Original article by BlogF1.

Caption Contest: #101

When Vijay Mallya announced that Fisichella was to leave his team with immediate effect, the words spoken seemed to imply that the three-time race winner wouldn’t be retained for next year, saying that this deal would secure Giancarlo’s future long-term future. And so Force India lose one Italian, but gain another.

Liuzzi’s time with Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso was dogged with uncompetitive machinery, but at the times the Italian impressed despite being relatively inexperienced. Vitantonio managed to score a point on his debut , but this only came about after the BARs of Jenson Button and Takuma Sato were disqualified 10 days after the event at an FIA hearing.

The following year and after Red Bull had purchased the Minardi team, Liuzzi was given a full-time seat alongside American racer Scott Speed. Although the car wasn’t overly competitive, Liuzzi again managed to score and generally out-performed his team mate. The point Liuzzi earned at the US Grand Prix was the team’s only point that year.

In 2007, the Scuderia Toro Rosso car started to improve after the Red Bull parent squad started to push parts down the chain to the B-Team. The STR gradually got better as the season progressed and Liuzzi again scored points with a sixth place at the Chinese Grand Prix. However, towards the end of the year Scott Speed abruptly left the team and Red Bull managed to acquire Sebastian Vettel from BMW. Vettel outshone Liuzzi almost straight away and in the same Chinese Grand Prix where Vitantonio had scored his best result to date, Vettel went one better and took fourth and the lion’s share of points.

Scuderia Toro Rosso replaced Liuzzi with Sebastien Bourdais for the 2008 season and retained Vettel for another year. Vitantonio moved to Force India to become their test and reserve driver with the hope of being promoted at some point during his tenure with the Silverstone-based squad. With the departure of Fisichella, Mallya has given Tonio this opportunity.

I’m delighted to give Tonio the opportunity to get back into a race seat, which I know he has been itching to do for the past two years.

Force India is now in a very competitive position and we need a driver who can continue this momentum. This will be the chance for Tonio to demonstrate to both the team and the field that he has the commitment, speed and professionalism to perform and I am sure he will seize this opportunity. Vijay Mallya.

Liuzzi made a point of stating that his promotion is related to the accident Felipe Massa suffered, but he is of course pleased to be promoted to the race team.

I can’t wait to get back into the car in race trim, particularly at my home Grand Prix in Monza. I really appreciate the opportunity Vijay has given me, particularly now Force India has a great car that’s performing very well.

Although it’s unfortunate that this came about as an direct result of Felipe’s accident, this is my opportunity to show people what I can do and I’m really looking forward to it. Vitantonio Liuzzi.

Liuzzi has taken part in a couple of tests for the team prior to the season beginning earlier in the year, and more recently did some straight-line running in the VJM02, so the Italian has driven the car and should have a better idea of how it handles than Luca Badoer did of the F60 he was charged with prior to Fisichella joining.

The Italian Grand Prix this upcoming weekend will feature three Italian pilots, with Jarno Trulli in the Toyota, Giancarlo Fisichella in the Ferrari and now Vitantonio Liuzzi in the Force India.

Original article by BlogF1.

Force India Confirm Vitantonio Liuzzi As Fisichella’s Replacement

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

The earthquake, that measured 6.3 moment magnitude, struck in central Italy in the region called Abruzzo twelve days ago. The strongest of the following aftershocks measured 5.3 magnitude. 294 people lost their lives and over a thousand were injured in Italy’s strongest earthquake in 30 years. Around 40,000 people were made homeless in only a few moments of the ground trembling.

Formula One drivers have donated memorabilia to be auctioned in order to raise funds for those affected by the earthquake, and some drivers will participate in charity events as well. The sport has two Italian drivers at the moment, Giancarlo Fisichella who originally comes from Rome, and Jarno Trulli, who was raised in Pescara, Abruzzo. At the time of the earthquake, Trulli was aboard a plane travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Frankfurt, but thankfully he was informed after landing in Europe that his family was not affected; Pescara being nearer the coast and away from the epi-centre.

Sebastien Buemi of Scuderia Toro Rosso with the words Vicini All’Abruzzo on the side of his car. Crudely translated by myself means friends/neighbours of Abruzzo.

Jarno Trulli has established a website where people can make donations to a fund to help those affected by the earthquake. The site is called Abruzzo nel Cuore, which translated means Abruzzo in the heart. The Italian teams of Ferrari and Scuderia Toro Rosso and Trulli’s Toyota carry tributes on their cars and race-suits for this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix.

Original article by BlogF1.

Drivers & Teams Support Abruzzo Earthquake Victims

I’m very disappointed with the mistake I made in the pitstop. I was just confused with last year as we were always in the last slot in the pitlane, so I just overshot and had to be pulled back into the pits.

I’m really sad about this as I think we could have got a good result. Giancarlo Fisichella.

It isn’t the first time that a driver has missed his garage, and Martin Brundled suggested in his commentary that this isn’t the first for Fisichella to do this either. The Force Indias looked quite racey today and undoubtedly the team may have been able to scrape a point, especially as Jarno Trulli was later given a time penalty for passing under the safety car.

Team mate Adrian Sutil also had a fairly competitive car and finished in tenth. Had the German pilot not got caught up in the first corner incident with Rubens Barrichello and Mark Webber, it is possible that Sutil could have gone on to score for the team. Unfortunately, Force India now look towards Malaysia and will be wanting to put this weekend behind them.

Original article by BlogF1.

Australia 2009: Fisichella Apologises For Pitstop Blunder

Last year was considered a disappointment by Mallya, who during the course of the season went about making changes to the management structure as well as negotiating a very special deal with McLaren. The result is a team that according to Adrian Sutil, has a much more cohesive bond, a pleasing atmosphere and morale that is riding high. It will take more than a smile to haul themselves further up the grid, but it would appear to be a good start.

The VJM02 was one of the last cars to be launched, only beating the Scuderia Toro Rosso STR4 and the Brawn GP BGP 001. However, it’s debut test at Jerez in early March showed promise and both Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil generally kept the machine from the bottom of the tables. While testing is by far no measure of real pace come race day, the results of the initial sessions in Spain were encouraging. The results from the second group test at Barcelona showed more weakness, as the improvements made to the rival cars was made more apparent. However, nearest team STR have weaknesses as well, so it isn’t all doom and gloom for Force India.

