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

As the lights went out in Hungary and the race got underway, Kimi Raikkonen was making use of his KERS device and was thundering up the field. The Finnish pilot squeezed Sebastian Vettel over to the right and the German Red Bull driver believes contact was made. After the first corner, Vettel radioed his team to say that he thought there was damage to the front wing, but it turned out to be more serious. The front-left suspension on the RB5 had been broken, and at about the mid-point of the race, it gave way. Vettel was forced to retire his car.

Despite this though, the stewards, who were investigating the incident, said that it was just a racing incident and that no punishment would be handed out.

However, Renault have been given a very harsh penalty following the incident that saw Fernando Alonso’s wheel come off mid-lap. The team, Piquet inclusive, will not race in Valencia in a months time. Although it is rumoured that Piquet will not be racing for Renault again anyway, penalty or no penalty. Further information on the Renault suspension can be read in this post.

Also, Red Bull have been reprimanded for the second race in succession. In Germany, Vettel was released early following a pitstop and the Milton Keynes squad were given a slap on the wrists. And again in Hungary this time, Mark Webber was released into the path of Kimi Raikkonen following a bodged pitstop that almost saw the fuel man get dragged to the floor. Webber thought he had been given the indication to go, but in fact the fuel nozzle was still attached to the RB5. Webber quickly backtracked his motions and stopped, but now under pressure, the team released him without checking the fast lane again and Webber was forced to back out of the throttle to avoid colliding with the Ferrari.

Scuderia Toro Rosso’s Sebastien buemi, who was enjoying a great weekend starting in P10, has not only finished in last place and been beaten by his rookie team mate, but has also received a fine for €1800 for speeding in the pitlane.

All in all, it was quite the Hungarian Grand Prix. Renault are out for one race, Raikkonen got away with being a bit boisterous at the start and Red Bull are treading on a very thin line with regards to pitstops.

• The live race notes can be viewed here: Hungary 2009: Live Race Notes
• The race result can be viewed here: Hungary 2009: Race Result
• The race report can be viewed here: Hungary 2009: Lewis Hamilton Returns McLaren To Top With Victory
• The pitstop and tyre strategies can be viewed here: Hungary 2009: Pitstop & Tyre Strategies
• The fantasy racers round-up can be viewed here: Hungary 2009: Fantasy Racers Update
• The Renault penalty post can be viewed here: Hungary 2009: Renault Have Been Suspended From The European Grand Prix

Original article by BlogF1.

Hungary 2009: Penalty Updates

Original article by BlogF1.

Caption Contest: #89

I think it would be unfair on Hamilton to say that ever since he was promoted into Formula One by the McLaren team, controversy has followed him around, as much of what has happened to his team is by no means entirely his fault. The issues facing the team in 2007 when McLaren were found to have confidential Ferrari data in their possession had very little to do with Hamilton and more to do with those running the Woking-based team. Again in 2009, the FIA have made it clear that they feel Hamilton was put in “an impossible situation” in Melbourne.

However, while Lewis isn’t to blame for all the headlines that seem to only do damage to McLaren and the sport, I feel that the current world champion is being overshadowed in the efforts of appearing friendly and engaging with those people who keep the sport alive; the fans. As a world champion, extra pressure is placed on you by the sport and race promoters to speak highly of Formula One, involve yourself in more interviews and generally become a puppet at the end of the strings being clutched by Bernie Ecclestone. And it isn’t just Hamilton who struggles with this.

Kimi Raikkonen is another driver who is often seen to be stand-offish. When interviewed in the post-race press conferences, Raikkonen almost refuses to show emotion, he will rarely acknowledge those sitting with him and will fail to add that extra 10% that would make the difference between merely answering the questions and coming across as enthusiastic.

In Shanghai last week, BBC commentator Martin Brundle described Raikkonen as rude and inconsiderate of his team after the Finn appeared to not want anything more to do with the race following the early stoppage. Raikkonen was shown changed out of his overalls and wandering around the garage eating an ice cream while his team were on the grid getting wet. The image and associated words that were broadcast around the world are perhaps not what the image of the sport needs. Humorous it certainly was, but for a respected commentator and former racer to describe another driver as essentially not bothering to continue, well…

However, now that the front of the grid has been shaken up and some new faces are gracing the podium and post-race press conferences, it almost feels as though Formula One has been given some fresh air and the breeze has blown all the corporate cobwebs away. Gone are the standard script-read and monotonous phrases and in are the jovial and engaging comments from the new order. Jenson Button, now enjoying greater success, appears relaxed and actually speaks to the cameras and to the audience behind them, all over the world. Mark Webber is comfortable in teasing his team mate and even Timo Glock was all-smiles after his podium finish in Malaysia.

The interviews FOM and FIA insist upon are so much more welcoming thanks to those now being interviewed. To see a driver actually smiling after winning a race is pleasant, and hear him voice that emotion is even better. As Lou mentioned to me last night on Identi.ca, it’s like they actually want to be there. And that makes all the difference.

So while I understand that it is far from easy for the Hamiltons and the Raikkonens to always appear joyous and enthused, I am pleased that Brawn, Red Bull and Toyota have managed to change the scenery. How long it lasts is anyone’s guess, but for now, I might just have to start watching the press conferences again.

