, there are many things to answer in the first race with a long winter with a big difference in fuel loads, in all the tests and yesterday in practice, you never know what the competitors are running.

We were excited about the first qualifying of the season, so now to have both drivers in the top three means we have a very competitive car. We thought so, but you need to confirm and it has been great, a great day and I think it is some kind of nice feeling to realise that we are in the fight because you never know until qualifying.

You never now how you will start the new championship with a big change in the regulations this, and for me also changing teams. For me everything has been great and it is a very good start. Now we were in equal conditions, qualifying with no fuel showed the potential of the cars, so it showed we have a good car.

It is very important to start scoring points from the first race. Fernando Alonso.

Alonso went on to state that his strategy for tomorrow will be open and flexible, believing that the best way to win races this year will be to quickly respond to situations as they arise on the track and adjust his plan as the race unfolds. Felipe Massa will start the Bahrain Grand Prix in second while Fernando Alonso will line up on the grid directly behind pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel in third.

Original article by BlogF1.

Bahrain 2010: Ferrari Duo Happy With Qualifying Performance

What we can see from the camera though is still quite interesting. For a start, is is apparent that Massa has calmed down a lot since driving for Ferrari. When Felipe was driving in his first few races with Sauber, he moved around quite a lot inside the car. Martin Brundle would often remark during his commentary for UK broadcaster ITV that Massa was the only driver he had seen who seems to be driving around corners on a straight piece of track. Massa would hacksaw away at the steering wheel and move his head around while others were centred and motionless.

What is also apparent from the view of Massa is that Ferrari have adopted foam padding inside the monocoque, channeling the driver’s legs down to the pedals. David Coulthard always raced with knee-pads strapped to his legs because the Scot’s knees would bang together when riding over the kerbs. The simple solution, Ferrari appear to have discovered, is to simply pad the cockpit rather than the driver. It isn’t yet known if this is also fitted to Fernando Alonso’s car.

Of course, this isn’t the first time a team have strapped a camera to a driver’s helmet, with Coulthard competing in his final race with one. The Red Bull Racing driver showed us a new view of Interlagos in 2008 when he raced in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see much of it, the RB4 being a bit of a dog and therefore not drawing much attention of the television director. Adding to this, Coulthard crashed out of the race on the opening lap. Unfortunately, FOM have forced the video to be taken down.

It isn’t even Felipe Massa’s first time at showing the world his view from the cockpit, as Ferrari strapped a camera to his helmet after the F60 was unveiled last year. The Brazilian toured Mugello, completing an installation lap just after the world’s media got their first glimpse of the marque’s 2009 challenger. The on-board video starts at 1m32s.

My most favourite example of Helmet-Cam though comes from Fernando Alonso when he drove for Renault in 2006. The Anglo-French squad sent their star driver out on to the track at Circuit de Catalunya during a test session and recorded the Spanish driver’s every move. It was the first time I had seen this being done so perhaps that is why it sticks in my mind. Either way, the footage was just as impressive at the time as it is now.

Image © Ferrari SpA.

Original article by BlogF1.

Helmet-Cam: Formula One From A Driver’s Perspective

Original article by BlogF1.

Caption Contest: #101

All eyes descended on the F10 because, after a fairly torrid year in 2009, the team are hoping to readdress the balance and return to the top. The F10 is Ferrari’s 56th single seater race car and was designed by Aldo Costa. In comparison to its predecessor, the F60, the F10 appears longer, possibly to help with the larger fuel tank needed due to the prohibition of refuelling during grands prix.

Perhaps the most notable change is the livery, which heralds back to a time when Marlboro adorned the cars. When tobacco advertising was outlawed, all other teams looked elsewhere for sponsorship, but Ferrari continued with their relationship with Philip Morris, and the barcode became infamous, flanked over the engine cover and rear wing. In time, the level of promotion decreased as did the amount of whitespace. In 2007, Ferrari made a final change in the tone of the red and the Ferrari cars had pretty much returned to their traditional deep red shade. However, with Fernando Alonso joining the team, Santander are now a major sponsor of the team, and with their corporate colours being red and white, the F10 has seen Ferrari adopt more white in the livery again, and perhaps a change towards Rosso Corsa once again.*

Personally, I do not like the new livery and feel that Ferrari, a team so synonymous with the sport and the traditions that go with it, should remain red. Simply, red. However, the livery doesn’t make the car go faster, so what else appears different on the new challenger. Well, aside from the length, the front end has received a fair amount of work, with the nose and wing undergoing some cosmetic surgery. The nose appears to have a Newey-dip in it as the line moves back towards the monocoque, and the front wing has received some extra bits to help channel air towards all the right places.

The sidepods appear to be slightly smaller than what we saw on the F60, but in comparison to others that have since launched, Ferrari are still not quite as efficient in the cooling department. Smaller, tighter air-intakes imply a car that is working well with its cooling, and McLaren are perhaps among the best at achieving this. Aside from this though, it is clear the F10 is an evolution of the F60 and was not designed from scratch. This usually means a steady improvement in performance and suggests that the F60 was running well towards the end of the 2009 season. And looking at Kimi Raikkonen’s results from last year, most of his haul were collected in the latter half, adding weight to the theory that the F10 should run well this year. The only possible fly in the ointment is if a team takes the other approach – a clean-slate design – and gets it spot on from the word go. But then, how often does that happen…?

Ferrari’s car designation system refers to the team name, Ferrari, and a year-based numbering system that for 2010, is 10. Hence, F10. Last year, the car was named in honour of the company’s 60th anniversary of motor sport competition and was titled the F60. Previous to that, the cars were generally designated by the letter F and the year in full, hence F2008. Ferrari are the sport’s oldest team though, and they have used many different designation systems over the years.

*It is hard to tell the shade from the studio shots supplied, but it does appear a little brighter than the F2008 and F60.

Original article by BlogF1.

Meet The Cars: Ferrari F10

Schumacher last drove in 2006, at the time with Ferrari and although his retirement came with a lot of emotion from both the driver and his fans, the decision to quit was probably well calculated. Ferrari, although managing the 2007 drivers title and a couple of constructors, have slipped in form. Schumacher remained with the Maranello squad though, taking on an advisory role.

Earlier in 2009, Schumacher had hoped to return to racing with the Scuderia, the intention being for him to deputise the injured Felipe Massa. However, a neck injury sustained from a biking accident prevented the multiple world champion from returning.

With the desire to race still burning, and Mercedes needing someone special to take over from the dominant form displayed by Jenson Button in 2009, Mercedes courted Schumacher and with consent from Ferrari, the German driver will rejoin the marque that helped him so much in his early career.

The motivation I think is pretty straightforward. The call I got from Ross at the end of November concerning the chance to go racing, Mercedes being involved, I felt great.

I never left the race track. I was tired of F1 by the end of 2006, but in three years of absence I got back all the energy that I am feeling right now. I played around with motorbikes and I feel ready for some serious stuff now. Michael Schumacher.

Although Schumacher will turn 41 in January, he has maintained his fitness regime and in the summer increased his work-outs with the then-intention of driving the Ferrari. Clearly motivation is not an issue for the German – the decision to return and potentially tarnish his illustrious career (statistically speaking, I add) would have not been taken lightly.

This means that Mercedes will field an all-German line-up next year, hopefully competing directly with McLaren’s all-British line-up. Mercedes vs. Mercedes should also prove interesting, no less than having 4 world champions in the field.

Original article by BlogF1.

Mercedes Confirm Michael Schumacher Return

Ferrari are often considered to be the ultimate Formula One team, especially for young Italians growing up and worshiping those who pilot the cars around the circuits. Fisichella is no different and has not hidden his desire to drive for the marque, an opportunity that heightened after Massa crashed during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. While Felipe is said to be recovering well, Ferrari do not want to place him back in the car until he is 100% fit and ready, and for the past two races, they have been fielding their long-time test driver, Luca Badoer.

However, with a strong car after having developed it tirelessly during the year, Ferrari are starting to make some headway in the constructors championship. Although they will not take the title this year, they do have their eyes set on their current P3 position, and do not want the resurgent McLaren team to take this away from them. In order to secure this position though, the team needs two strong drivers, and from the results of the European and Belgian Grands Prix, it would appear that Badoer is not the driver to have. Although the Italian test driver did well when you consider he hadn’t driven a 2009-spec. car until he arrived in Valencia, and hadn’t raced in decade, the team need someone who can at least score some points alongside Kimi Raikkonen.

For any Italian driver, a Ferrari race seat is a long-held dream and for Giancarlo it was no exception. No one should stand in the way of this. Furthermore the agreement will secure Giancarlo’s long-term future with Ferrari and it would be incorrect to jeopardise this, particularly when Giancarlo has made such a vital contribution to Force India. Vijay Mallya.

Mallya stated that the phone call did not come until yesterday (Wednesday), despite speculation being rife in Belgium at the weekend and continuing this week. Fisichella’s superb podium at Spa Francorchamps undoubtedly helped seal the deal, the points earned being Force India’s first and Giancarlo’s first podium in about three years. Mallya also stated that there were no commercial implications resulting from the deal, mentioned after it was speculated that a leftover debt from when the team ran Ferrari engines may have been excused as part of the agreement.

We would like to stress that we have not agreed any financial settlement with Ferrari. This agreement has been made in good faith and for the good of Giancarlo and the sport in general. A competitive Italian driver in a Ferrari for Monza is a positive story for Formula One, which can only help raise the sport’s profile in these difficult times.

We would like to thank Giancarlo for all his help over the past one and a half seasons and for delivering us our first World Championship points last weekend. He has been an integral part of the team and we owe him a great deal for his input behind the scenes and performance out on track. We wish him all the best for the future. Vijay Mallya.

Mallya’s point about this being a positive step for Formula One as a whole once again reiterates the team owner’s belief in the sport, Mallya having given his permission to Brawn to run with Mercedes-Benz engines this year after he secured a technical partnership deal prior to 2009. However, his words also imply that Fisichella was not a part of the team’s ongoing future, stating that this deal secures Giancarlo’s long-term future with Ferrari. Interestingly, and perhaps something has been lost in translation (either literally or in the way it comes across), Mallya’s words also suggest Fisichella will be with Ferrari for longer than the remainder of this year, although if this were to happen it would almost certainly be in a test driver role. Unless of course, Raikkonen has already moved on and Fernando Alonso is not able to move over for 2010.