If the team are to prove to be serious about competing in Formula One with the bigger and better funded teams, Force India need to start scoring points. Failing to move themselves off the bottom of the championship table in 2008 was not a great result, and after promising a Q2 performance early on in the year, it took the squad until the mid-point before this goal was realised. For 2009, Force India need to hit the tarmac running and not look back. They need to control their enthusiasm for setting unreachable targets, keep their heads down and race.

The shake up in technical regulations will help the team as some of their competitors get it right, while others may get it wrong. The potential mix up in performances could provide a window for Force India to sneak through, but only if they themselves get it right. With expertise from McLaren, a gear box, KERS device and engine all from Woking and Stuttgart, there is little reason why the Silverstone-based squad cannot do exactly this.

I would expect Force India to score their first points in 2009, but talk of podiums and Q1 results are a long way off. They may prove to be a match for Scuderia Toro Rosso, and possibly even close to Williams depending on how they have done over the winter. But the big results won’t happen for a few more years. Force India will improve, but I think Vijay Mallya will be talking of a disappointing 2009 this time next year.

Previous Force India Previews

• F12008 Force India Preview
• F12007 Spyker Preview
• F12006 Midland Preview

Original article by BlogF1.

F12009: Force India Preview

However, the information collected may be worthless as Scuderia Toro Rosso don’t have a car yet. Whereas rivals Force India now do. Having undergone a shakedown last week and completed some laps of Jerez yesterday, the VJM02 arguably puts the Silverstone-based squad ahead. They have one very experienced driver in Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil is entering his third season of Formula One driving. With a strong Mercedes-Benz engine and all the other gubbins that come with it, Force India could be about to take a step up the grid order this year. Of course, looking at the RB5 – STR’s future car – it might not be as straight forward as you think.

Scuderia Toro Rosso have an experienced racer in Sebastien Bourdais, but the Frenchman has completed most of his running in the American Champ Car series. Bourdais’s first foray in Formula One didn’t go quite as well as he would have liked, but there were some strong performances. Conversely, Sebastien Buemi is a rookie and will start his very first season of Formula One in March when the teams convene in Melbourne for the first race. Sebastien Buemi has spent a lot of time in the car though, testing both the STR3 and the RB4. Scuderia Toro Rosso also have a decent engine with the Ferrari, although the package is less complete when compared to Force India’s set up.

So which team do you think will finish the 2009 season on top? The team that won a race in 2008, or the team that have a car already? Scuderia Toro Rosso versus Force India…

Image © Franz Pammer/GEPA Pictures.

Original article by BlogF1.

Who Will Be Faster In 2009: STR vs. Force India

Team owner Vijay Mallya believes the squad have no excuses not to score points in 2009, pointing out that the squad are much stronger now they have a technical affiliation with the world championship winning McLaren team. Along with support, Force India also have Mercedes engines as well as gear boxes and KERS, which will give them a definite boost. Although, for 2008 the team were using the mighty Ferrari power unit and still failed to score any points. With a more complete package though, Force India may be able to haul themselves forward.

To be brutally honest, I would not be happy if we didn’t show some much improved, and much needed, performance.

What we really set out to do over the winter was to put in place structures, procedures and partnerships that would give improvement, but crucially, no excuses.

I would like to see a strong start, rising to points mid-season and a definite improvement in qualifying. Regular points finishes should be the aim.

This is the year we have to deliver. We are not here to make up the numbers, I want to be pushing all the way Vijay Mallya.

However, looking at some testing times, with a handful of salt it must be said, the lap times look fairly close, implying that 2009 could be another closely fought and tightly packed grid. With cars running only a few tenths apart, more emphasis is placed on reliability, strategies and drivers. Losing a tenth or two in qualifying could mean, as it did more than once last year, a difference of up to six places on the grid. Those positions can make the difference between getting into the following phases of qualifying.

If the team does manage to improve during 2009, the drivers will no doubt be analysed more closely by the team and pundits alike. Adrian Sutil is at the beginning of his career and got his drive partly because of a good relationship with then Spyker boss Colin Kolles. Since then though, Kolles has left the Force India team as part of Mallya’s management restructure, and although Sutil is said to have a long term contract with the squad, nobody is entirely safe in their jobs in Formula One.

Giancarlo Fisichella is perhaps the driver with most question marks over, having been soundly beaten by Fernando Alonso at Renault, and then having a less-than-great year with Force India in 2008. Previously, Fisichella had been hailed as a great racer who nearly always demoralised his team mates. Jenson Button, Jarno Trulli and Alex Wurz have all felt the Italian’s wrath back in the Benetton days, but more recently, Giancarlo appears to have struggled.

Last year was difficult, but this year is much more encouraging. If I have a good season and I have the chance, I will stay in F1 for more. Giancarlo Fisichella.

Fisichella believes the VJM02 will become a regular points scorer in 2009 and expects the squad to introduce the KERS device when the circus heads for Europe and the Spanish Grand Prix. Although it should be noted that Fisichella is very much against the idea, having said that KERS is a waste of money and time and still not entirely safe. In an interview at Jerez, Giancarlo had the following to say…

We’re not going to use the KERS until Barcelona so I just need to concentrate on driving the car as quick as possible. Most of the teams I think are going to run with it from the European races, so not for three or four races.

I never drove with it, and I am against it because the teams are spending a lot of time and especially money to develop it. It’s still not safe. Giancarlo Fisichella.

Fisichella completed 31 laps today at Jerez as he put the VJM02 through its paces. At the end of the afternoon the Italian was pleased with the car and his initial impressions were good. There were a few gremlins that needed ironing out, but all in all the car appears to have enjoyed a good debut.

It is a bit frustrating as we could only do 31 laps today, especially as it is very important to try and get as many as possible as we are already late compared to the other teams. I am however quite surprised and happy about what I felt with the behaviour of the car today. It’s very promising and I felt much more consistency, even under braking, and more stability in the high speed corners.

We need to improve the traction a bit and also the oversteering after a few laps, but this is a problem others have had as well. The lap time is good and I am quite pleased as we did it with one set of new tyres and I know I can do much better than this. Giancarlo Fisichella.

Fisichella will continue testing tomorrow before handing the car over to team mate Adrian Sutil on Tuesday.

Original article by BlogF1.

Force India Have High Expectations For 2009

L-R: Vitantonio Liuzzi, Jarno Trulli, Unknown, (looks a bit like) Cristiano Da Matta (but CafeF1 doesn’t think it is), Giancarlo Fisichella, Felipe Massa, Robert Doornbos, Michael Schumacher. Riccardo Patrese is crouching down at the front-left as well.