Original article by BlogF1.

Blowing Away The Corporate Cobwebs

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

In 2008 and during wet weather at Monaco, Sutil was running in a very well deserved fourth place towards the end of the race. The safety car had just returned to the pitlane and the drivers were once again racing on the drying track. Coming out of the tunnel and heading down to the chicane, Kimi Raikkonen – who was right behind Sutil – lost the rear of his Ferrari as the Finn ran over some water. The resulting accident took Sutil out of the race as Raikkonen effectively used the Force India as a brake. Although a racing accident, it was painful to watch Sutil stalk back to the pitlane, his head in his hands and clearly very distraught.

Today, the trained pianist had a similar march back to the pitlane to endure, although this time it was more his fault than anyone else’s. Again, Sutil was on track within the vicinity of Kimi Raikkonen, but the accident was all of Sutil’s doing. It doesn’t make it much easier though, as the young driver had driven his heart out to be in the position he was in.

I had prepared myself for a hard race and that’s exactly what it was. We took a risk with the strategy with a very early stop and it was a long way to go with one set of tyres. Then it started to rain again and it was very hard to keep the car on the circuit.

Sometimes even in a straight line in fourth or fifth gear I was struggling with aquaplaning and I was very lucky to keep the car on the circuit for so long. Adrian Sutil.

Adrian was then a little more philosophical about the incident and admitted that today’s loss of result reminded him of Monaco last year.

It’s a shame – you focus so much and think you can do it, but the car was just out of control at the end. I had the same feeling as Monaco – it’s hard to believe when you are in the car and then suddenly you lose it and it’s all over from such a great position.

But you have to get over it, we had a great performance today. It’s good for the team and I think we deserved the points, I just feel bad for everyone here. It was a very good strategy call, but that’s what we had to do: take a risk. Adrian Sutil.

Compared to his much more experienced team mate Giancarlo Fisichella, Sutil is driving very well. His abilities in the wet weather are certainly good, as at other times last year, when the rain fell Sutil drove well. But being in a largely under-performing car, it is far from easy for the team to get into the point-paying positions. I still believe Force India can and will score this year, but it will require a little more luck and for their drivers to remain on the circuit for the full race distance.

Original article by BlogF1.

Shanghai 2009: Adrian Sutil Should Avoid Walking Under Ladders

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

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

In 2006, Ferrari’s long-serving and devoted driver, Michael Schumacher, hung up his boots and called it a day. The following year saw much change at the red team as personnel were shifted around, some even being transferred to the company’s road car division. Ross Brawn took a year out and Kimi Raikkonen was brought in as a replacement for the multiple world champion. It wasn’t as dominant of a season as the team had experienced in the past, but both titles still went their way.

In 2008, Brawn chose not to return and instead headed to Honda. Of course, the result of this has meant the Briton is now a constructor, fielding Button and former Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello. And much success Brawn is enjoying at the moment. For Ferrari though last year saw a few more chinks in the Italian armour appear. Bungled pitstops, off-form races and disgruntled drivers all added to a difficult year. Ferrari still won though, the spirit and energy carrying through hard times as well as good. The constructirs title went to Ferrari, although the drivers title fell to Lewis Hamilton at the very last race.

It is often said that the winner of the first race of the season usually goes on to take the championship, and if that is going to be the case in 2009, then I’m sure Jenson Button and the Brawn team will have worked tremendously hard for it come November. But what of Ferrari? If the result from the first race of the year is anything to go by, it doesn’t look good for the squad that has won a record 16 constructors and 15 drivers titles over the years.

In 2008, the Australian Grand Prix was just as much of a disaster for Ferrari as it was this time around. Traction control had been banned and both drivers skated over the gravel during the race. Kimi Raikkonen scraped a point from Melbourne in ‘08, but neither driver were able to leave Australia this year with any. Malaysia, which is traditionally Ferrari-territory, went well for the team in ‘08. Felipe Massa took pole position while Kimi romped to victory the following day. For 2009 though, it was in essence, a retirement for Raikkonen, and another non-points finish for Massa.

From Malaysia the circus travels to China, which has also fared Ferrari well in the past. The Scuderia have won three of the five races held at Shanghai so far, secured second and third last year when Lewis Hamilton won and have only failed to score on one occasion, 2005. But the troubles with the car cannot be solved immediately, and the problems Kimi Raikkonen is facing with his KERS is worrying. During testing, the unit overheated, and in free practice for the Malaysian race another problem occurred which resulted in the Finn leaping from the car, smoke pouring out and the fire extinguisher having been automatically triggered. Once again, KERS-related.

Strategy blunders in qualifying for the Malaysian Grand Prix cost the team vital grid positions, and strategy errors during the race, which saw Raikkonen go onto wet weather tyres well before any rain actually fell, cost the team dearly. Another KERS issue brought the Finn’s race to an end, and although the team said they may have been able to resolve the issue, Kimi clearly didn’t want any further part of the race.

These issues of reliability and morale will be carried over to Shanghai, and one possible solution is for the Scuderia to simply dismount the KERS from the Ferrari. This may affect performance, but would also be a weight saving, allowing the drivers more ballast to play with. I think it is clear though that the F60 is not looking great right now, and with the close battle in the midfield, Felipe and Kimi are in for a very tough season.