Either way though, Ferrari will benefit greatly from having a driver in the second car who has actually driven and raced a 2009-spec. car and is generally considered more of a talent than Luca Badoer. With three race wins under his belt from his time spent at Jordan and Renault, Fisichella should be able to accrue a few points and maybe even some podiums. If all things work out well, the Italian may even be able to clinch a victory before the season climaxes on the final lap at Abu Dhabi in November.

I am very grateful to Vijay Mallya for allowing me this opportunity to drive for the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team.

It is true that it has always been an ambition to do this, and for Vijay to have allowed it to become a reality is very generous.

I hope in my turn I have helped Force India grow up and be on the right path to achieve their own ambitions. They are now a very competitive team and I wish them all the very best. Giancarlo Fisichella.

We have chosen Fisichella because we can expect him to make a valuable contribution in this final part of the season.

Giancarlo has shown, throughout his long career, that he is fast and competitive and we are therefore proud to be able to run an Italian driver in our home race.

We wish to thank Luca Badoer for the team spirit he demonstrated in these circumstances: it is a shame he was unable to show his true worth in these last two races, tackled under conditions which anyone would have found difficult. Stefano Domenicali.

So nice words all around, and Vijay Mallya even wished Giancarlo his best wishes for the future. There has been no announcement as to who will fill the vacant seat at Force India, although it is expected that test driver and former Scuderia Toro Rosso pilot Vitantonio Liuzzi will make a return. It had been widely expected for the young Italian to be taking over from the elder Italian at the Silverstone-based team next year anyway, making his first return to racing since 2007.

I have long been a bit of a fan of Fisichella, ever since I saw him race well at Hockenheim in 1997, a race in which he competed in the Jordan and pushed Michael Schumacher hard. Eventually, Fisichella retired his car due to a puncture, but acknowledging a well run race, Schumacher gave Giancarlo a lift back to the pitlane after the race was completed. The immortal image of a driver astride a Formula One car at speed (Senna/Mansell esque) once again cropping up and sticking hard in the memory.

It is very pleasing to know that although his career has waned ever since he sat alongside Fernando Alonso in the Renault, and that each move the Italian made appeared to have been decided under a cloud of unlucky-ness, Fisichella should hopefully drive well at Ferrari. Having pushed Raikkonen to the chequered flag in Belgium, surely morale will be brimming and the experienced and determined pilot can continue to impress.

Original article by BlogF1.

Ferrari Announce Fisichella For Remainder Of Season

Giancarlo Fisichella – the experienced Italian pilot – came alive this weekend and after taking a sensational pole position on Saturday, Fisichella managed to keep pace with Ferrari which was only ahead due to KERS at the restart. But although it wasn’t a win, Fisichella’s eventual second place was still the first points for Force India, their first podium, and Giancarlo Fisichella’s first podium since the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix.

Raikkonen’s and Fisichella’s race can be summed up very easily. The Finnish pilot had a great start and was helped by Rubens Barrichello almost stalling on the grid. After the first incident which saw Lewis Hamilton, Jaime Alguersuari, Jenson Button and Romain Grosjean crash out and encourage a safety car period, many drivers took the opportunity to pit. Raikkonen and Fisichella stayed out and at the restart, Raikkonen was trailing the Force India, but with the KERS deployed, Raikkonen was able to take the lead.

It wasn’t plain-sailing for Raikkonen though, as even though we expected Raikkonen to cruise off into the sunset, Fisichella kept him honest and the gap remained at about 1s for the rest of the race. It was clear in the final stint that the VJM02 was the faster car, but it simply wasn’t enough, and with KERS being enabled on the F60, Fisichella could only sit and read the rear wing of the leading Ferrari.

Conversely, the team mates of the leading duo had very different races. While one Ferrari crossed the finish line first, the other crossed the line last. Luca Badoer was the last of the runners and has probably hammered the final nail in the coffin that is now known as his Formula One career. Performing better, but still in the shadows, Adrian Sutil completed the Belgian Grand Prix in P11. It wasn’t the greatest of performances from the German pilot, but at least Adrian finished where he started.

Sebastian Vettel has managed to claw out a few points from championship leader Jenson Button and the German driver overtakes his team mate in the title race. It wasn’t a great weekend for Red Bull Racing though, after a poor qualifying performance left both drivers out of position. While Vettel was able to move forward in the race and take Robert Kubica in the pitstops, Mark Webber just went backwards, and after receiving a drive-thru penalty resulting from an early release from the pitstops into the path of Nick Heidfeld, the Australian had nothing left to give.

Red Bull’s only saving grace from the weekend was the fact tha Brawn didn’t score big points, and with a first lap retirement from Jenson Button, it was left up to Rubens Barrichello to collect for the team. Unfortunately, the Brazilian’s anti-stall kicked in on the grid and Barrichello’s race only got marginally better. Two points from seventh is not good enough for the championship leaders, but it is also good enough through sheer luck, as their rivals failed to score as well.

McLaren too were relying on only one driver for the race as Lewis Hamilton was taken out in the same incident that saw Jenson Button retire. The half-lap that Hamilton did complete was pretty hectic though, and from onboard footage we can see the Briton getting sandwiched at La Source and receiving quite a knock on the right side of the car. Seemingly undamaged, Hamilton was able to continue only to be caught up in the spinning Button following a tag from Romain Grosjean. Jaime Alguersuari was also involved, and although the drivers were investigated, no punishment or penalty has been handed out. Zero points for Hamilton though is penalty enough.

Heikki Kovalainen fared better today though, and although the Finn had a poor qualifying performance, he was able to battle his way through to finish in P6 and collect three points for himself and the team.

Having a better weekend were the team that only recently announced they wouldn’t be racing next year due to poor performances this year. BMW had a stellar race in comparison to the previous so far and a double points finish will have certainly buoyed the team from Hinwil. Robert Kubica was running third for much of the race although was out-pitstopped by Sebastian Vettel towards the end. Nick Heidfeld also collected well, despite having the brake heavily to avoid Mark Webber in the pitstops. P4 ad P5 is a good day for BMW.

Renault had a disasterous Belgian Grand Prix, with Romain Grosjean retiring on lap one and Fernando Alonso being retired after a bodged pitstop. The Spaniard received some damage to his wheel on the opening tour, but was able to continue. However, when the double world champion pitted for the first time, the severity of the impact suddenly became a problem. It seems the wheel-fairing was damaged and the tyre-changer simply couldn’t get the new tyre on properly. Fearing another investigation after Alonso’s wheel came off in Hungary and almost saw the team banned from racing in Valencia, Alonso was called back to the pitlane and retired.

And so that really leaves Toyota to mention, the team who have no idea why their car is behaving the way it is. Jarno Trulli is often quoted as saying that he doesn’t know why the TF109 is slow, and equally so, the Italian often says he does not know why it is fast. This weekend was a case of the latter, but it still didn’t help his race after he retired (an early pitstop due to a damaged front wing paid an end to his victory chances early on). Timo Glock remained fairly anonymous, although he seemed to have an okay car under him. P10 was all the German could muster.

The championship therefore only changes slightly, with Kimi Raikkonen receiving a welcome boost in points and the Force India score meaning that all ten teams have now got points in the constructors championship. Button maintains a 16 point lead over team mate Rubens Barrichello, and with five races to run, it will be interesting to see how the Brawn pilot manages the finale to his season. Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel are still very closely matched as are Raikkonen, Rosberg and and Hamilton.

Original article by BlogF1.

Belgium 2009: Kimi Raikkonen Wins From A Very ‘Appy Giancarlo Fisichella

To begin with, let’s rule out a few that made the headlines prior to the European Grand Prix. Michael Schumacher wanted to stand in and help is protege and his team, but owing to a neck injury sustained while testing a motorbike, the multiple world champion ruled himself out after a couple of weeks of supreme hype in the Formula One world. Fernando Alonso was also heavily rumoured to be making a move to Maranello, ahead of time if the speculation is anything to go by. Neither are likely to be in the seat for 2009 though.

Ferrari themselves have ruled out 2009’s departees; Sebastien Bourdais and Nelson Piquet Jr. Martin Brundle seemed to be keen on Ferrari giving the young Piquet a chance with the F60, going as far to say that he felt the ex-Renault pilot deserved another chance to show what he can do. Ferrari though do not want to be seen to be picking up other team’s rejects, a move that could prove a bit of an embarrassment should they perform similar to Badoer’s Valencia tour.

Away from the ex-2009 pilots though, there are still many drivers, experienced and rookie alike, who would jump at the chance to guide an F60 around Spa Francorchamps, Monza et al.

Anthony Davidson has stated that should he get the call, he would help the Italian team, and it seems a little suprising that the Briton gets passed up more often than not. Perhaps the team managers are aware of something us fans are not, but from what we saw of Davidson in the Super Aguri, he didn’t seem to be that bad.

Staying with the Super Aguri refugees, there is also Takuma Sato. The popular Japanese driver was on the hunt last year looking for a drive after the Honda junior squad closed it doors. Over the winter, Sato tested quite comprehensively with Ferrari-powered Scuderia Toro Rosso and was on par with Sebastien Bourdais and Sebastien Buemi. In fact, the decision seemed so hard for the little Italian team to make, it seems strange they didn’t hire Takuma when they issued Bourdais with his P45 mid-season.

Perhaps Sato isn’t the best fit for Ferrari though, and his reputation of throwing the car off the road is something Gestione Sportiva would like to avoid. Marc Gene, Ferrari’s other test driver, seems like a safe pair of hands. It was suggested that the team feel he is too slow, although his stand-in duties at Williams a few years back didn’t go too badly. A few points fell Gene’s way in 2003, although his 2004 outing was less spectacular. Having said that though, would Gene really have lapped the Valencia track one-to-two seconds slower than Raikkonen last weekend?