Image © Motorsport.com/xpb.cc.

Original article by BlogF1.

Caption Contest: #76

The mood before the season start in Australia was one of buoyancy and optimism, but the team were well aware of their uphill struggle to rejuvenate the failed Spyker project and despite the anticipation, team owner Vijay Mallya did his best to quell expectation and potential results. The testing of Ralf Schumacher and Giancarlo Fisichella was certainly welcomed publicity though, only topped by the statement issued by the former Toyota, Williams and Jordan driver that the test was only in kindness to Toyota’s former sponsor when Schumacher failed to get the drive.

Instead, it was Renault refugee Fisichella who claimed the second seat alongside Adrian Sutil and although the Italian had been outclassed by Fernando Alonso and then Heikki Kovalainen in preceding seasons, the experience of the former Jordan race winner was surely enough to boost confidence in the team. However, testing was very trying for the squad and expectation for 2008 was kept to a minimum.

The start of the year was nothing spectacular and Force India started to rack up a few retirements; some from mechanical failure, some from silly driver errors. On occasion, both Fisichella and Sutil found themselves caught up in other driver’s accidents, but it should be noted they also created some all on their own. With the reasonably powerful Ferrari engine though, Force India were hopeful and the goal set by the team to get out of Q1 quickly became a potential reality. Race pace may have been lacking, but qualifying wasn’t going too badly.

From the offset the squad appeared to have good pace in qualifying and Fisichella in particular enjoyed a spate of 16th place grid slots. However, the elusive extra tenth or two proved hard to find and the goal wasn’t realised until Italy. In difficult circumstances which saw Sebastian Vettel take his and Scuderia Toro Rosso’s maiden pole, Giancarlo thumped his VJM01 into a fine twelfth place. Unfortunately, Fisichella couldn’t convert the grid slot into a race result as an incident with Coulthard damaged his front wing. Moments later Fisichella found himself in the barriers, the wing damaged enough to cause the end of his race.

Fisichella’s battle with some of the sport’s leading drivers in Italy wasn’t the only time the Force Indias punched above their weight this year though, and team mate Adrian Sutil also put in some sterling drives in the sister car. Monaco will perhaps be forever etched in the German’s mind as the day he went from hero to zero through little fault of his own.

Quickly becoming a bit of a master around the principality, Sutil revelled in the tricky wet conditions at Monaco and found himself in fourth as the race drew to a close. Unfortunately, an error from the chasing Kimi Raikkonen resulted in the Ferrari slamming in to the back of the similarly powered Force India. Sutil retired and was seen disconsolate in the garage.

For Force India, I believe 2008 was a good year. They may have failed to score any points, but the team and the fans knew it was an uphill struggle. Force India have experienced difficulties and made some errors. But the squad’s vision of the future, combined with funding from Mallya’s companies and a possible alliance with McLaren could see the back-row minnows move forward. The Indian-flavoured team have passion, certainly more than Midland or Spyker had in year’s previous, and with this they can at least hope to move off the bottom of the tables. Sutil has reminded us again this year that he is no slouch and given the right mix of conditions, set up and luck, he can put his car in places it probably shouldn’t be.

Fisichella on the other hand has been slightly embarrassed again; his team mate proving to be a good match for the experienced race winner. Being out-qualified eight times by a pilot with 177 less race starts under his belt is not something Giancarlo should shrug off lightly. However, Fisichella’s strength lies with bonding the team together, providing quality feedback and using his wealth of knowledge to aspire the squad into believing they can do it. With a good car, these two drivers could score some regular points.

Undoubtedly, we’ll be watching the possible collaboration with McLaren closely, especially if the rules regarding customer cars are relaxed. Although it won’t come to much if Mercedes are unable to deliver the engines to the team’s headquarters because of a playful Eddie Jordan.

Force India 2008 Championship Results	Giancarlo Fisichella (Grid) Race	Adrian Sutil (Grid) Race
Australian Grand Prix Albert Park	(17) Retired	(19) Retired
Malaysian Grand Prix Sepang	(17) 12	(20) Retired
Bahrain Grand Prix Sakhir	(18) 12	(20) 19
Spanish Grand Prix Circuit de Catalunya	(19) 10	(20) Retired
Turkish Grand Prix Istanbul Park	(19) Retired	(20) 16
Monaco Grand Prix Monte Carlo	(20) Retired	(19) Retired
Canadian Grand Prix Circuit Gilles Villeneuve	(17) Retired	(16) Retired
French Grand Prix Magny Cours	(18) 18	(19) 19
British Grand Prix Silverstone	(20) Retired	(19) Retired
German Grand Prix Hockenheim	(20) 16	(19) 15
Hungarian Grand Prix Hungaroring	(18) 15	(20) Retired
European Grand Prix Valencia	(18) 14	(20) Retired
Belgian Grand Prix Spa Francorchamps	(20) 17	(18) 13
Italian Grand Prix Monza	(12) Retired	(20) 19
Singapore Grand Prix Singapore	(20) 14	(19) Retired
Japanese Grand Prix Fuji Speedway	(20) Retired	(19) Retired
Chinese Grand Prix Shanghai	(20) 17	(19) Retired
Brazilian Grand Prix Interlagos	(19) 18	(20) 16
Driver’s Championship Position	(0pts) 19th	(0pts) 20th
Constructor’s Championship Position	(0pts) 10th

Recommended Reading

• F12008: Force India Preview
• Force India Show Great Determination
• Adrian Sutil’s Stock Rises?
• Force India Get Into Q2
• Force India & McLaren Alliance On Hold

Original article by BlogF1.

F12008: Force India Weren’t The Force They Thought They Would Be

So why should you take your hands off the steering wheel if you heading uncontrollably towards a barrier in a Formula One car? Surely it goes against natural instinct to want to bring the car under control before an impact, hopefully avoiding contact with anything other than the ground. But drivers often release their grip when they know they are no more than a passenger and there is little more they can do to prevent an accident.

The reason for this somewhat dismissive attitude towards car control is down to preserving the hands, fingers and wrists. When a driver turns the steering wheel of an F1 car, the front two wheels turn accordingly. However, if you were able to jack the car up and turn the wheels, guess what happens to the steering wheel? Yep, it will spin around. Under normal circumstances, there is little reason to want to do this, but when a car ploughs into a barrier, normal circumstances are thrown out of the window.