What a difference five months make.

Original article by BlogF1.

Are Ferrari In Serious Trouble?

Kimi Raikkonen suffered some problems with his KERS in the first session, and although the specific issue was rectified, the Finn still experienced problems with the device after lunch. The system has failed and overheated in testing prior to the start of the season although everything looked to be working well during the Australian Grand Prix last weekend.

Both Red Bull Racing drivers found themselves nearer the top of the tables in the second practice session, the RB5 coming alive later in the day, just as it did in Melbourne. Sebastian Vettel went third with a time that was just 0.247s shy of Kimi’s. Mark Webber also ran well and finished the day in fifth and 0.3s adrift of the pace setting time from the Ferrari.

Giancarlo Fisichella was running very well in the Force India, but was unable to compete any further after clouting the barrier on his 27th tour of Sepang. Team mate Adrian Sutil looked fairly competitive in the second Force India though, finishing sixteenth and improving on his first session time by 0.4s.

Looking at the times set, it appears as though many of the drivers are grouped by their cars. In the first session, Williams led, followed by both Brawns and both Ferraris. Red Bull, Toyota, Force India, Scuderia Toro Rosso and Renault all had their drivers run closely to one another. In the second session, we can see a similar effect taking place. Both Ferraris are at the top, the Red Bulls are close, then both Brawns, McLaren are close, as are Toyota.

Malaysia 2009 Friday Free Practice Two		Lap Time Fastest Time Set	Laps Set Number Laps Set
1.	Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari	1m35.707s	40 Laps
2.	Felipe Massa Ferrari	1m35.832s	38 Laps
3.	Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing	1m35.954s	40 Laps
4.	Nico Rosberg Williams	1m36.015s	39 Laps
5.	Mark Webber Red Bull Racing	1m36.026s	36 Laps
6.	Rubens Barrichello Brawn	1m36.161s	37 Laps
7.	Jenson Button Brawn	1m36.254s	31 Laps
8.	Kazuki Nakajima Williams	1m36.290s	35 Laps
9.	Heikki Kovalainen McLaren	1m36.397s	40 Laps
10.	Nelson Piquet Jr. Renault	1m36.401s	35 Laps
11.	Lewis Hamilton McLaren	1m36.515s	30 Laps
12.	Jarno Trulli Toyota	1m36.516s	34 Laps
13.	Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m36.628s	32 Laps
14.	Timo Glock Toyota	1m36.639s	29 Laps
15.	Fernando Alonso Renault	1m36.640s	20 Laps
16.	Adrian Sutil Force India	1m36.875s	36 Laps
17.	Robert Kubica BMW	1m37.267s	38 Laps
18.	Sebastien Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m37.278s	30 Laps
19.	Giancarlo Fisichella Force India	1m37.432s	27 Laps
20.	Nick Heidfeld BMW	1m37.930s	37 Laps

Original article by BlogF1.

Malaysia 2009: Friday Practice Two

The Finnish world champion didn’t have an error free day though and the F60 was garage-bound for much of the afternoon after a cooling system on the KERS device gave the team some troubles. Kimi only completed 55 laps, but his fastest time was 0.5s clear of Nakajima in the Williams FW31.

Rubens Barrichello took over from the jubilant Jenson Button for the second day of running in the new Brawn GP car. The Brazilian driver completed 111 laps and was just 0.061s shy of Kazuki’s pace. Another solid run for Jarno Trulli in the Toyota TF109 saw the Italian driver finish in fourth place.

Mark Webber continued in the Red Bull and managed to improve over this previous form from yesterday, the Australian managing to see a second off his lap time. Nick Heidfeld slipped down the tables after finishing on top on Monday. The German pilot was the busiest of the day though, completing 127 tours of the Catalan circuit.

Adrian Sutil improved to seventh ahead of Fernando Alonso who returned to drive the Renault R29. Heikki Kovalainen continued in the McLaren and once again found himself towards the bottom of the timing sheet. Many websites have speculated that the Woking-team could be either in trouble or sandbagging. However, it would appear that squad were simply trying out a few new parts as well as rehearsing pit stop procedures. This could very easily account for the apparent slow times, although from a drivers point of view, it would have been good for the confidence to pop in a quick time at some point during the day.

We are running through a big programme in Barcelona this week. Not only have we introduced a new series of aerodynamic components to MP4-24 but we have also been working on the car’s set-up and balance over longer runs as well as rehearsing our pitstop procedures.

It’s been a very productive few days with Heikki in the car and we are hoping for an equally satisfactory conclusion to the week when Lewis takes to the track tomorrow. Jonathan Neale.

The Scuderia Toro Rosso team hogged the bottom of the timing sheet, with Sebastien Bourdais taking the car out in the morning and only completing fourteen laps before an issue with the front suspension kept the STR4 in the garage. The team attempted to send Sebastien Buemi out after lunch, but the problem persisted and can only be resolved with parts being sent over from Faenza. All in all, the day was very unproductive for the new car.