Elsewhere in the world of racing, Ferrari have still more choices. They could give any number of GP2, F2 or WSR pilots a chance to step up into the sport. Recently the rookie replacements at Scuderia Toro Rosso and Renault have barely put a foot wrong. Although they are not setting the track alight, their promotion from driving in junior formulae has shown that there is no substitute for actual racing. While Badoer was unable to test the car and offering advice from the pitwall, Jaime Alguesuari and Romain Grosjean were fighting there way forwards in the World Series by Renault and GP2 respectively.

In GP2, Vitaly Petrov has been rumoured to be making a leap forwards in 2010 with one of the new entries, as is Roldan Rodriguez. Lucas Di Grassi and Dani Clos have both driven Formula One cars around circuits previously. Nico Hulkenberg is perhaps the better of the GP2 competitors at the moment though, currently leading the championship and although signed to Williams, I’m sure Frank and Patrick wouldn’t mind loaning him out for a tidy sum – it would allow the young German to gain some racing experience prior to the much rumoured promotion he will receive next year.

There’s even an Italian driver who is potentially available and has also driven fairly recently. Vitantonio Liuzzi would love to return to the sport in a racing capacity, and although he is rumoured to have a seat for next year, I’m sure he could fill in at Ferrari between now and then.

If it’s an older pair of hands Ferrari want, then they could approach the 1997 World Champion, Jacques Villeneuve. It has been suggested that the Canadian is looking at trying to make a comeback next year, and Villeneuve has stepped in to help a team in the past, namely Renault at the tail-end of 2004 when Jarno Trulli took an early departure to Toyota. Although perhaps not a popular choice (with myself), I’m sure Villeneuve would love to add Ferrari to his CV, much like his late father.

Also hinting at a desire to help out Maranello, David Coulthard is available (assuming Red Bull Racing will allow it) and is perhaps the best choice at the moment. Coulthard drove as recently has last year and although the Scot hasn’t piloted a 2009-spec. machine, he is very experienced. Never a truly great driver, and perhaps he soured slightly towards the end with a few silly accidents, Coulthard is still the most relevant ex-driver outside of those who have driven 2009 cars.

Even Ferrari’s rivals might be willing to help them out, with McLaren currently employing three test drivers in the shape of Pedro De La Rosa, Gary Paffett and Paul Di Resta. While Martin Whitmarsh may be a little hesitant about letting one his drivers help out their arch-nemesis, Formula One has been moving towards a more cooperative and friendlier environment recently.

Of an interesting note, Stefano Domenicali has now admitted that Ferrari need a young driver programme and has vowed to implement one as soon as possible. The fact the Scuderia are in this position shows that a training programme would be of benefit. For now though, the team seem to be under the impression their options are limited. From what I can see though, they have a wide variety of drivers potentially available to them. And let’s be honest here, if you were to get a call from Maranello, you would be available, wouldn’t you?

So, of all the drivers mentioned here and all the others that are not, who would you pick to place alongside Kimi Raikkonen in the sister F60. Would you go with Luca Badoer, or would you pick someone else?

Original article by BlogF1.

Who Would You Put In The Second Ferrari?

Williams have been partnered with Toyota since 2007 after the squad endured a very difficult year with Cosworth units in 2006. Since 2007, the team have progressed back up the points ladder and this year looks to be a bumper season. Currently Williams rest on 29.5 points, which is already more than their 2008 total and only 3.5 shy of their 2007 total. With six races left to run it is surely very possible that the 33 points benchmark set two years ago will be beaten.

However, Toyota have admitted that Williams have requested an early release from their contract, and John Howett has stated that as long as Toyota are not financially burdened in any way then they will not put up any obstacles.

Williams have been rumoured to be wanting to rekindle their relationship with Renault, an engine manufacturer the team has enjoyed great successes with in the past. The Grove-based team has taken five constructor’s titles with Renault power, although it should be noted this was back when Adrian Newey was designing their chassis. It could also be possible that Ferrari or Mercedes-Benz are on the cards, although it would be hard to understand why Williams would choose Ferrari over Toyota, and Mercedes are already supplying more than their FIA-quota of squads.

It seem very unlikely that Frank Williams would want to return to Cosworth power, even if it is very cheap. But with new question marks hanging over the future of Toyota in Formula One, it is understandable why Frank and Patrick may be looking elsewhere. Another reason for a possible move could be put down to KERS. Toyota have no desire to run the system, and therefore their engines do not have have the necessary capability of running such a device. If Williams want to run their flywheel KERS next season, it may be beneficial to have an engine that is already set up to take such a piece of technology.

Also rumoured to be thinking about a change of engine for next season is Red Bull Racing. The Milton Keynes-based team currently use Renault units, and have done since 2007 – the same year Williams joined forces with Toyota. And just like Williams, Red Bull have grown with their engine and again, just like Williams have done in the past, Red Bull are beating their factory team in the standings this year.

However, this weekend has seen Sebastian Vettel suffer two engine failures, and four overall for the season thus far. This has put the German pilot at a serious disadvantage for the remaining six events, as two engines will have to be spread very thinly. It may be that Vettel has to take a new engine and suffer a grid-penalty, especially considering how hard the Spa Francorchamps and Monza circuits are on the power units.

Again though, it is hard to imagine who Red Bull might go with for 2010 if they do indeed want to change. In 2006 they used Ferrari units, but when Adrian Newey joined, it is believed he insisted on using Renault power as he knows exactly how it all works and can design a better car around their engine. Therefore, Ferrari were passed on to Red Bull sister team, Scuderia Toro Rosso. It seems strange though that Red Bull would want to move away from an engine supplier that on the whole, are getting the job done. The engine failures in Valencia will not have helped the relationship, but one cannot ignore 3 wins, 98.5 points and a P2 in the constructors so far in 2009, with the potential for more in the remaining races.

Of the other engine suppliers, they are only getting thinner as manufacturers withdraw from the sport. Although Honda and BMW did not supply customer teams, their loss only means that they will not be supplying customer teams in the future. Ferrari only supply themselves and Scuderia Toro Rosso, and therefore have the capability of supplying one or two more teams (assuming the FIA allow it), but if the reason for the move was KERS, then you would have to think twice about using the Scuderia units – Ferrari stopped using the device after it proved unreliable*.

Mercedes-Benz have been a real powerhouse this year, supplying their part-owned McLaren team, Force India through a technical partnership deal signed in 2008, and more recently they took on Brawn in order to help the survival of the team. In order to supply the Brawn team though, Mercedes had to seek permission from Force India boss Vijay Mallya, and the FIA who normally only allow manufacturers to have one other customer.

It is unlikely that Mercedes-Benz will be able to break their agreement with Force India, and the team will surely do anything they could to prevent such a move if it was to ever be attempted. Brawn too would be crazy to split from Mercedes, especially as they are winning the 2009 championships at the moment and have been very reliable all year. And if Mercedes can export their KERS with the engines for next season (and assuming the device stays) then based on the reliability of the KERS currently in the McLaren, you would have to say that Mercedes are the best choice of engine suppliers at the moment.

McLaren-Mercedes, Force India-Mercedes, Brawn-Mercedes, Williams-Mercedes, Red Bull Racing-Mercedes… Any more for any more?

Original article by BlogF1.

Why Might Williams & Red Bull Be Looking For New Engine Suppliers?

Since Felipe Massa crashed out of qualifying in Hungary two weeks ago, speculation was rife as to who might replace the Brazilian pilot. Soon after, Schumacher was announced amid a flurry of activity online and in print; the Schumacher name still claims headlines the world over. At the time though, Ferrari were insistent that they needed to assess Michael’s physical fitness, and after a two week program which included time on a simulator, time in a 2007 Formula One car and time in the gym, it has been realised that Schumacher’s injuries mean his neck will have difficulty withstanding the great pressures put upon it from racing the F60*.

Yesterday evening, I had to inform Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo and Team Principal Stefano Domenicali that unfortunately I’m not able to step in for Felipe. I really tried everything to make that temporary comeback possible, however, much to my regret it didn’t work out. Unfortunately we did not manage to get a grip on the pain in the neck which occurred after the private F1-day in Mugello, even if medically or therapeutically we tried everything possible.

The consequences of the injuries caused by the bike-accident in February, fractures in the area of head and neck, unfortunately have turned out to be still too severe. That is why my neck cannot stand the extreme stresses caused by Formula One yet. This are the clear results of the examinations we did on the course of the past two weeks and the final examination yesterday afternoon. As there were no improvements after the day in Mugello, I decided at short notice on Sunday to do that thorough examination already yesterday.

I am disappointed to the core. I am awfully sorry for the guys of Ferrari and for all the fans which crossed fingers for me. I can only repeat that I tried everything that was within my power. All I can do now is to keep my fingers crossed for the whole team for the coming races. Michael Schumacher.

Instead of running Schumacher in the car alongside Kimi Raikkonen, long-time Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer will take up the seat until Felipe Massa is ready to return. A little younger than Schumacher, Badoer has been with the Ferrari family a long time, and first raced in Formula One in 1993, the same year that Rubens Barrichello made his debut. The last time Luca drove a Formula One machine in anger was in 1999, almost ten years ago. Back then, Badoer dovetailed his testing duties with a race seat with Minardi, and came very close to scoring points for the back-row minnows in the European Grand Prix of that year. Badoer was running in fourth when his gearbox gave up with just 13 laps to go.

Having been Ferrari’s test driver since 1997, the Italian pilot has covered thousands upon thousands of kilometres in the Scuderia’s cars, and it is presumed Badoer has driven more miles in a Ferrari Formula One car than any other driver in the company’s history. Despite this though, Badoer has never finished a race in a points-paying position and incredibly, never actually driven a Ferrari in anger. The last time Ferrari had to substitute a driver, it was Schumacher himself who was benched in 1999. After the then-double world champion broke his leg at Silverstone, Finnish pilot Mika Salo was offered the reigns on a temporary basis. Salo pretty much won the German Grand Prix that year, although stood aside in the dying laps to allow Eddie Irvine to score maximum points towards his reinvigorated championship campaign.