The impact of the front wheels into a barrier can violently snap the steering wheel around. If a drivers thumb is looped over the grip and his hands generally near the wheel, bones can very easily be broken, from fingers and thumbs to wrists. When Heikki Kovalainen went off during the Spanish Grand Prix earlier in the season, the video clearly shows the Finn releasing his grip moments before impact. And just as well to be fair, as after being checked out overnight in hospital, the McLaren driver walked away with no broken bones and just a minor concussion.

Further more to taking your hands off the wheel, drivers are encouraged to rest their hands on the top of their thighs and relax. I’m not entirely sure just how possible it is to relax moments before clouting a wall at 150mph, but then I’m not a racing driver. But relaxing the body helps limit injury and allow the energy to move better through the driver and car, apparently.

So there you have it. The reason why Fisichella was taken off to hospital for a check-up yesterday was because he failed to let go of the steering wheel and may have damaged his wrists. Thankfully the veteran of more than 200 races is fine, but will rest today and let team mate Adrian Sutil take the reins of the VJM01.

Update:
When I wrote this post earlier today I was hoping to use the video of Kovalainen’s accident to highlight a driver taking his hands off the wheel. But being a recent clip Bernie and his Band (FOM) have taken it down. However, with thanks to Bill Adkins (who will be making another appearance soon) we have a link to another incident where it is clear to see what a driver is doing with his hands. See, I do read my emails from time to time.

The incident was the European Grand Prix in 2005, and the situation was Kimi Raikkonen in the McLaren doing what every good racing driver does – continue driving no matter what. And here he is with a badly flat-spotted tyre. With only a few laps left though the Finn has to continue, and the vibrations finally rip the suspension apart heading out of the first sequence of corners. After spinning around and just about kissing the backside of Button, Kimi releases his hands and waits for impact. At 1 minute 45 seconds or so you get to see the incident from the onbaord camera and the steering wheel hack-sawing around, thankfully without his hands on it.

Image © HondaF1.

Original article by BlogF1.

Why Drivers Take Their Hands Off The Wheel In An Accident

There was a lot of gusting wind out there today, which can make direct comparisons difficult. Still, we made some progress with our set-up and aerodynamics programme. We are obviously looking to build on our result at last Sunday’s French Grand Prix. Now I hope we will be in good shape for another strong race here next week. Jarno Trulli.

Nico Rosberg ran well in the Williams and Nelson Piquet also had a moan about the windy conditions in Northamptonshire today. Piquet was also quelling the media who have been suggesting that he has only a limited number of races to improve his form. While Piquet may believe this to not be the case, Renault chiefs weren’t so hesitant to lay it on the line last month.

And for comedy value (because he was uninjured), Force India used their new engine cover fin today on Fisichella’s car, designed to improve stability now that the standard ECU on the cars limits the engine braking and can make the car unstable under heavy braking. Unfortunately though, Giancarlo Fisichella had a sizeable shunt going through the fast Becketts Complex and had stop testing for the rest of the day. The team have said (and this is the comedy bit) that Fisichella was caught out by a change in grip, and this was likely caused by a gust of wind and destabilised the car. Fisichella was taken to the medical centre as a precaution, but all is well with the Italian.

The car felt quicker even though the balance was not so good because of the high winds. Unfortunately I just got caught out by a change in grip and balance going through Becketts and went off the track and hit the barriers. I wasn’t hurt at all, but I did not take my hands off the wheel and they had to do some checks to make sure my wrist was okay. Giancarlo Fisichella.

The teams will be action again tomorrow as the test continues.

Silverstone Test: Day Two Times

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone Test Day Two: Heikki Goes Top, Fisi Goes Off

Original article by BlogF1.

Caption Contest: #45

You might think that Kimi Raikkonen would be a Monaco master, the Finnish driver known for his ice-cold approach to racing. Raikkonen is certainly a driver I would expect to do well on the streets of Monte Carlo, but the McLaren and Ferrari winner has only visited the Monaco rostrum twice in his seven attempts to date. Kimi’s first podium was for his second place in 2003, improved upon in 2005 with a victory from pole position. In 2006 and suffering from poor reliability from his McLaren, a small fire on his car forced retirement, Raikkonen famously being videoed storming off to a nearby yacht to calm down. A modern-day Monaco master, he isn’t.

What about David Coulthard? The Scot has certainly raced at Monaco a fair few times and has won the race on two occasions. Both wins came from his years at McLaren, the first being in 2000 and repeated in 2002. Coulthard has also managed a second-place in 1996, a pole position and fastest lap in 2001 and a third place in 2006 for current team Red Bull Racing. But when you look at Coulthard racing in Monaco, it is hard to be inspired by his efforts around the track. Is Coulthard a modern-day Monaco master? I don’t think so.

Giancarlo Fisichella is another driver who has been around for a while as well, occasionally in competitive cars, but the Italian has never won the race. Fisi’s best result was a second place in 1998, way back in his Benetton days. The Roman has also managed a third place 2000 but hasn’t bettered either of these results. Continuing the longevity theme, Rubens Barrichello might be considered a master of the track, but alas he isn’t. Barrichello’s best results came in 1997, 2000 and 2001 when the Brazilian finished second on each occasion. A fastest lap in 2002 and a third-place in 2004 is the best Rubens has been able to muster, and aside from his surprise ‘97 podium for Stewart, each of his rostrum visits have been with the Ferrari team. Therefore, it would appear practice doesn’t always make perfect.

That just leaves Fernando Alonso left from all the serious contenders of Monaco-masterdom. The Spaniard has twice won at Monaco, once in the Renault in his second championship-winning season of 2006, and last year at the helm of the McLaren MP4-22. Alonso also took pole position on both occasions and set the fastest lap in 2007. So does that make Fernando the modern-day master of Monaco? Statistically, maybe. But I’m not sure he falls into the same category as Senna or Hill when it comes to judging his abilities at the track. Not yet, anyway.

Either way, irrespective of your opinion on Alonso and the Cote d’Azur circuit, Alonso is probably worth an outside bet if you’re so inclined. But in reality, I’m expecting Raikkonen to take his second victory to equal current drivers Coulthard and Alonso in the record books.

Who do you consider to be the modern-day masters of Monaco?

Original article by BlogF1.

Who Are The Modern-Day Masters Of Monaco?