Barcelona Test Day Two Results Table		Lap Time Fastest Time Set	Laps Set Number Laps Set
1.	Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari	1m20.314s	55 Laps
2.	Kazuki Nakajima Williams	1m20.907s	66 Laps
3.	Rubens Barrichello Brawn GP	1m20.966s	111 Laps
4.	Jarno Trulli Toyota	1m21.182s	121 Laps
5.	Mark Webber Red Bull Racing	1m21.347s	66 Laps
6.	Nick Heidfeld BMW	1m21.615s	127 Laps
7.	Adrian Sutil Force India	1m21.834s	82 Laps
8.	Fernando Alonso Renault	1m21.937s	111 Laps
9.	Heikki Kovalainen McLaren	1m21.991s	88 Laps
10.	Sebastien Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m23.039s	14 Laps
11.	Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso	No Time	6 Laps

Original article by BlogF1.

Barcelona Test Day Two: Raikkonen Rules, Rubens Rocks

Jarno Trulli once again completed the most laps, adding a further 149 to his tally of 141 from yesterday. BMW fielded Nick Heidfeld, who spent most of his day working on set ups for the new F1.09. Although Heidfeld finished the day at the bottom of the tables, the German was only 0.483s shy of the Ferrari’s pace. The three teams testing at Bahrain appear to be pretty close in terms of lap times set, although the real pace of each of the cars won’t truly be known until the first race in Australia in March.

This has been a very good test for us. I’ve covered well over 2000km in three days and I feel happy with the car. It seems competitive and reliable so a start like this gives us a solid base for the season ahead. Jarno Trulli.

Today I drove the new BMW Sauber F1.09 in warm weather conditions for the first time, so the most important thing for me was to learn more about the general balance of the car. Overall it was a good day because I tried a lot of different set-up solutions. I already feel happy about how the car reacts to changes. Nick Heidfeld.

Bahrain Test Day Two Results Table		Lap Time Fastest Time Set	Laps Set Number Laps Set
1.	Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari	1m32.102s	103 Laps
2.	Jarno Trulli Toyota	1m32.230s	149 Laps
3.	Nick Heidfeld BMW	1m32.585s	104 Laps

Original article by BlogF1.

Bahrain Test Day Two: Raikkonen Returns Ferrari To Top

Although Hamilton topped the timing sheet for new cars, Fernando Alonso finally made an appearance closer to the sharp end with a lap time that was just 0.2s shy of the McLaren’s best. Alonso said he spent the day working on the set up to make the new R29 easier and more comfortable to drive. The Spaniard was feeling rather jubilant when speaking to the press after his final run.

Every day the driveability of the car is improving and although we still have a lot of work to do before the start of the season, we are definitely moving in the right direction. Fernando Alonso.

Mark Webber didn’t have such a good day, the Australian bringing out the only red flag of the afternoon when his RB5 stopped no track. The stoppage followed problems all morning for the Anglo-Austro team, suggesting that perhaps the reliability of the new car isn’t the best. The team were confident though and pleased with the RB5’s maiden test this week.

Apart from a few minor niggles, which are to be expected with a brand new car, this first test has produced pleasing results. RB5 proved to be generally reliable and its performance seems encouraging straight out of the box. Ian Morgan.

Williams fielded two cars today, utilising both race drivers to gain as much knowledge about the FW31 as possible. Unfortunately, Kazuki Nakajima failed to set a time despite going in and out of the pits a total of 34 times. Nico Rosberg on the other hand had a better day and after completing 70 tours of Jerez wound up in fourth, ahead of Webber’s RB5.

Meanwhile in Bahrain…

Scenes from the past two days of sand and wind (as shown above from yesterday) ceased and the three teams present at Sakhir were able to complete some running. Kimi Raikkonen set 107 laps of the track and posted the fastest time of the day in the Ferrari F60. Raikkonen felt positive after his first run in the new car on a dry circuit.

My first day with the new F60 on a dry track was extremely positive. I immediately had a good feeling although it’s still too early to say where we are compared to our competitors. The car is improving and there are no especially critical areas. We used the KERS also today and I’m happy with how it works, apart from some minor childhood disease. Kimi Raikkonen.

Jarno Trulli was the busiest man of the day in Bahrain, setting 127 lap times and finishing a close second on the timing sheet. The Italian was only 0.104s shy of Raikkonen at the end of the day and managed to complete two race distances in the Toyota TF109.

Test driver Christian Klien was sent out for BMW and the Austrian managed a fine tally of laps as well. It was the first time Klien has really driven the new car since prior to its launch and immediately set about making up for the time lost on Wednesday and Thursday. Klien’s fastest lap of the day was only 0.2s down on Trulli’s.

Jerez Test Day Four Results Table		Lap Time Fastest Time Set	Laps Set Number Laps Set
1.	Sebastien Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m17.472s	117 Laps
2.	Lewis Hamilton McLaren	1m19.632s	94 Laps
3.	Fernando Alonso Renault	1m19.846s	109 Laps
4.	Nico Rosberg Williams	1m21.123s	71 Laps
5.	Mark Webber Red Bull Racing	1m21.313	62 Laps
6.	Kazuki Nakajima Williams	No Time	34 Laps
Bahrain Test Day Four Results Table
1.	Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari	1m33.325s	105 Laps
2.	Jarno Trulli Toyota	1m33.429s	127 Laps
3.	Christian Klien BMW	1m33.666s	125 Laps

Original article by BlogF1.