One has to wonder why the younger Marc Gene was not given to opportunity to drive. Gene is also a Ferrari test driver and has been for many years. The Spaniard also raced a Formula One car much more recently than Badoer, Gene’s last participated race being the British Grand Prix in 2004, when he substituted (brother of Michael) Ralf Schumacher in the Williams team. It is possible that the alleged link to 2010 entry Campos Racing may have prevented or dissuaded the team from running Gene, but looking at the pair of drivers from a purely statistical stand-point, Gene is surely by far the better option.

When Luca Badoer races in Valencia, it will be the first time an Italian driver has driven the Italian-built Ferrari Formula One car since 1994. During the ‘94 season, Nicola Larini substituted Jean Alesi for two races, and even managed a second place in Alesi’s absence. And for those who are particularly aware of driver’s nationalities, Jean Alesi officially raced under the French flag, despite being of Italian origins; his parents are Sicilian, but Jean was born and raised in France.

Recommended Reading

• Luca Badoer Biography
• Ferrari Ask FIA For Permission To Allow Schumacher To Test F60
• F1 Clienti Lend Schumacher F2007 For Fitness Testing
• Michael Schumacher Applies For A Super License: He’s Coming Back
• Massa Rests His Weary Head After Successful Surgery

*Corrected from F2008. Apologies, I obviously forgot what year it is.

Original article by BlogF1.

Michael Schumacher Unable To Race: Luca Badoer Gets The Nod

The lack of experience in a Formula One car wasn’t the fault of Jaime himself though. It was the fact that Scuderia Toro Rosso wanted the Spaniard in the car, and the fact that in-season testing has been banned for this year. Many current drivers voiced their concern over this, and Felipe Massa called the FIA to task, suggesting that they should allow rookies to test a car should they be called upon to substitute another driver. Likewise, McLaren’s experienced test driver and former racer Pedro De La Rosa believes that it would be very demanding even for himself to suddenly step up to the plate and race should the need arise.

And so we now come to the present day, where one of the sport’s most experienced drivers has been called upon to substitute the recovering Felipe Massa. Michael Schumacher has nigh-on sixteen years experience of racing a wide variety of Formula One cars, but the recent rule changes have made the 2009 cars very different to the last he raced in 2006, and the last he tested in 2008.

Ferrari have written to the FIA and their fellow competitors and asked for permission to allow Schumacher to test for one day in a F60. While this makes sense and is by-and-large completely understandable, it does put both the FIA and the other teams in a bit of a bind.

If the FIA agree, they have set a precedent. On top of that, Michael Schumacher is no Jaime Alguersuari. Schumacher is experienced, and wil undoubtedly give feedback on the car straight away. This takes it from a simple familiarisation exercise to a proper test. On top of that, will Ferrari’s rivals want this? The other drivers will not have the same fear of Schumacher driving as they did Alguersuari (who by the way, actually drove quite well in his debut). There is no fear of Schumacher throwing his car into another due to inexperience. In fact, the other 19 drivers are probably more fearful of the seven-time champion doing just that on purpose!

It will be interesting to see how the other nine squad’s respond to this. I would imagine the FIA might say something along the lines of it being acceptable as long as there is unanimous agreement among the other teams, but getting that agreement may prove harder than they think.

Do you think Schumacher should be given a day’s testing in a 2009 F60, or do you think he should just get on with it, much like how Jaime Alguersuari did?

Recommended Reading

• F1 Clienti Lend Schumacher F2007 For Fitness Testing
• Michael Schumacher Applies For A Super License: He’s Coming Back
• Jaime Alguersuari Confirmed At Scuderia Toro Rosso
• Massa Praises Algeursuari & Criticises FIA

Original article by BlogF1.

Ferrari Ask FIA For Permission To Allow Schumacher To Test F60

Michael Schumacher claimed five titles while driving for Ferrari and has been asked to step in to replace Felipe Massa while he recovers from his accident sustained at the Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend. Wanting to ensure he is in tip-top condition, Schumacher has requested to get in as much driving as possible. He will have spent some time on the simulator, but this still doesn’t compare to the real-life effects of driving an actual car.

Formula One drivers are allowed to drive racing cars between races, of course, and most of the times the pilots climb inside such a vehicle it is for some event, like the Red Bull Roadshows, of Goodwood’s Festival of Speed. In each of these cases, older cars are used, even if they are sometimes liveried up to match their younger relatives. However, the drivers gain nothing by running these cars other than promotion for the team and a chance to meet the fans.

For Michael Schumacher though, he is gaining and therefore he is arguably testing. Although not improving the car, he is improving himself.

Now I am sure the Ferrari Formula One team must have an old F2008 or F2007 kicking around somewhere, and the mechanics and engineers will know these machines as they would have worked on them less than a year ago (in the case of the F2008). But instead of siding with the Formula One side of the company, Schumacher has spoken with a subsidiary company – F1 Clienti – to help him out.

Today I was in Maranello in the afternoon to check the functionality of the steering wheel at the static simulator.

Of course I was also taking the opportunity to again discuss with the engineers how to proceed further. There is this test ban in Formula One, therefore I contacted some of the guys from F1 Clienti if they could give me a car. Although those cars are not current or last year’s ones, I simply like to drive as much as possible, so this is a good option. The next weeks will be totally on preparation then. Michael Schumacher.

F1 Clienti was set up (in collaboration with Ferrari) by rich businessmen who wanted to the chance to drive all manner of Ferrari racing cars that otherwise would have ended up in museums or worse still, they would have been destroyed. The company maintains these cars and often sells them to other rich businessmen who would like the thrill of driving a Formula One car. At meetings, the cars are prepared by mechanics, many of whom will have worked on the actual race team at some point in their career.

And so Schumacher has borrowed a F2007 to thrash around Mugello, but it strikes me odd as to why he went with F1 Clienti rather than Ferrari themselves. While they are almost one-and-the-same, I cannot help but feel the team want to ensure there is absolutely no question of rule-breaking. Of course, it could also be that any and every old Ferrari ends up at F1 Clienti, but the careful and measured approach by the team is the more interesting speculation.

Recommended Reading

• Michael Schumacher Applies For A Super License: He’s Coming Back.

Original article by BlogF1.

F1 Clienti Lend Schumacher F2007 For Fitness Testing

Felipe Massa continues to make excellent progress at Hungary’s AEK hospital and it has been reported that the Brazilian pilot has been eating well, moving around and joking with his family and friends. However, the recovery time needed for Massa may mean him missing the race at Valencia, and Ferrari need a quality driver to fill the role. If Massa has his way though, there won’t need to be any substitution made.

Felipe continues to improve. He is eating, he was walking around the room, he took a shower in the morning, like a normal person. So that’s good news.

He was joking with his friends and his brother. He was telling us that he heard about the Schumacher news, and he told us: ‘Let’s see if I let him drive the car, because I won’t give up. Dino Altman, Chief Medical Officer – Brazilian Grand Prix..

However, Ferrari do need a back-up plan just in case Massa isn’t quite ready, and the team asked Schumacher if he would be willing to step in. After stating his happiness that Massa was recovering well, Schumacher went on to explain why he agreed to come out of retirement.

I was meeting this afternoon with Stefano Domenicali and Luca di Montezemolo, and together we decided that I will prepare myself to take the place of Felipe.

Though it is true that the chapter of Formula One has been completely closed for me for a long time, it is also true that for loyalty reasons to the team I cannot ignore that unfortunate situation. But as the competitor I am, I also very much look forward to facing this challenge. Michael Schumacher.

The announcement of Schumacher came just hours after the Benetton and Ferrari driver’s manager stated quite categorically that Michael would not return. However, the decision appears to have been made by the man himself, despite the fact that Schumacher has no experience of driving the F60 nor of the Valencia circuit. With a ban on in-season testing, Michael will have to make-do with the simulator and lots of training in the gym to prepare himself.

The decision is not yet 100% final either, as Ferrari want to make sure their former driver is fit enough to race. Earlier in the year, Schumacher took a tumble while racing a motorbike, and the squad want to make sure that there is no chance of any injury becoming aggravated. However, it is almost certain that for the first time, Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher will be racing identical machinery.

Also jubilant at the return of Schumacher is Lewis Hamilton, the 2008 World Champion having never got the opportunity to race Schumacher as the German retired at the end of 2006.

I am excited by the possibility of Michael Schumacher’s return to Formula One assuming it happens, but my thoughts are still with Felipe and his family following his terrible accident in Hungary.

The whole world will be watching his return to the cockpit in Valencia and it will not only be fascinating to see how he readies himself for his grand prix comeback but also an honour and a privilege to race against him for the very first time. I wish him well. Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton also stated that Schumacher was one of the sport’s greatest competitors and is a legend in his own right. However, not all welcome the return of Michael to Formula One, the world champion often finding himself in controversial situations. It is true that some of Schumacher’s antics have damaged the sport and brought unwanted headlines to the front pages of the sport newspapers. Opinion is divided on whether or not the return of Schumacher will be a good thing, but one thing is for certain: Bernie Ecclestone must be rubbing his hands together right now.

Renault have been suspended from the European Grand Prix – the appeal hearing due to be heard on August 17th – and this has meant that Fernando Alonso will potentially not be able to take part in his home race. Fears of a decline in the already impressively low ticket sales for the race were brought to the fore, but the potential of Michael Schumacher making an appearance may boost sales.

Every media agency, news broadcaster and journalist will be focused on Spain in a month’s time to see Schumacher climb into the cockpit of the F60, and while it may be good for numbers, it may not be all that great for a sport that has moved on from the days of parking at La Raccasse, team orders and barge-board barging.

To jog some of your memories, here’s what some of you had to say when I asked: Would You Want To See Michael Schumacher Return? And on the anniversary of Schumacher announcing his retirement, I asked: One Year On: Is Michael Missed? And finally, just after Schumacher announced his retirement, many voiced their opinion to the question: Is Schumacher’s Retirement Good For Formula One?

Original article by BlogF1.