Original article by BlogF1.

Caption Contest: #37

A tenth of a second has never mattered as much as now. All the guys at the track and back at the factory are doing everything they possibly can to get every millisecond and we are now tantalisingly close to that competitive midfield group. [...] We’re no longer at the back and though it will get tougher here on in, it’s a golden opportunity for us. Vijay Mallya.

Vijay stating there that they are “no longer at the back”, but failing to mention that in all honesty, all the team are beating at the moment in qualifying are Super Aguri, the odd STR, and a stranded Renault or penalised Williams. Still, it is only a few tenths as the midfield are all relatively close to one another.

Team principal Colin Kolles was also optimistic of his team’s abilities, going as far as suggesting points.

Our targets this time out will be to reach Q2 in qualifying and to score points. We are working very hard to reach these targets and I am confident we will reach them sooner rather than later. Colin Kolles.

I think Force India are perhaps being a little too optimistic, but the improvements are slowly coming their way. Qualifying aside, Fisichella has managed to finish twelfth in the two race distances he has completed, although the team should be concentrating their efforts on team mate Adrian Sutil at the moment. The German driver has failed to finish on two occasions, and his best result so far this year was in Bahrain. He finished in last place behind the Super Aguri’s, although largely thanks to a few incidents earlier in the race.

Original article by BlogF1.

Force India Show Great Determination

car was pretty terrible and the team suffered a winless season. Fisichella’s name was dragged through the mud and the Italian lost a lot of reputation the world over. I feared that a talent such as Kovalainen would end up being lost due to the spectacular down turn of the Renault team. But both survived, and now they are on the up again. But thanks aren’t just owed to themselves and their new teams, because thanks are also due to the R28 and the man who believes he has six-tenths up his sleeve.

By January 2008, both Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen had been unceremoniously fired to make way for a returning Alonso and young rookie Nelson Piquet Jr. Kovalainen found solace at McLaren while Fisichella went to Force India. A strange move for the Italian but I suspect it was one of very few options available to him at the time. Both drivers reputations had been tested in 2007, partly thanks to the wayward car and lack of results, and partly thanks to poor management by Flavio Briatore. While all eyes were on Ron Dennis, few noticed just how often Briatore berated his men for lack of points.

But now we have the ability to make some comparisons. I grant you they are a little crude, but I’m going to make them regardless, the reputations of Heikki and Fisi being too important to ignore on this site.

The R28, the current Renault that has pounded its way around Albert Park and earlier today, Sepang, is a development of the R27. And knowing that the R27 wasn’t that great you’d expect a few improvements to have been made along the way. Thankfully (for this post), the 2007 season started out the same as 2008; Albert Park followed by Sepang.

By the end of the 2007 Malaysian race Fisichella had accrued seven points, Heikki one. At the same point this year, Alonso rests on six while Piquet Jr is yet to score. In their new teams, Heikki has impressed with strong runs for McLaren and Fisichella looks settled in the Force India. The Finn should have been on two podium now but an error late in the Australian Grand Prix put paid to that. His overtaking move on Fernando Alonso was great though and undoubtedly put a smile on Ron Dennis’s face.

Further down the grid Giancarlo impressed during the winter in the old Spyker F8-VII. The new VJM01 isn’t much different and strong runs in free practice and qualifying underline the Italian’s strengths. His twelfth place finish in Malaysia was a great result, especially when you consider he outraced Rubens Barrichello (Australia result: 6th before penalty), Nico Rosberg (Australia result: 3rd) and Kazuki Nakajima (Australia result: 7th).

So should have Fisichella been given the berating he did last season for under-performing in the Renault? No, I believe not. For sure Giancarlo didn’t perform at his best, but the Renault R27 was a poor chassis. It has been evolved into the R28, but it would appear the team have taking a step backwards. Don’t forget, Fernando Alonso brings six tenths with him!

Heikki too deserves praise for claiming 30 points in 2007, something I feel Fernando Alonso will will struggle to match this season. The Finn’s performances so far in the McLaren MP4-23 have been good and he will only get better. A win is surely on the cards and once that milestone is broken I suspect Heikki’s success will gather pace quickly.

So where does this leave Renault? With a poor car and egg on their faces, I believe.

Original article by BlogF1.

The R28: All Off A Sudden Fisichella & Kovalainen Don’t Look So Bad

Over at BlogF1, I have a series going whereby some guests have written for me. The idea was for some of Formula One’s most talented writers to discuss how they see the driver pairings in the top four teams fair this upcoming season. And before you all ask, vee8’s very own Duncan is due on Monday.

But one of the pairings has not been discussed, and in the spirit of getting guests to post at BlogF1, I thought I’d return the favour and talk a little here. The team is Force India and the drivers in question are Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil. One driver is in the twilight of his career, the other is just starting out. A hot-blooded Italian vs. a quiet and controlled German. Throw in a car that is meant to be slow, but has shocked a few in testing, and the recipe for fireworks is all set. All we need now is a spark…

So why am I keen to see how Fisichella and Sutil work things out this year? Well, I’ll admit I’m a bit of a fan of the Italian. I remember his first full-time season back in 1997, notably the German Grand Prix where he ran Michael Schumacher ragged for a short while. Since then though, Fisichella has always found himself in the wrong car at the wrong time. A move to Benetton should have been his breakthrough, but the team were on the decline. Four years of rebuilding the car in to something that resembled a point-scorer and Fisichella was sent back to Jordan so Jarno Trulli and Fernando Alonso could collect the glory. The Sauber move was hoped to become a stepping stone to Ferrari, but alas it didn’t happen. And then Fisichella found himself back at Benetton, since renamed Renault, and partnered with the fast Alonso.

Having had his reputation of demoralising team mates shattered by the Spaniard, Fisichella has found solace at Force India, a team that should learn from the experience of the wise campaigner. Giancarlo can build the team around him, develop relationships and hopefully push the squad further and harder, much like he did in the Benetton-days.

Only two things stand in his way: The car and his team mate.

If the team cannot build a decent car then Fisichella’s hard work won’t be rewarded. If new team owner Vijay Mallya doesn’t employ the right minds, then Force India will simply remain at the back, regardless of who’s driving.