Jerez & Bahrain Tests Day Four: Hamilton & Raikkonen Set The Benchmark

Kimi Raikkonen is considered one of the greatest drivers to have graced a Formula One car, and with 16 poles, 17 wins and 35 fastest laps to his name, there is little doubting his ability. Kimi finally took the world championship in 2007 and raced all last season with the number 1 emblazoned on the front of his Ferrari. The season started well for Raikkonen, but for many reasons it didn’t work out as well as previously and dominant wins from Massa left the reigning champion wondering where it was all going wrong.

To his credit, Felipe Massa really improved his form last year. Although the Ferrari was thrown off the road a few times, Massa appeared more mature, better prepared and down right racier than before. To take control of the team when pitstops were going wrong and the star of the team was off-form is admirable. But was it all a fluke, or can Massa repeat his performance in 2009?

The new car, the Ferrari F60, has caused some concern around the Formula One fraternity, but with masses of experience on their side, the Scuderia should still be in a position to win. And just as they did in 2008, the opportunities afforded to each driver will be equal to begin with. Raikkonen started 2008 slightly stronger than his team mate, Massa retiring in the first two races. An accident in Monaco and being hit from behind while in the pitlane in Montreal saw no points fall to Kimi. The Finn didn’t win a race after the fourth round in Spain, where as Massa was only just getting into his groove.

Raikkonen knows how to win a championship, having come so close with the McLaren and final achieving the title in the Ferrari. His car control is second to none and after a poor result in 2008, I’m sure Kimi will be fired up for this year. Massa has less experience of putting a championship together, but he would have learned a lot from last season. He will be fired up from the very first grand prix and will want to maximise his points haul in the early races.

So who will come out on top in 2009; Kimi Raikkonen or Felipe Massa?

Original article by BlogF1.

Raikkonen vs. Massa: Who Will Get The Upper Hand In 2009?

Sebastien Buemi’s lap was 3s clear of Pedro De La Rosa in the new McLaren, which compared to yesterday is an improvement (or decline from the STR driver). De La Rosa therefore continued to be the faster of the 2009 cars, finishing his day after 62 laps and 5s ahead of Jarno Trulli’s Toyota TF109.

Nelson Piquet Jr. continued to test for Renault, putting the new R29 through its paces and finishing in fourth again. Unfortunately, the Enstone-based team suffered a mechanical fault with the engine and this lost Piquet a lot of track time; the Brazilian was only able to complete nine laps. Nico Rosberg completed the table in the new Williams FW31, ending up 6s down on Nelson Piquet Jr.

Portimao Test Day Two Results Table		Lap Time Fastest Time Set	Laps Set Number Laps Set
1.	Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m34.429s	48 Laps
2.	Pedro De La Rosa McLaren	1m37.512s	62 Laps
3.	Jarno Trulli Toyota	1m42.399s	30 Laps
4.	Nelson Piquet Jr. Renault	1m45.860s	9 Laps
5.	Nico Rosberg Williams	1m51.580s	31 Laps

Meanwhile in Mugello…

It rained as well. Ferrari had hoped a return to Italy for their test would favour them with better weather, but alas it hasn’t worked out that way yet. Kimi Raikkonen continued to lap the team’s test track and evaluate the new Ferrari F60. The Finn completed 42 laps and set a best time of 1m33.920s, 0.5s faster than yesterday. Felipe Massa is due to return to the car tomorrow.

Photo © LAT Photographic | Ferrari Spa.

Original article by BlogF1.

Portimao Test Day Two: Buemi & De La Rosa Still On Top

McLaren have already put their MP4-23 through some paces, having run the car over the weekend following it’s launch on Friday back in the UK. Today, Pedro De La Rosa continued driving the car and managed a second quickest time, or fastest of the 2009-spec. cars on the track. De La Rosa’s time of 1m46.076s puts the Spaniard 4.5s down on Buemi in the Scuderia Toro Rosso and 0.3s ahead of Nico Hulkenberg in the new Williams FW31.

Hulkenberg had been present at the launch of the 2009 Williams in the morning, the team opting for a low-key unveiling on the same day as Renault. The upcoming German driver completed 28 laps which comprised of some installation runs in the morning.

This morning has been full wet, but the weather hasn’t really affected what we wanted to do, because our goal has been to get the car out on track, check all the systems work, be sure parts aren’t touching each other, nothing is burning, and that’s all proved to be okay.

It would be good to get some dry running, and the weather should allow this later in the week. In terms of first impressions of the car, we of course haven’t spent any time on set-up or performance work yet, that’ll all come later, but so far the car is running fine. Sam Michael.

Similarly, Renault ran Nelson Piquet Jr. for their initial laps in the new R29. Fernando Alonso was trackside to keep an eye on proceedings and will drive the new chassis later in the week. Piquet managed fourth fastest but was 2.6s shy of Hulkenberg’s Williams. Kamui Kobayashi completed the tables in the Toyota TF109 (complete with shark fin engine cover), lapping the circuit 46 times to post a time 2s down on Piquet Jr.