Michael Schumacher Applies For A Super License: He’s Coming Back

The accident happened after Massa was struck in the face of his helmet by a spring that had come from the leading Brawn BGP 001 of Rubens Barrichello. For some unknown reason at the moment, the part came off and flew through the air, straight into the path of the following Massa. The part only weighs about 800 grams, but having it strike you at great speed must be a bit like being shot at, one can imagine.

Massa was obviously shocked, and from the on-screen graphic, it appears Felipe applied the brakes while maintaining the open throttle. His trajectory did not change after the spring had impacted him, and Massa went straight over the following corner, back across the track and over a tarmaced run-off area before thumping the tyre barrier and Turn 4. Massa did not immediately get out of the car, although he was moving his head. The medics were on the scene very quickly, and Massa was taken care of very well.

When the car returned to the pitlane, it had suffered obvious damage from the tyre wall. The front wheels had been pushed back towards the sidepods and had removed themselves from the chassis. The front wing was placed in the cockpit for transportation ease, but amazingly, the nose maintained its shape and the front of the monocoque looked relatively undamaged.

In 2008, Heikki Kovalainen suffered a high-speed tyre barrier impact in Barcelona during the Spanish Grand Prix. Although the Finn was uninjured, he did suffer concussion and was carted off to hospital for checks. However, despite the high speeds involved and the fact that Heikki’s McLaren had dug down in the barrier which made the impact worse, he did essentially walk away, albeit on a stretcher.

However, rolling back a few years to the 1999 British Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher impacted a tyre barrier at the Stowe corner at speed, an accident that resulted in the German world champion braking a leg. The brake cost Schumacher most of the season and therefore the chance to continue fighting for championship. In ten years though, safety has improved sufficiently that drivers can experience similar incidents, but be able to live to tell the tale. Of course, complacency should never be allowed to creep in, but Massa has to be thankful that the constant improvement made at the circuits and to the cars helped him today.

The only other unexplained issue surrounding Massa’s accident, aside from the throttle/brake thing which could be put down to Felipe simply being absolutely stunned, is the way the Brazilian moved upon impact. Even with a HANS device wrapped around his neck, Massa moved forward substantially as the car thumped the tyres. This suggests the belts stretched more than they should have done.

The last time I am aware of a driver suffering from stretched belts was back in 1995 when Mika Hakkinen had an almighty accident at Adelaide. Mika’s head was thrown forward into the steering wheel, which resulted in the Finnish driver being taken to hospital in a coma. Thankfully, Mika came around and went on to take the 1998 and 1999 world titles, so it probably didn’t do him any long term damage (aside from being slightly deaf in one his ears), but since this accident, changes have been made to the steering wheels of Formula One cars. It isn’t known yet, but unlikely that Felipe’s head actually came into contact with the steering wheel, but the little Brazilian still moved a fair amount in the cockpit upon impact.

Ferrari have said they will keep everybody updated with how Felipe is doing later this evening and tomorrow morning. His surgery has gone well, and now the recovery begins. Thankfully for Massa, Formula One is about to go on a four week break, so Felipe should have plenty of time to rest and ready himself for Valencia at the end of August.

Further Reading

• Previous post on Massa, as the accident happened during qualifying: Hungary 2009: Felipe Massa Crashes Out Of Qualifying.
• Live post (at the time) of Heikki Kovalainen impacting the tyre barrier during the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix: Heikki Kovalainen Suffers High-Speed Incident.
• Heikki Kovalainen recovers well from accident and praises the safety measures of the cars and circuits: Kovalainen Pays Tribute To Strong Car & Attentive Staff.

Original article by BlogF1.

Hungary 2009: Massa Rests His Weary Head After Successful Surgery

No further news is forthcoming at the moment, but I will update as soon as more information is made available. It could be that Massa has damaged a limb. The black lines showing the angle of attack indicates a massive front brake lock-up, possibly meaning a rear brake failure, much like what happened to Michael Schumacher at Silverstone.

Felipe Massa has been removed from the car and the Ferrari is being craned away.

The third qualifying run has been delayed while the marshals repair the tyre barrier.

Massa’s G-meter light went on, indicating it was a heavy shunt. Whenever the G-meter lights up, drivers have to go to the medical centre for a check-up.

Last year, Heikki Kovalainen went in deep in to a barrier at Spain, but was deemed fit to race at the following event..

BBC are suggesting Massa was hit with some debris just prior to the accident. Of course, given the recent circumstances, it would be shocking it had happened. However, Massa was attempting to slow the car, as the brake marks show.

Marshals are walking the track, possibly checking the surface. Coulthard says that is not normal, possibly adding weight to the suggestion that Massa was hit by or ran over something.

The F60 is back in the pitlane, and amazingly, the nose is in one piece and still attached to the car.

Parts of Rubens Barrichello’s rear suspension is missing from his car, Jock Clear has confirmed, and it is possibly this part that may have struck Massa, if indeed anything did.

Eddie Jordan says that a reliable source says that Massa received a knock to the chin, which shocked him and caused the accident. However, Massa is apparently okay. We still await an official announcement though.

Onboard footage from Massa’s Ferrari shows he did receive a whack from a piece of debris on the his helmet, went straight on over the following corner and slammed into the barrier. Also of note, upon impact, Massa moved quite a lot, indicating his belts may have stretched. Massa is being helicoptered to hospital, which is normal for an accident of this size.

Barrichello has apparently visited Massa in the medical centre, and that Massa was talking to him and was fine.

What’s also interesting from the video is that Massa applies both throttle and brakes after being hit. The fact that Massa remained on the throttle after hitting the wall suggests his throttle stuck open.

Massa is to undergo surgery after the debris impact damaged the bone in his skull. Although stable, Massa will remain in intensive care and will definitely not take part in tomorrow’s race.

A further update On Felipe Massa can be read here: Hungary 2009: Massa Rests His Weary Head After Successful Surgery.

Original article by BlogF1.

Hungary 2009: Felipe Massa Crashes Out Of Qualifying

Mosley is well within his right to support a future presidential candidate, but the FIA cannot be seen to be fully backing one candidate over another until the time comes to vote. The voting system should be private as well, just as it is with other political elections that many of us are familiar with.

Mosley stated that he felt Todt would be the best person to replace him, and it wasn’t the first time Max has spoken highly of the French rally, Formula One team and car manufacturer head. Vatanen, a former rally driver himself, retaliated with concerns that Jean Todt represents an older era, and that he himself would bring a new freshness to the role of president.

But it’s not good that a leader stays in the post for a long time, and when that happens, the best thing is a change. And I represent that change, a new era with more freshness.

On the contrary, Jean Todt represents the old era, and it’s not right that Max wants to impose a new leader, and that he uses the power of the federation to support his campaign. The FIA is not a kingdom; it’s a republic where the leaders are chosen democratically.

At Ferrari they don’t want Todt to be president, and so they have told me, because they think they sport would lose credibility. The same would happen if it was Ross Brawn or Flavio Briatore running. The president of the FIA must be someone neutral. Ari Vatanen.

It is the second paragraph that has annoyed the FIA Foundation, with Vatanen using the phrase ‘using the power of the federation to support Todt’s campaign’. Furthermore, Vatanen also claimed that the FIA were paying for a private jet for Todt to allow him in the running of his campaign. Ari wrote:

At the expense of the FIA Foundation, Jean goes with a private plane with his girlfriend, supposedly as a FIA representative, to various parts of the world, sometimes he has gone to Asia, sometimes to Canada, sometimes to Buenos Aires, whatever. In fact, he is doing a campaign totally supported and paid by the FIA. Ari Vatanen.

In a response letter written by the Chairman of the FIA Foundation to Ari Vatanen, Carlos Macaya refutes the suggestion of the FIA funding Todt’s campaign, and explained that the travel expenses Ari may be alluring to actually apply to Todt’s partner, Michelle Yeoh.

These assertions are totally false. For the last two years Jean Todt’s partner, the internationally acclaimed actress Michelle Yeoh, has served in a voluntary capacity as the global Ambassador for the Make Roads Safe campaign which is co-ordinated by the FIA Foundation. In this role Michelle has travelled all over the world to support the campaign especially in advance of this year’s first ever global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety to be held in Moscow on November 19-20. [...]

These activities have nothing whatsoever to do with the FIA, or the recently announced election. It is very disappointing that you have chosen to misrepresent the work of a fellow Trustee in this way and belittle the magnificent contribution being made by Michelle Yeoh. [...]

I appreciate that during the forthcoming election for the FIA Presidency there needs to be open and robust debate. However, I would ask that you do not again misrepresent the role of the FIA Foundation in this way. Carlos Macaya.

Macaya also explained that recently, while Michelle Yeoh was travelling to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania for an FIA function, Jean Todt tagged along as he was attending a workshop in the same city helping to promote intelligent vehicle safety systems in his role as the eSafety Aware president.

It would appear that no further sanction will come of Vatanen’s claims and Macaya’s response, and perhaps the former world rally champion was wrong in his accusation. However, it is interesting that Ari has raised the topic, as conspiracy theorists around the world concoct reasons as to why they feel the FIA are still pro-Ferrari and manage their affairs in a deeply private and suspicious manner.

Of course, Todt was the head of Ferrari’s Formula One operation for many years, praised with rejuvenating the team into world champions once again. But in late 2006, Todt resigned this role and took up the position of CEO for the whole company, dealing with the road car division as well. In 2008, Todt resigned this role, although he was still involved with the Maranello company until July 2009, when he completely resigned in order to focus on his campaign to become the next president of the FIA.

Should Jean Todt defeat Ari Vatanen in the election later this year, there will be cries of corruption the world over. Whether correct or not is almost irrelevant as some fans of the sports that the FIA govern, Formula One included, will still feel that the FIA are not 100% straight up, as they say.

So, to the perhaps slightly more thoughtful fans who I know this site attracts, but additionally also pleasing because I know the passion of motor sport runs deep with all… who do you want to see as the next president of the FIA? I can imagine what the answer is already, but before you comment, think for just a moment about the successes Todt and Vatanen have achieved over the years, and how you think they may run the organisation that still controls the sport we all love.

Original article by BlogF1.