The other obstacle, Adrian Sutil, could potentially do a lot of damage though. Fisichella is known to be fast, especially in comparison to his team mate. Ignoring the fact that Alonso comprehensively beat him in 2005 and 2006, and that Heikki Kovalainen beat him last time around, Fisichella has similarly destroyed many a team mate himself. Wurz and Button have both felt his wrath, Sato and Firman are two more and as recently as 2004, Massa got a good thrashing as well.

But Sutil is pretty quick as well. At least, I reckon so. For sure, he’s yet to score a point, lead a race or challenge a world champion. Running at the top of the practice tables in Monaco while it was pouring with rain impressed me, and I think he has the talent needed to progress well in the sport, even though it may cost Fisichella dearly. If Sutil, in equal equipment, ends up finishing 2008 ahead of his team mate, then I fear the writing’s on the wall for the Fizz. Four years straight would probably be too much for any team boss to take. The fireworks resulting from such pressures could be very interesting to watch, but I don’t think we’re going to see any pops, bangs or whizzes this year.

I’m hoping that Giancarlo can do a Coulthard and find his fighting spirit again. I’m hoping he and Sutil have a great year and battle their way up to the midfield. Fisichella hasn’t got much time left in the sport; he’ll never become world champion now and even further wins are probably out of the window. But if he plays his cards right, focuses on driving and avoids the political shenanigans, he could very easily join DC in the grumpy, old, but still quick club.

This post was originally written for and published at vee8.

Original article by BlogF1.

Fisichella: Grumpy & Old, But Still Quick?

Gone once again is the Dutch orange of Spyker, the Force India squad being launched in Mumbai with a white and gold livery, highlighting many new sponsors on the largely unchanged car. However, despite the VJM01 being little more than an updated F8-VII from 2007, the team have already stated that this campaign will be one of transition. The squad are apparently already beginning to work on the 2009 machine.

The Drivers

Looking at the driver pairing alone, it seems almost strange that the Force India team have more experience than McLaren at the top of the grid, and Scuderia Toro Rosso, their nearest rivals. Adrian Sutil has been retained, as expected, in the second seat, and ready to start his second season in Formula One. The German showed promise in 2007, driving at times above his expectations and showing then team mate Christijan Albers a thing or two. In fact, so much is his potential the rookie was linked to the second McLaren seat for much of November and December. However, Adrian had a contract for this year and while I’m sure he would have defected had the opportunity arisen, McLaren went with Heikki Kovalainen in the end. But to be considered highlights what many of us think; he’s actually quite talented.

Sutil will have a team mate from which he can learn from in 2008 as well, an experienced race winner who should, hopefully, prove his critics wrong. Renault refugee Giancarlo Fisichella joined the team after a successful test session where he once again demoralised Ralf Schumacher. The time around it was in the same car, sort of, in 1997. Back then Fisichella and Schumacher were beginning their first full seasons in Formula One, and despite a few wheel-banging moments, Giancarlo proved he had a lot more talent than Ralf. However, it was the German who went on to successive wins in the Williams while Fisichella remained in the midfield having made a series of poor decisions. With Renault, his fortunes appeared to change, but his dominance of team mates came to an abrupt end as Fernando Alonso powered to two championships. Fisichella could only power himself to two victories.

The Car

But with Force India Giancarlo has a chance to redeem himself and help build a team for the future. Fisichella’s unquestionable ability to develop a car is something the Force really needed and must utilise. Although the VJM01 remains largely unchanged from 2007, it wasn’t an absolutely terrible car. And at a recent test Fisichella even manged to place it in fourth after a days running. For sure the lap was set on low-fuel, but the times posted by the midfield have been very closely packed over the winter, and it would appear that a tenth gained here and there could make all the difference.

The team have said they will develop the 2008 car over the season, but it does seem certain that they are almost writing off this year’s campaign as one of transition. Vijay Mallya appears to be here for the long haul, and to start work towards 2009 is a wise move if he wants to bridge the gap to Red Bull, Honda and Toyota.

Only time will tell if Force India can really improve and move off the back row of the grid. But one thing is for certain: The team finally look as though they have their spirit back, and hopefully that spirit will lead them to a handful of points in 2008.

The Prediction

A difficult year for Force India, but one that was expected. The team will largely fight Super Aguri and Scuderia Toro Rosso at the back, but they will be able to collect a few points during wet weather races. Adrian Sutil will have another point-less year with Giancarlo Fisichella hauling in little more than four or five.

Original article by BlogF1.

F12008: Force India

The team have continued to build their own chassis, unlike their direct competition on the grid, Super Aguri and STR, who have used derivatives of the Honda and Red Bull cars respectively in the past. While that may put Force India on the back foot, it does mean the team are well within the rules and affords the team independence in their decision making.

The new car is largely the same as that driven in the final races of 2007, although modified to fit with new regulations regarding electronic devices and head restraints. However, while the car may be similar on the outside the team have been busy developing what they have and improving it little by little over the winter. According to new owner Vijay Mallya, they have already started work on the VJM02, the team’s 2009 machine. This implies that 2008 will another transition year for the team formerly known as Spyker, formerly known as Midland, formerly known as Jordan, although spirits are naturally high and Fisichella thinks they can at least move off the back row by the close of play in November.

This is a huge challenging task of performance improvement and becoming competitive. This is the only sport that I know of where even a fraction of a second is the difference between a wining or losing position. It is exhilarating, challenging and satisfying to be part of a movement where competition is truly at its pinnacle. Vijay Mallya.

Mallya, through his ownership of several companies, most notably Kingfisher whose name adorns an airline and alcoholic beverage brands, has earmarked $120m for the teams first year of competition. Although tiny in comparison to Ferrari and Toyota, the team have always managed to run on a small budget, and looking at the success of Super Aguri last year, as well as the competitiveness of STR towards the end of the 2007 season just shows that money is not necessarily everything if all the puzzle pieces fit together well.

The budget is adequate, there’s the structure, and the right people. The 2009 car is already under development. I want to grow with this team and to carry on racing in F1 for a few more years. Giancarlo Fisichella.

Just how well, or even for how long Force India will be around is anyone’s guess; following the Midland and Spyker history, I refuse to hold my breath. But suffice to say Formula One is on the verge of becoming India’s second sport, with a grand prix on the horizon and a developing economy. Combined with an awful lot of potential fans to reach out to, Force India really could become a Ferrari of the future. But undoubtedly it will take many years of hard work, dedication, failures and successes before anything like that can happen. For now, let’s just hope Mallya sticks at it and Eddie Jordan’s old squad can retain a name long enough for the employees to receive a P60 and the end of the tax year.