Portimao Test Day One Results Table		Lap Time Fastest Time Set	Laps Set Number Laps Set
1.	Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m41.528s	65 Laps
2.	Pedro De La Rosa McLaren	1m46.076s	28 Laps
3.	Nico Hulkenberg Williams	1m46.335s	28 Laps
4.	Nelson Piquet Jr. Renault	1m48.907s	33 Laps
5.	Kamui Kobayashi Toyota	1m50.989s	46 Laps

Meanwhile in Mugello…

Ferrari had chosen at the last minute to pull out of the public test in Portugal because they felt the weather wouldn’t hold off long enough for the team to get any decent evaluating done on the new F60. The decision seemed a little strange at the time as other team’s hadn’t withdrawn. Although, it should be noted that McLaren and Toyota arrived in Portimao early and both Williams and Renault had organised their launches to be in Portugal. Despite this though, Ferrari decided to shift their test to their own Mugello circuit in Italy. Where it rained.

Kimi Raikkonen completed a few trouble free laps in the new car, his first experience of the F60 after Felipe Massa completed the initial shakedown on the day of the launch last week. The Finnish driver managed 56 laps of the test track and reported no problems. Kimi will continue to test the car tomorrow, away from prying eyes and media intrusion. For the record, Raikkonen’s lap time was 1m34.430s.

Photo © Toyota Motorsport Gmbh/Ferrari Spa.

Original article by BlogF1.

Portimao Test Day One: Buemi Goes Back To The Top Of The Class

As with many of the cars we will see in the coming weeks, the F60 sports a low and wide front wing and ending at the rear with a higher but much narrower wing. The bodywork is much cleaner than in previous years owing to the fact that all the extra winglets have now been banned. And unlike what we saw in testing, the sidepods are symmetrical, with no huge vent on the right. This was possibly due to the team mounting the KERS on a 2008-spec. car.

It’s a completely new car, starting from a white piece of paper. Fundamentally the biggest changes come from the new rules from an aerodynamic point of view and the introduction of new technology, which is the KERS system. Aldo Costa.

The team spoke to the press and a feeling of confidence was said to have been in the air, despite the team worried about the introduction of their KERS system before the first race in Australia in March. Felipe Massa also suggested that it is hard to judge the competitiveness of the other teams due to the shake-up in the technical regulations.

It’s difficult to say what the most difficult car to beat will be. We expect McLaren to be very competitive, maybe BMW, who are working really hard and growing a lot year by year.

Maybe Renault and maybe we can have some other team who can show great performance as well. So it’s quite difficult to say but for sure we are working really hard and hopefully it will be us. Felipe Massa.

Regarding the look of the F60, Massa said he was surprised at how compact it was, stating that he thought it would be bigger like the Formula One cars from mid-nineties.

I’m quite surprised because I expected a big car like it was 10 years go. But the car is very, very small, very compact, the rear end especially. It looks pretty nice, it looks pretty good and hopefully it will be as quick as it looks. Felipe Massa.

Team mate Kimi Raikkonen was eager to put 2008 behind him and was looking for to the year with fresh motivation and optimism.

Last year was not exactly what I wanted but that is in the past now and we will try again this year. Of course it is a big question mark how good the car will be because the rules have changed a lot.

But we are very confident that the car should be very good and we will see in the next few weeks how good it is against the others. For sure we’ll try to win the world championships, but we’ll see how it is and we’ll go from there. Kimi Raikkonen.

Felipe Massa then took the new Ferrari F60 out on to the Mugello tarmac for a shakedown, testing the systems to ensure they actually work before any stresses are put through the machine. The Maranello team will be present at four different circuits before the 2009 season kicks off in Melbourne in March, putting the F60 through its paces at Jerez, Circuit de Catalunya, the new Portimao track as well as visiting Bahrain.

Images © Ferrari Spa.

Original article by BlogF1.

Launches 2009: Ferrari Unveil F60

The main issue wasn’t really to do with the lights themselves – on the face of it they are a very good idea and remove one person from the pitlane. However, the first problem came when the fuel nozzle-retraction from the car didn’t indicate the lights to change. The second issue centred around the human on the pit wall who was charged with giving the final confirmation that all was clear for the car to go. It seemed that sometimes it didn’t always go to plan.

In Valencia, Kimi Raikkonen left the garage early, replays suggesting the light was amber, indicating that this was driver error. But in Singapore, Massa was given the green light to go. Unfortunately for the Brazilian, the fuel hose was still attached and ended up being dragged down the pitlane. In both cases, team members were pulled to the ground and received minor injuries.

So for the final three races of 2008, Ferrari reverted to the traditional lollipop system, whereby a member of the team stands in front of the car and gives instructions to the driver via the lollipop. But all these embarrassments haven’t stopped Ferrari from pursuing the lighting system, and now it is expected to make a return in 2009.

We’ve analysed the mistakes made in 2008 and we’ve improved the system. An electronic program will prevent the car from leaving when the fuel hose is still attached. Luca Baldisserri.