Ari Vatanen Already In Hot Water With The FIA Foundation

The pomp and circumstance surrounding KERS came primarily from the president of the FIA, the forever embattled Max Mosley. His dream, along with the FIA’s it should be noted, was to make Formula One more environmentally friendly. Or at least, to make it look more environmentally friendly.

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that Formula One cars aren’t particularly fuel efficient, although in the same breath, it should also be noted that they aren’t as bad as you think as this advantage can prove to be the difference between winning and not finishing. And that is a good enough incentive to the engineers to ensure their cars are making full use of the fuel.

Other areas where Formula One falls into the clutches of the green-brigade is the travel and transportation of all the materials around the world. The teams move several hundred tonnes of equipment each time they go to a race, and most of the time that involves an aeroplane and several trucks.

So the idea behind KERS was help the sport become more friendly to the environment by using energy that would have previously been lost. When a car is braking, it is still using the engine and therefore the fuel and other electrical systems. However, with KERS this otherwise lost energy is stored in the form of electrical energy in a battery, and used at the drivers command to give him an extra ~80bhp boost.

However, the system isn’t simple and has been in development since last year for most of the teams. Williams even attempted to try a potentially-safer flywheel solution that negates the use of batteries (as there were some electric shock incidents in testing, notably with BMW). Ferrari’s system has plagued them with troubles since they first tested it, and on more than one occasion a Ferrari driver has ultimately retired from a race this year due the system’s unreliability. Although it must be said, their device has improved significantly in recent events.

And BMW, who haven’t used KERS since the Bahrain Grand Prix, have now decided to completely shelve it in favour of spending more time, energy and resources in improving the aerodynamic efficiency of their car. This is in despite of the fact that BMW were originally all for KERS and were one of the first teams to use the technology in pre-season testing.

We evaluated different alleys, proceeding with KERS or proceeding on the aero side and what could we do with no KERS on board.

We had made some significant progress on the aero side which does not allow to fit KERS, and we have taken a decision just a few days ago to no more run KERS this year because we see a more promising alley in developing the aero. Mario Theissen.

Of course, the other side of the issue is the fact that many drivers felt the need to shed some weight over the winter in order to accommodate the huge weight of the system, something I feel is wrong for the sport to be indirectly encouraging. With the minimum weight set at 605kg, taller and therefore heavier drivers felt they were being penalised. In the BMW garage, Nick Heidfeld was able to use KERS for the first four races, whereas team mate Robert Kubica (who is one of the grid’s tallest pilots) was forced to only test system later in the year.

With all the money that has gone into developing the technology, it would appear to have been a complete failure. Mario Theissen insists that it is not a flop, and that BMW have made good use of the information collected by the Formula One branch of the company. However, within the circles of the racing teams, only Ferrari and McLaren still use the technology.

Considering there are ten teams, and that McLaren Mercedes supply Brawn and Force India with engines and technical support, and Ferrari supply Scuderia Toro Rosso with similar, one could rightly expect these teams to be running the same system as the suppliers. Alas not, and it is perhaps because the technology really isn’t all that useful in the grand scheme of things.

It would appear that KERS will not make into next year’s championship, whichever way the current issues surrounding the breakaway series are resolved. FOTA have called for it to be shelved, and with teams like BMW ceasing development work on it, it does seem unlikely that the planned mandatory introduction of the system next year will now happen.

And while running the risk of alerting the green activists, I say that is a good thing. In my own personal view, Formula One shouldn’t be green. Simply because it isn’t, and it never will be. I therefore feel that all the faffing around trying to change something that is inherently un-green a total waste of money. Formula One is a bit like a vice – it’s naughty, we know it shouldn’t be allowed, but it is. The well-paid playboy drivers thrash their cars around with little regard for their own safety and well-being, and we watch because it is fun, entertaining and most of the time, a darn good spectacle.

And at the very end of the day, it is only 20 or so cars every other weekend. Instead of thinking up of hare-brained ideas, wouldn’t it be better to develop better fuels, reduce unnecessary transportation miles/weight and insist the factories that house the teams make better use of alternative energy sources and are more environmentally sound? Honestly…

Original article by BlogF1.

BMW Abandon KERS For Good: Isn’t It Now Formula One’s Turn?

The funny thing is, all we want, “we” being the millions of fans around the world, is for a season’s worth of damn good racing with an epic fight for the world championships that comes down to the final corner of the final lap of the final race. Swiftly followed by a sporting handshake between the participants and lots of celebrations.

Alas, while we may get that, we also get the political manoeuvrings that should stay in the background, but nearly always end up in the foreground.

The FIA have released a statement – the second of the day – which explains they are starting legal proceedings against the eight FOTA teams.

The FIA’s lawyers have now examined the FOTA threat to begin a breakaway series. The actions of FOTA as a whole, and Ferrari in particular, amount to serious violations of law including wilful interference with contractual relations, direct breaches of Ferrari’s legal obligations and a grave violation of competition law. The FIA will be issuing legal proceedings without delay.

Preparations for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship continue but publication of the final 2010 entry list will be put on hold while the FIA asserts its legal rights. FIA Press Release.

So it would appear that the FIA believe FOTA and Ferrari seriously violated the law and breached legal obligations. I particularly like the FIA’s choice of language in this statement. It reads “[...] and a grave violation of competition law.” Wowser! Maybe it’s because I was raised on music manuscript, but whenever I read the word “grave” I think of the term as a musical direction, which essentially means what the word means; we’re talking deathbed here, serious undertones of darkness and sadness. And I fail to see how any of the FOTA-8 have behaved in this manner.

I’m also struggling to figure out why Ferrari have been singled out in the statement. Ferrari are a member of FOTA just like the other seven, and previously nine when Williams and Force India were members. While they may have separate deals with the FIA and/or FOM, it seems odd to single them out in a statement that otherwise appears to be relatively generic. Of course, the reason is clear – the FIA want Ferrari in their championship, and in all likely, Ferrari are probably the main protagonists in this saga.

I also fail to see exactly what the FIA are hoping to get from this. Presumably they do want Ferrari (and the other FOTA-7) to stay. But taking them to court isn’t exactly the best way to chummy up to someone or some company. If the FIA are just out to prove a point, then it may turn out to be a very costly mistake. If the FIA are out to break FOTA’s unity, then that is just childish and if the governing body feel they are owed money, then that too seems to be a bit of a mystery – the FIA is a non-profit organisation. Sure, I bet it costs a fair amount to run, but then that is why they charge for licenses etc…

And now because the FIA intend to start legal proceedings, the final 2010 list (which would never have been the final 2010 list anyway) has been put on hold.

Original article by BlogF1.

FIA To Start Legal Proceedings Against FOTA & Ferrari

Ferrari is also a car company that produce luxury sports cars. Of note, they are quite the exception to the general automobile industry at the moment as it was recently reported that profits at Maranello are only very slightly down on the same period twelve months ago. Where the entire industry is panicking and closing down factories, Ferrari are actually still making a fair amount of money.

But this aside, Ferrari are also an older company and have competed in every year that Formula One has existed. From the first season in 1950 right through to the most recent race, Ferrari have been there, mostly in their famous Rosso Corso colour. There were one or two races when the team changed to blue, but that is because of another dispute many years ago.

So one could argue that because of their ability to generate money, their history and most importantly because of their own desire, Ferrari should remain in Formula One. The two are very closely associated, and although Ferrari has in the past and could in the future participate in a different form of motor sport, Formula One will still likely be considered the pinnacle, and therefore attractive to the top brands.

There is another reason why Ferrari may want to remain in the sport as well. You see, while Stefano Domenicali* was at Heathrow earlier today discussing the budget cap matter with FIA president Max Mosley, Ferrari lawyers were applying for an injunction in the French courts to stop the FIA from pushing through its new rule. The reason for it happening in the French courts is because the FIA are based in Paris. The reason for Ferrari starting this process is even more interesting.

It was stated recently by Bernie Ecclestone that Ferrari do get special treatment in the sport. It turns out that should Ferrari win the constructors title, they get an extra £80m on top of what other teams would get should they win the title. This preferential treatment didn’t cause the stir among the other teams that would normally have been expected, indicating that it is common knowledge inside Formula One.

And now it has become apparent that Ferrari also have the right to veto any future technical regulations. In other words, they have to okay them before they happen. As Ferrari are seeking an injunction, one can presume Ferrari believe this process was not followed by the FIA when they announced the introduction of the budget cap plan. Joe Saward of Grandprix.com has mentioned this agreement regarding the vetoing of rules on his personal Formula One blog, and as it is new to me, I thought I would share a little with you.

The legal argument is apparently based on an agreement that was made in January 2005 between Ferrari, the FIA and Formula One Management.

[...]

The details of this agreement have never been made public but it seems that it included not only a substantial payment each year to Ferrari, but also a veto on the technical regulations in the future. According to our sources, the document even stated that if the new agreement was not validated by all the other teams, the old Concorde Agreement would prevail. Joe Saward.

Joe goes on to say that during the course of the meeting, Max Mosley was willing to raise the budget cap and introduce a “a glide path”, which presumably means a sliding scale whereby the cap would decrease by a set amount each year. However, the meeting apparently didn’t get much further than this as Ferrari and Toyota brought up the legality of the introduction of the rule and refused to back down on this point. They wanted the 2010 regulations cancelled in their entirety.

We can therefore presume that Ferrari believe they have a strong case; an organisation like Ferrari wouldn’t just go to the courts on a whim. However, the fact that Ferrari have this power in the first place is interesting enough. Despite all the possible points one could discuss right now (feel free to in the comments), this does show that Ferrari do want to stay in Formula One. A team wouldn’t bother wasting money on seeking an injunction and enduring the possible embarrassment if it wasn’t granted if they wanted to leave.

Max Mosely believes the same as well, stating as much to Autosport after the meeting. However, Max also believes that Ferrari won’t go through with their threat of leaving the sport and expects them to lodge an entry, either before the deadline or after. From what I can work out from all the quotes and new insights into Ferrari’s position in the sport, it would seem quite the opposite. Yes, Ferrari do want to stay. But if it cannot be done on their terms, then they will leave.