Photographs Of The VJM01

Images courtesy of Force India.

Original article by BlogF1.

Force India VJM01: Launch & Photos

The team will also have a second Italian on their books as Scuderia Toro Rosso refugee Vitantonio Liuzzi will become the squads test driver. Liuzzi also tested in December and again drove reasonably well. But having experience in the racing cockpit is essential for the team to move off the back row.

At the Barcelona and Jerez test we tried many drivers, and then we opted for Fisichella and Liuzzi. Giancarlo, in particular, needs no introduction.

I’ve invested a lot of money to improve the car, but I need to be realistic. I can’t make predictions. The objective is obviously to improve on what was done by Spyker last year. We must get some points. And most of all we must avoid finishing last at the end of the season. Vijay Mallya.

Obviously this is a step down for Giancarlo who has spent much of his career at Enstone with Benetton and then Renault. But the Italian looked to be out on his ear following the change at the Anglo-French squad, so Force India has offered Fisichella a lifeline that he needs to take full advantage of.

Time will tell how the car goes, but for 2008 the team are likely to continue to struggle towards the rear of the grid. Perhaps though, with the right people, Force India might be able to improve into a regular points-finishing team.

Original article by BlogF1.

Giancarlo Fisichella Confirmed At Force India

This is what Ecclestone had to say at the time:

Both were at decent teams for some time when they should have been doing better jobs. They should think about whether it is intelligent to change to small teams. Look at Renault. If in 2005 and 2006 they would have had only Fisichella in the team, they would not have known that they had a car good enough to win the championship. Bernie Ecclestone.

And today, Fisichella has posted a rebuttal via his website. A message appears on the front page in both English and Italian:

Dear Bernie,
I read with interest your interview in Auto Moto und Sport, faithfully published by your own web site. You are the father of Formula One and like a father you have talked about your children, including me. I wanted to remind you dear daddy, I mean dear Bernie, that I am the one who won the first Grand Prix in Melbourne in 2005 with Renault and therefore I was the one who first discovered the R25 as a winning car. In the two seasons I spent alongside Alonso, in full agreement with the strategies of my Team, I have contributed to two constructor titles, taking home the fourth place in the drivers’ championship, just like Massa this year. Given the circumstances I believe I could not do any better. In 2007 Renault promised me a championship winning car, but this has not been the case and for this I did not get demoralized! Next week, in fact, I will bring my enthusiasm and my experience to Force India, a young team with an “old heart” just like Giancarlo Fisichella who has still some talent to show! Giancarlo Fisichella.

You can read the original version, also in Italian, on Giancarlo’s website. Captured here in case it doesn’t stay up too long.

Pitpass are reporting that this doesn’t sound like the calm Roman driver and believe this is not how he would normally confront any attack on his performance, verbal or otherwise. I would have to agree, and the tone of the text does sound closer to his manager, Enrico Zanarini. A light-hearted poke back at daddy-Ecclestone, but just like Pitpass, I have to ask if this is likely to cause a few feathers to be rustled not in Fisi’s favour.

Original article by BlogF1.

Gianacarlo Fisichella’s Public Rebuttal To Bernie Ecclestone

An announcement earlier from Force India states that Fisichella will test with the team in Spain next week, thus strongly suggesting that Renault have allowed him to do this as it is in everybody’s best interests. Alongside Fisichella at the Jerez test will be ex-Toyota driver and former Grand Prix winner Ralf Schumacher. Schumacher stated earlier in the season that he was in talks with various teams about a 2008 drive, but his primary target, Scuderia Toro Rosso, ended up plumping with Sebastian Vettel and Sebastien Bourdais. Still looking for a seat, Force India have said that they will offer the German a run in their Ferrari-powered car next week.

Although the former-Spyker team have undoubtedly received a huge investment from new owner and Indian entrepreneur Vijay Mallya, I’m not so sure they have the cash to pay for both drivers, but possible partnering one experienced racer with Sutil would help the team. Mike Gascoyne, who has worked with both Fisichella and Schumacher in the past has been slowly progressing the team and has spoken of the squad taken a step further next year. However, in all fairness most teams say that at this time of year, even the front-runners.

Driving for a young dynamic team with high ambitions is a good opportunity, but at the moment it is just one test to see how we get on working together, and whether this is possible. I think I can help the team with its development programme but we will see. Ralf Schumacher.

Whilst no drivers have been officially confirmed by Renault, the team has given me permission to explore other options. I was invited to test with Force India F1 Team at Jerez and I was very happy to accept it. Giancarlo Fisichella.

Bernie Ecclestone, on the other hand, thinks the pair could be making a mistake by moving from topish teams to a back-of-the-grid hopeful.

Both were at decent teams for some time when they should have been doing better jobs. They should think about whether it is intelligent to change to small teams. Look at Renault. If in 2005 and 2006 they would have had only Fisichella in the team, they would not have known that they had a car good enough to win the championship. Bernie Ecclestone.

Also driving the Force Indias next week will be Christian Klien and Vitantonio Liuzzi, who drove a few laps each at the last test held at Circuit de Catalunya. Another former Toyota employee, Franck Montagny, will also drive a Force India, hoping for a return to the grid after competing with Super Aguri for a few races in their inaugural season. Already contracted testers Giedo van der Garde and Roldan Rodriguez are expected to take part as well, forming a impressive line up of test drivers for the squad. I can only assume that Fisi, Ralf, Franck, Klien and Tonio aren’t being paid for this work.

Christian Klien and Giancarlo Fisichella will run on Wednesday 4th, while Ralf Schumacher and Vitantonio Liuzzi will run on Thursday 5th.

So, should Force India be offering Ralf and Fisi lifelines, or should the pair gracefully retire from the sport? Have your say in the comments below.

Original article by BlogF1.

Giancarlo Fisichella, Ralf Schumacher & Fernando Alonso

When you marry, split up and get back together it is not easy. We and he have the intention of finding a solution. This week will be decisive for the marriage. He can choose and he knows us. Flavio Briatore.