Since the end of the 2008 season, Ferrari have researched what happened and why the accidents occurred. The team have made several changes to the system, notably the software, and are now confident that it should work as expected, with a very good fail-safe systems in place to prevent any more early releases. Perhaps Ross Brawn let a few documents slip through the net in exchange for a few Italian-built motors…?

Original article by BlogF1.

Lights, Camera, Action: Ferrari Haven’t Given Up On Pitlane Lights

Image Copyright © Motorsport.com/xpb.cc.

Original article by BlogF1.

Caption Contest: #67

The incident that got Hamilton into trouble happened at the start of the race when Kimi Raikkonen managed to get ahead off the line. As the pair headed into Turn One, Hamilton attempted to re-pass the Ferrari, but ended up locking his tyres and forced Raikkonen out wide and onto the run-off area. Raikkonen lost a lot of places as he collected his car back together around the outside of the corner, and Hamilton was given a drive-thru penalty as punishment.

Were the penalties fair? Have your say in the comments below.

Original article by BlogF1.

Fuji 2008: Felipe Massa & Lewis Hamilton Receive Penalties

Despite the improving weather though, there were spins aplenty as Kubica, Adrian Sutil and Nelson Piquet Jr. all performed moves that aren’t condusive of a good lap time. Sutil managed to miss the pitlane entry on his final run and Piquet beached his car on the kerbs, forcing him to the bottom of the tables and limiting the running the Renault driver was able to complete.

Honda improved, but with the slightly different conditions, the expectations of the Brackley team shouldn’t get too high. Also running well were the Force Indias, with the morning fastest – Sutil – managing ninth in the damp-dry conditions. Giancarlo Fisichella slotted into thirteenth ahead of both Renault’s; Fernando Alonso only managing eighteenth. The McLarens didn’t fair too well either, with Lewis Hamilton in fourth and Heikki Kovalainen ending his day in seventh.

Monza 2008: Friday Free Practice Two

Original article by BlogF1.

Monza 2008: Friday Afternoon Practice

Fernando Alonso has not hidden his desire to race for the Maranello team, and recently said that if Ferrari wanted to hire him, they would. However, it seems that the Italian team is still happy with their current pairing and Kimi Raikkonen has had his contract extended by a year. Although the reigning world champion doesn’t necessarily have to see out his deal (I’m sure Kimi could buy himself out), the fact he has signed on for another year strongly suggests that he wants another title or two and has reaffirmed his faith in the Italian team.

Where this leaves Alonso is anyone’s guess. The Spaniard has made it known that while he has a great deal of respect for Renault, the car simply isn’t a winner. Alonso had been rumoured to be flirting with Honda, and the pairing of Fernando with Ross Brawn would be something special. But currently, Honda are seriously struggling to even stay ahead of Force India. Although the Brackley squad are concentrating on 2009, they don’t exactly look all that appealing at the moment.

Another rumour which surfaced after the Belgian Grand Prix last week was a possible move to BMW. The Swiss-German team must appeal more to Alonso, having won a race this year and looking a little like Renault when Alonso took his maiden victory back in 2003. However, Mario Theissen is loyal to his drivers and both Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica have given the old Sauber squad a lot of help and some good results. Heidfeld though is having a relatively poor season and Kubica has once again spoken out against the team.

Other than staying with Renault, Alonso’s options are thinning out. I would love to see Fernando drive for Williams, but I fear they cannot afford him and already-signed Nico Rosberg. Force India are likely to not be on Alonso’s radar, Red Bull are sewn up with Mark Webber and Sebastien Vettel, as are Toyota with Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock. Currently, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Williams, Renault, BMW or Honda are Alonso’s choices.

Original article by BlogF1.

Kimi Raikkonen Extends Ferrari Contract To 2010

Following our decision to register our intention to appeal the penalty handed out to Lewis Hamilton by the FIA Stewards at the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix, we hereby confirm that we have now lodged notice of appeal. From the pit wall, we then asked Race Control to confirm that they were comfortable that Lewis had allowed Kimi to repass, and they confirmed twice that they believed that the position had been given back in a manner that was ‘OK’. If Race Control had instead expressed any concern regarding Lewis’s actions at that time, we would have instructed Lewis to allow Kimi to repass for a second time. Martin Whitmarsh.

McLaren are annoyed because they felt they had done everything to comply with the rules, and even spoke to Race Director Charlie Whiting for his opinion. Unfortunately for the team, Whiting can only offer his opinion, for his role is not to adjudicate the actual incident. However, Charlie’s opinion is worth respecting, and the fact that McLaren sought advice implies they were trying to play fair in the battle with Kimi Raikkonen.

Lewis Hamilton also gave his side of the story, saying that he felt he had satisfactorily handed the position back to Raikkonen, even before the team had made their request via the radio.

In the closing stages of the race I was catching Kimi consistently, lap by lap, and with three laps remaining I got close enough to attempt to overtake him on the entry to the last chicane. I managed to get slightly ahead of him in the braking area for the first apex of the chicane. He fought back approaching the second apex – but, in doing so, he left no room for me on the inside line. The only way for me to avoid a collision was therefore to cut inside the second apex. I came out of the second apex in front of Kimi and so I momentarily lifted-off on the straight, to ensure that Kimi got back in front. The team also came on the radio and instructed me to allow Kimi to repass, which I had already done. As a result, Kimi crossed the start/finish line ahead of me and 6.7km/h quicker than me. After allowing Kimi to completely repass, I crossed from the left side of the track to the right side of the track, passing behind Kimi in the process. I then attacked Kimi on the inside of the first corner, and successfully outbraked him. Lewis Hamilton.