Needless to say, Formula One just got a whole lot more intriguing. Politically, anyway.

*As a footnote to this post, it should be noted that Ferrari Team Principal Stefano Domenicali was representing the team today instead of FOTA and Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo. Although Luca was meant to be present, his father passed away yesterday. I would like to extend my condolences to the Cordero di Montezemolo family at this sad time.

Original article by BlogF1.

Ferrari Clearly Want To Stay, But Also Want It On Their Terms

Ferrari are the sport’s oldest and most successful team, having entered cars in the inaugural 1950 season when the World Drivers Championship was first run. Eight years later, when the World Constructors Championship was introduced, the formation of the team was complete and the company began to grow into not just a racing team, but also a sports car manufacturer, developing and building luxury cars for use on the public roads.

The company is one of the most recognised brands in the auto industry and their products are sought after by almost anyone who has even a passing interest in cars. Posters of Ferraris adorn the walls of many young children the world over and they always gain attention when driven around in public. Gestione Sportiva, the Formula One side of the company, is one of the most popular teams in the sport, and their drivers are adored by fans not just in Italy by the Tifosi, but in just about every country on the planet.

The same rules for all teams, stability of regulations, the continuity of the FOTA’s endeavours to methodically and progressively reduce costs, and governance of Formula 1 are the priorities for the future.

If these indispensable principles are not respected and if the regulations adopted for 2010 will not change, then Ferrari does not intend to enter its cars in the next Formula 1 World Championship. Ferrari Statement.

However, the debate continues as to whether or not Formula One can continue without its most prestigious team. Some say, and I agree with, that Formula One can survive and flourish without Ferrari. There have been other big name and high profile disappearances of teams in the past, Lotus, Brabham and Tyrrell being just three. The point isn’t necessarily about the future of Formula One in relation to its competitors. The point should be about the future of Formula One in relation to its rules and management.

From a commercial perspective, Bernie Ecclestone would like for Ferrari to remain as they make him a lot of money, bringing in fans and helping to put bums-on-seats at the races. But Max Mosley isn’t one to buckle under this pressure and feels that the sport can and will continue should the red cars not enter.

I guess only time will tell; the deadline for entry for the 2010 championship falls at the end of May, and currently only those teams whose businesses rely on Formula One will be entering (ie. Williams). Talks are due to be held between FOTA and the FIA, and in all honesty this issue will very likely be resolved. For the mean time though, it doesn’t look particularly pretty, nor does it look calm and peaceful. The 2009 championship may be exhilarating on the track, but in the boardrooms it is an entirely different story.

Original article by BlogF1.

Ferrari Joins Toyota & Red Bull In 2010 Boycott

The budget cap would essentially split Formula One into two tiers; those who are capped and those who are not. In an attempt to make it fair, the FIA stated that those not choosing to cap their spending would have to follow the proposed rules which are a continuation of the current set and include rev-limited engines and a strong grip on the development of other parts. Those who choose to cap their budgets would be given greater technical freedom and development opportunities.

FOTA have said that they urgently need to open discussions with the FIA, implying that they are not happy with the way this system will split the sport. A few team bosses have voiced their disgruntlement towards this in the build-up to the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, and the urgency comes about because the deadline for entry into the 2010 Formula One World Championship closes on May 29th. Some teams, it would appear, are not ready to commit to next year’s campaign because of this budget cap issue.

Toyota became the first to implicitly say this, with the team’s president, John Howett, speaking to Autosport about his squad’s future involvement in the sport. And while Toyota may have been the first, it is suggested that Ferrari are not too far behind and are said to be evaluating the possibilities of a future away from Formula One.

Under the rules as they are published, we cannot submit an entry. There are concerns about the governance process within the sport, that there are clearly prescribed areas of discussion within the sporting and technical rules and we don’t feel they are being complied with.

From Toyota’s perspective there are a number of concerns that really need clarifications before we commit to the future. We want to be here. We believe we have been a good corporate citizen within the F1 environment, but now we must reflect long and hard on what we do in the future.

I would say it is very likely we won’t enter unless something changes significantly.

Our real heart is to remain in F1, but now we have to start considering what are the best alternatives and discussing with the other manufacturer teams what their opinion is and what their intentions are. John Howett.

The manufacturers would like to see costs reduced, as would the private entries as well. However, by creating a split in the way the teams are run, budgeted and ruled could lead to further problems on the track with performance. With greater freedom to develop new parts, a capped team could discover something which could put them far ahead of any other team. The other capped teams would then copy and implement (much like the recent diffuser issue), resulting in a gap forming between the two levels. Already in 2009 we have seen the difference between Brawn and the others, and everybody is currently reading from the same rulebook.

We are also assuming, regarding the potential performance split after capped teams development, that the FIA will get it right to begin with. If the FIA do not start the scheme off with the teams running vaguely equal, then development will only add to this. And to be perfectly honest, when have the FIA ever got anything right from the word go?

There is also a matter of policing, and although the FIA is setting up the Costs Commission to oversee this, David Coulthard commented on the BBC’s qualifying coverage earlier today that he can foresee capped teams being quite imaginative with the way they deal with some of their finances should this scheme go ahead.

In reality, the way to deal with this problem is far simpler than the FIA is making it. If capping budgets is necessary to ensure the survival of Formula One (and I’m not overly convinced it is, but I can see the merits in it), then simply enforce a standard cap on every single competitor. If you want to compete in Formula One, you will have your finances picked apart by the Costs Commission, and the total must not exceed x-amount, which is the same for everybody. If on the other hand you do not want to have your budget capped, either don’t join the sport, or if you’re already a competitor, then leave. But the rule has to be the same for everybody. Every. Single. Team.

Original article by BlogF1.

Budget Cap Causes Consternation Among The Teams

BMW have been utilising the energy recovery technology with Nick Heidfeld’s car since the beginning of the season, and Robert Kubica was allowed to use KERS for the recent Bahrain Grand Prix. However, the team are introducing a sizeable aerodynamic upgrade to the F1.09 for the Spanish Grand Prix and want to focus their energies on getting all they can out of the update.

With a ban on in-season testing, the first time the upgrades will be used will be on Friday so we can expect both drivers to post a fair few laps in both sessions. Other teams are also introducing updates to their cars, most notably Ferrari who are hoping to build on their first points finish in Bahrain. I think this Friday will be very busy and easily the most important Free Practice session of the year so far.

We will not have KERS in our two cars in Barcelona, because bringing in an aero update and running KERS does not work. We will have KERS on our cars probably in Turkey again. Mario Theissen.

The reason for the Swiss-German squad delaying KERS’s return until Turkey is because they feel its effect will be very minimal around the tight and twisty Monaco circuit. It is my expectation that very few if not any of the drivers will have the boost button in Monte Carlo.

All eyes on Friday will undoubtedly be on the top-three finishers from last year who have all experienced a poor start to the season; Ferrari, McLaren and BMW. Unfortunately for this trio, championship leaders Brawn will also introduce some updates to their BGP 001.

Whilst we have been away racing over the past few weeks, the factory has been working extremely hard on our upgrade package for the BGP 001 and we look forward to seeing the results of our development work on track in Barcelona this weekend. Ross Brawn.

The championship is about to enter its second phase as the teams begin to race closer to home in Europe (Toyota, although Japanese are based in Cologne, Germany) and updates to the respective cars should start arriving thick and fast. The ban on testing though will make the development very interesting to observe, with particular note to Ferrari’s KERS system that has been playing havoc with the Scuderia since the Australian Grand Prix.

Original article by BlogF1.

BMW Drop KERS To Focus On Aero Upgrades

Both Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica suffered front wing damage on the opening lap, requiring them to pit and take on replacement noses. This put the team at a further disadvantage as the drivers had qualified nearer the back than the front. Needless to say, both Heidfeld and Kubica are pretty disappointed with the result today and would like to move on and forget about their races in Bahrain.

The result is a disaster. We were unlucky with the collision in the first corner. At first, I thought the suspension was broken, but I only had to have a new nose fitted in the pits. It is another race to forget. Nick Heidfeld.

My race was destroyed after corner one. I was between Nick and another car. We touched each other and I destroyed my front wing. Then, after the crash, there was a miscommunication with the pit crew. I asked to come in straight away, but was only able to pit after the second lap. Robert Kubica.

Much has been made of Ferrari taking their time in getting their 2009 campaign started, duly achieved by Kimi Raikkonen earlier today with three points going his and the team’s way. But BMW haven’t had the greatest of starts either, and the only reason they are on the points board is because Nick Heidfeld drove a mature race in Malaysia to finish in second.

If we look at the results of both teams for the opening four races, we can see that Kimi Raikkonen has generally improved as the season has progressed, whereas Nick Heidfeld has generally gone backwards, the German’s only saving grace being the second place at Sepang. For Kubica and Massa, the results have been up-and-down, with the Brazilian just missing out in Malaysia and Kubica’s highest finish being P13 in China.

BMW 2009 Results	AUS (Grid)	MAL (Grid)	CHN (Grid)	BHR (Grid)
Robert Kubica	14th (RET) (4)	19th (RET) (6)	13th (17)	18th (13)
Nick Heidfeld	10th (9)	2nd (10)	12th (11)	19th (14)
Ferrari 2009 Results
Felipe Massa	16th (RET) (6)	9th (16)	19th (RET) (13)	14th (8)
Kimi Raikkonen	15th (RET) (7)	14th (RET) (7)	10th (8)	6th (10)

According to the game plan that BMW have been so diligently following since taking over the Sauber team in 2006, they should be mounting a campaign to win the titles by now. BMW should be regularly scoring wins and taking the challenge to the sport’s front runners, previously McLaren and Ferrari. While this plan has been followed since BMW’s debut as a constructor, it appears to have all fallen apart thus far in 2009. Of course, Mario Theissen’s team are far from the extraordinary, with the mighty Ferrari getting off to a slow start and McLaren barely getting much further.