The spy case involving Renault could be what is stopping Alonso from confirming his return to the team, but his options are running out. Toyota finally announced Timo Glock earlier today, and while the Japanese team have said that Jarno Trulli’s contract is not set in stone, it is unlikely the Spaniard would move to Cologne. Honda must appear a little more tempting given that they have just acquired Ross Brawn, and the team are still yet to announce Rubens Barrichello. Jenson Button has also given the squad an ultimatum – improve or I’m out. So Button will give the team another season, but Barrichello’s seat is potentially still available. Williams are sewn up, Ferrari are set and the only remaining team that could be rich enough to afford Alonso is Red Bull. However, time is running out and the double champion hasn’t driven a Formula One car since the Brazilian Grand Prix last October.

The telling words from Flavio Briatore also suggests that Heikki is out of the team, despite the Finn improving towards the end of 2007. Does this mean Kovalainen is McLaren bound? It would make sense. Ron Dennis doesn’t want another year of driver separation, and I think Lewis would get along better with Heikki. Also clearing his desk (actually rumoured to have already happened) is Giancarlo Fisichella. The experienced Italian is likely to leave the team should Alonso be signed up and the options for the race winner are limited. Giancarlo is another driver who was ominously missing at the recent Barcelona test and few teams seem interested in his services.

Original article by BlogF1.

A New Line Up At Renault

Massa Extends Ferrari Stay

Felipe Massa has signed an extension to his Ferrari contract and will remain at Maranello until the end of the 2010 season. The news, surely welcomed by the little Brazilian, comes just days before he races in front of his home crowd. Last year Massa won the event in his patriotic overalls, and this time around his morale will be at an all-time high.

The news does quell any rumour of Fernando Alonso buying an Italian phrase book though, as Ferrari are now locked in with a Massa and Raikkonen pairing until the end of 2009 at minimum. Although the red team had tried to say previously that they had no interest in Alonso, the questions were still being asked. This news will provide both Ferrari drivers with piece of mind this weekend, but will only further the speculation surrounding Alonso.

Fisichella Rules Out Retirement

Continuing with the Alonso predicament, the only viable option left to the Spaniard other than status quo is his old stable Renault. Reggie boss Flavio Briatore has discussed the matter with Alonso earlier in the season and before he was publicly implicated in the spy scandal. The rumours of the fallout with Ron Dennis of McLaren have surely been exagerrated, but it is clear that Alonso is considering another switch.

It is because of this that Giancarlo Fisichella is now on “stand-by” at Renault. The Italian has done a reasonable job this year, considering the car is not as good as previous attempts. Perhaps that is down to Fisichella’s inability to provide decent feedback to further develop the car, although I personally feel that the R27 just didn’t start out right in the first place. Either way, Renault seem to be considering retaining Fisichella, hence the reason why his in stand-by. But should Alonso decide to move back, that will leave Fisichella high and dry, surely? Toyota and Williams are the only available alternatives aside from Spyker.

I am on standby, as requested from Renault. I would be very happy to stay. I have done a good job – the best given the circumstances! I have a strong feeling I have to finish the job. Giancarlo Fisichella.

When asked about the possibility of retirement, Giancarlo immediately rebutted with an exclaimed “No way!” while being interviewed for Formula One’s official website.

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Oh, and Pitpass have an exclusive piece regarding the “fair play Tsar” who will be keeping a close eye on the McLaren team this weekend. Apparently all the teams are now going to be getting one…

Formula One, F1, Felipe Massa, Ferrari, Fernando Alonso, McLaren, Giancarlo Fisichella, Renault

Original article by BlogF1.

News Round-up: Pre Interlagos

The launch took place in Amsterdam, indicating the new relationship the team has with title sponsor ING. Mild Seven have finally left the team following the ban on tobacco advertising, and the new R27 is sporting a striking new livery. Introducing INGs colours of orange, white and dark blue, gone is the light blue that was so closely associated with previous driver and reigning champion Fernando Alonso.

I am personally still undecided about the new livery*. It is certainly eye-catching, and I’m sure we won’t have too much trouble telling the cars apart on the race track – a problem that plagued last year with Toyota, McLaren and the then Midland team looking so similar. I think the yellow doesn’t go to well with the orange and blue, but I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

From a technical standpoint, Renault have already had the car photographed at various shakedowns and test over the past week or so, and the car is certainly different from the outside. The shaply mirrors that come from the sidepods are striking, and the curvature of the sidepods make the car really stand out.

Lead driver Giancarlo remains with the team for another year, but after being comprehensively beaten by Alonso for the previous two seasons, the Italian has a lot of weight on his shoulders right now. Over the winter Giancarlo has acknowledged the pressure he is under, but has remained optimistic and feels that this could be his year.

The spirit of the team is strong after two fantastic seasons, and we are feeling optimistic. The team has shown its confidence in me for the new season, and I am determined to repay that in the best way possible, out on track. The team knows how to design winning cars capable of fighting for the championship. That means there is a fantastic opportunity for me this year, and I am determined to make the most of it. Giancarlo Fisichella.

Giancarlo will be partnered with rookie driver Heikki Kovalainen from Finland. While Heikki is yet to race, he has been a Renault tester for over a year and has notched up many thousands of kilometres in Renaults. Heikki has impressed team managers and fans all over the world, but his real test will come in March when he takes to the grid for the first time in a Formula One car.

I am very excited about the new season, but I know that so far, I have achieved nothing at all. I pushed myself very hard last year in testing, to show the team that I was capable of doing the job. They had faith in me, and now it is my turn to deliver on that promise. It is a big privilege for a rookie driver to start his career in a race-winning car, and I am focused on doing it justice. This will be a season where I have a lot to learn, and I need to keep mistakes to a minimum. There will be pressure, but that will come from me, because I always drive myself to improve in every area. Overall, I am expecting 2007 to be a fantastic year for me. I am in the best possible place to start my career, and my focus is on preparing as thoroughly as possible for the first race – and the sixteen to come after that. Heikki Kovalainen.

Renault F1 Team President – Alain Dassas – asserted his goals for the upcoming season, and spoke of continued success and good competition.

Double championship success in 2005 and 2006 has earned Renault its status as a major force in Formula One. Our Formula One championship success is a benchmark of excellence that we aim to meet in every area of our operations. The Renault F1 Team’s performance culture reflects the ambitious objectives of our company-wide plan, Renault Commitment 2009. Consecutive double championships are concrete proof that Renault can win in a demanding environment where success demands quality, technical excellence and reliability. Alain Dassas.

* I’ve decided, I like the new livery. It’s a bit busy, but it is quite nice. But then, I always say that about new Formula One cars!

Images courtesy of RenaultF1.

Original article by BlogF1.

Renault Launch The R27