Considering BMW were among the first of the grid to produce an interim car over the winter, and they were said to have been further ahead than anyone else with their KERS, the lack of pace from the Hinwil team is still a little surprising, but that P2 in Malaysia does show promise. If BMW can fix the car with their new aero package and diffuser, they might be able to keep themselves ahead of Ferrari, Williams and Scuderia Toro Rosso. But like their Italian rivals, they need to start qualifying better and finishing more races. Well, Heidfeld is admittedly already doing that, but Kubica could start finding his way to the chequered flag more more regularity.

Original article by BlogF1.

Bahrain 2009: BMW Rue First Corner Incidents

The last time the Ferrari team failed to score any points in the opening three races of the season was way back before I was even born. The third race of the 1981 season took place in Argentina on April 12th, and it was the third double DNF for the squad. Ferrari would go on to finally score in San Marino, and Gilles Villeneuve even won in Monaco and Spain.

To find out when Ferrari failed to score in the opening four rounds is an impossible task; Gestione Sportiva have never endured a season-start as bad as that. They have come close on occasion though. In 1964, John Surtees grabbed second place at Zandvoort, the only points from the first four races. In 1969, Chris Amon managed third, also at Zandvoort and also the only points from the first four. Ignazio Giunti did just the same in 1970, although his points came from Spa Francorchamps in Belgium.

If Ferrari fail to score any points in Bahrain next weekend, 2009 will officially become the worse start to a campaign by the sport’s oldest running and most successful team. Is it likely though that the Scuderia would have such a drought?

It is perfectly possible. Although Bahrain will be hotter and therefore more in tune with the characteristics of Ferraris in general, the car won’t be changed that much. The new parts that will hopefully see an improvement in pace are not due to be implemented until the first European leg of the championship in Spain. And while leaving the Shanghai circuit in China earlier today, Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali refused to rule out writing off 2009.

I think for sure we will see after Spain where we are. In that period we will see really what can be the situation – so when we come back to Europe basically. Stefano Domenicali.

When asked about the controversial diffuser that has seen Brawn, Williams and Toyota all significantly improve, Domenicali was adamant that this device isn’t the only thing that is making the difference.

That device will give you a benefit. But it would be wrong to believe that it is the only key. We have seen, for example, the Red Bull car has done a really great job.

They had more time, they switched their project much earlier than us and that is the reality and we need to consider it. The other thing that we have to understand well is that today in certain conditions, look at the first part of the race, our car was not too bad at all. So we need to understand a lot of things.

We need to stay cool. It is not easy, I know, but we need to stay cool because there are too many things that can change very quickly. The priority number one is to move from zero points. Stefano Domenicali.

Felipe Massa was upbeat heading into the Chinese Grand Prix, insisting that the title race is far from over. Indeed, even speaking after his retirement, the Brazilian was still hopeful of a turnaround from the team.

The car was going well, except when running behind the Safety Car: at those times, there were a few moments when the power seemed to drop. Then, without warning, the accelerator would not work and the car went quiet. I would say to our fans that they should not give up on us, as this is a difficult moment, but the championship is still long. Felipe Massa.

However, Kimi Raikkonen has pretty much admitted that he has given up all hope of securing a second title this year, and now the team is on the verge of doing the same.

If Ferrari did refocus their efforts on the 2010 challenger, then they would likely do a Brawn and start next year with a great advantage, but such is the way Formula One is, you cannot go about winning every other year. There has be a middle ground from which the teams can work and develop. And undoubtedly, the ban on in-season testing is really hurting the teams and preventing them from sorting these issues out.

What would you do if you were in charge of Ferrari? Give up now (or after Spain if there is little improvement) and focus on 2010? Or would you persevere with the F60 in the hope that it comes good at some point this year and will provide a better foundation for next year’s model? And what of the rumoured Alonso-to-Ferrari deal? If it’s true, do you think Fernando will try and back out of it now, and if it hasn’t already been signed, do you think Gestione Sportiva still hold a special place in the Spaniard’s heart?

Original article by BlogF1.

The Second ‘Are Ferrari In Serious Trouble?’ Post

Robert Kubica was trialling the system on Friday, BMW wanting to see the effect it has on the heavier driver’s car. The Swiss-German team had been running KERS on Nick Heidfeld’s machine since the season start in Australia, and the German’s second place finish in Malaysia proving the F1.09 isn’t a bad car. However, the Polish race winner decided not to continue with the energy recovery device and it has been dettached from the BMW.

Also removing KERS are both Renaults, the Enstone-based team having already decided prior to arriving in Shanghai that Fernando Alonso will not run it. Now the team have removed the device from Nelson Piquet’s car as well. This leaves just the McLaren team and Nick Heidfeld with the extra horsepower at the touch of a button. Judging the pace of Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen in free practice at the start of qualifying, you would have to say that Woking have got it right. And as previously mentioned, Heidfeld appears to be comfortable with the technology as well.

However, the complete removal of the device from two championship winning teams does not paint a healthy picture for the technology the FIA are so keen to promote. It would seem that the KERS isn’t always appropriate, and Monaco immediately springs to mind as a circuit where perhaps the boost in power won’t be entirely necessary.

Shanghai though does have some fast sections and corners that require a decent exit speed to carry down a straight. From what the teams are saying though, KERS isn’t that useful in China. Considering Robert Kubica was knocked out of Q1 though, you would have to question that thinking.

Original article by BlogF1.

Shanghai 2009: Only Three KERS-Equipped Cars In China

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali stated yesterday that his team need to start finishing races before they can focus on the improvements to the overall performance; a general rule in motor racing of before finishing first, you first need to finish. So far in 2009, the reigning constructors champions have failed to score any points.

At this moment we need to be basic, we need to bring home what we can in these conditions and wait for the development of the new car and then see. At this stage it is really important to be basic with everything. Stefano Domenicali.

However, after the completion of both free practice sessions in Shanghai earlier, it was made clear that removing KERS from the cars has not helped so far this weekend. In the first practice session, Kimi Raikkonen went P11 with team mate Felipe Massa finishing in P15. The second 90 minute stint saw both cars only slightly improve, Raikkonen to P9 and Massa to P12.

Here we are also running without KERS and as a result, we are losing even more performance, in addition to not having as much aerodynamic downforce as the best cars.

Our fight for the championship is ever more compromised. Felipe Massa.

Earlier in the week, Massa was upbeat about the chances of a comeback for the Ferrari team, saying that the season is only two races old and that the race for the title is far from over.

We need to work very hard, we have some teams which have a different car. It won’t be so easy to catch them but I think it can be possible. Felipe Massa.

The reason for the lack of improvement after removing KERS was put down to the fact the F60 was designed with the energy recovery device in mind. Therefore, removing it has shown to be counter-productive. The cars should be able to complete a race distance now, as other components seem to be okay on the reliability front. Although admittedly, the car perhaps hasn’t been pushed as much due to the fact that of the four races run so far (two for each driver) the Scuderia have only produced one clear finish. And even then, it was at the significantly shortened Malaysian Grand Prix.

Original article by BlogF1.

Shanghai 2009: Ferrari Say KERS Removal Not Helping

Nick Heidfeld, Kubica’s team mate, is much smaller and lighter, and the German has been able to utilise KERS, even managing a second place finish at Sepang in Malaysia. If the device adds an advantage to Robert’s car on the long straights without taking away too much from the overall balance, Kubica could be allowed to run the energy recovery device.

Staying with KERS, Ferrari have announced that following the ongoing problems with their device, they will not run it during this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix. During pre-season testing, the Scuderia had all sorts of overheating issues, and these appear to have continued into the racing season as well, with Kimi Raikkonen leaping from his F60 during practice for the Malaysian Grand Prix – the device caused the cockpit fire extinguisher to trigger. Raikkonen then suffered a terminal problem with the device at the end of the shortened race on Sunday.

Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali spoke of the need for Ferrari to finish races and build from that. So far, their campaign has got off to a terrible start and the reigning constructors champions are yet to score a single point in 2009.

At this moment we need to be basic, we need to bring home what we can in these conditions and wait for the development of the new car and then see. At this stage it is really important to be basic with everything. Stefano Domenicali.

Finally, double world champion Fernando Alonso has been openly critical of Bridgestone’s choice of compounds for the race this weekend. The Japanese tyre manufacturer, who are the sole supplier to Formula One, have opted to bring super-softs and hards to Shanghai, but Alonso feels the super-softs won’t hold up for much more than a handful of laps.

The compound was used for the opening race in Melbourne, and the tyres there were going off after about ten laps. But with the harsh and abrasive nature of Shanghai’s track surface, Alonso believes the tyres may not last any more than five laps. With the fans in mind, Alonso had these scathing words to say about the decision…

I think the super-soft on this type of circuit with long, high-speed corners… in Turn 1 it will be destroyed and in Turn 10 there will be no more left tyre.

I think it is the worst decision they made in a long time, because it is a ridiculous tyre for here, for Shanghai. I don’t know if Bridgestone made the decision or the FIA, but they have to reconsider this type of decision because we look ridiculous on television and we look ridiculous for the spectators, and it is a joke to be in front of TV six seconds slower.

We will need to change the tyres after five or six laps, is our calculation, because this track is harder than Melbourne and there we only did eight or nine laps.

And if they want to be funny and mix the results and have overtaking, they can do a better job – a funny solution, maybe they can put us on the wet tyres or something. Like this it looks more spectacular – the difference in the speed. I don’t know…

I’m very worried about this and I’m very sad about this, because we look strange in front of people. Fernando Alonso.

Of course, if Fernando really wanted to be on wet tyres when the track is dry he may want to try and speed up his speculated move to Ferrari. Although joking aside, Alonso also told reporters in Shanghai that the drivers are not consulted on the choice of compounds taken to the grands prix.

After the Australian Grand Prix, the drivers complained because they felt the incident between Robert Kubica and Sebastian Vettel was down to the difference in speed, which was primarily caused by the tyres. However it would seem their request to be involved in the decision making process is, so far, going unanswered.

Original article by BlogF1.

Shanghai 2009: KERS & Tyre Compound Updates

Image © GPUpdate.net/Sutton Images.

Original article by BlogF1.

Caption Contest: #86