The FIA will now schedule a meeting where those involved will be given chance to speak, and any new evidence will be assessed. However, it isn’t uncommon for the FIA, should the penalty stand, to hand out a larger punishment, possibly docking McLaren and/or Lewis Hamilton championship points. Although given the backlash the stewards have received through the worldwide media and from the fans, I suspect that if the hearing falls to Ferrari’s favour, a monetary punishment might be handed out instead. Of course, these are just my thoughts, but this issue looks set to run and run, once again blurring and tarnishing what so far, has been a vintage year for Formula One.

Further Reading:

• McLaren Lodge Intention Of Appeal To Stewards Decision
• Belgium 2008: Hamilton Loses Victory, Massa Now Winner

Original article by BlogF1.

McLaren Confirm: Appeal Lodged With FIA

The incident, which saw Hamilton attempt a move to pass Raikkonen, run over the run-off area and rejoin ahead of Kimi, has brought the world of Formula One to the fore as fans voice their shock at changing a result and their annoyance that the FIA once again look to be giving an advantage to Ferrari. However, in this case McLaren believe they have enough evidence to claim the decision by the stewards was wrong. Should the decision stand though, McLaren could face an even larger penalty, such is the way the FIA operate.

The official decision is that Hamilton received a post-race drive-thru, which because it happened after the completion of the grand prix, means 25 seconds was added to the driver’s total time. This demoted Lewis down to third, promoting Ferrari driver Felipe Massa to the victors position and Nick Heidfeld into second. Here’s what some of the key people involved had to day on the matter…

What is really the advantage that you are taking in such conditions that can be used in the second situation at the first corner? That, in my view, is the most important thing. But this is racing. Stefano Domenicali.

Ferrari deny making any complaint to the stewards at the time, indicating (and only indicating at the time) they felt Hamilton fairly returned Kimi to the lead before re-attacking the position. It is also interesting that Domenicali states “this is racing”. A fair point, I believe, and if I may add; it is not a political battle, it really is just racing.

We looked at all our data and also made it available to the FIA stewards. It showed that, having lifted, Lewis was 6km/h slower than Kimi as they crossed the start/finish line. Having passed the lead back to Kimi, Lewis repositioned his car, moving across and behind Kimi to the right-hand line and then outbraked him into the hairpin. Based on this data, we have no option other than to register our intention to appeal. McLaren Spokesperson.

McLaren now have eight days to write to the FIA and officially lodge their appeal, the outcome of which will not be heard until a meeting has been scheduled. The final, final result of the 2008 Belgium Grand Prix will not be known until after this hearing.

Original article by BlogF1.

McLaren Lodge Intention Of Appeal To Stewards Decision

Belgium 2008: Race Results

Timo Glock was also handed a 25s penalty for passing under yellow flags. His openalty was given after the race and pushed him out of eighth place. Mark Webber has been promoted into the points-paying position.

Original article by BlogF1.

Belgium 2008: Amended Race Result

Currently, the top of the driver’s championship table looks relatively close, and Kimi Raikkonen can still mathematically win it. However, if his pace doesn’t improve next weekend at Monza – Ferrari’s home turf – there could be trouble at Maranello.

2008 Drivers Title

23 points separate Raikkonen and Hamilton, and with 50 still to play for, the Finn does have a shot. But realistically, the second crown is slipping from Kimi and Hamilton moves closer and closer to clinching it for himself. However, Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari is fairing much better and the Brazilian is only 8 points shy of Lewis at the top of the tables. Although Massa has his critics, and deservedly so after some of his performances this year, he has had a better mid-season run. Up until the start of the race this afternoon, Felipe looked good in second, and it is him who has taken the fight to McLaren more and more recently.

Raikkonen did come back today though, and his run up until the rain should not be ignored. Hamilton caught the Ferrari in the closing stages, but catching is one thing and passing is another. We’ll never know if Kimi would have been able to fend of Lewis at Spa in normal conditions as the rain fell and wreaked havoc. At the end of the day, Kimi lost out, perhaps more to do with the weather than anything, and then binned it, throwing away vital points.

2008 Constructors Title

McLaren are now only six points behind Ferrari in the constructors race and although Heikki Kovalainen isn’t exactly hauling in the points in the second McLaren, the same could be said for Raikkonen at the moment. If Ferrari aren’t careful, they could very easily let both titles slip away. So, should they continue as they until one driver definitely cannot win the title, or should they now back Massa in the hope that they can bag at least one of the crowns? Has your view changed since my last post about this? Please share in the comments below.

Edit: Since this post was written the result of the Belgian Grand Prix has changed. Please do not presume the figures in this article to be accurate, because they no longer are. The 2008 Championship Standings page has been updated accordingly.

Original article by BlogF1.

Should Ferrari Now Back Massa For The Title?

Original article by BlogF1.

Caption Contest: #53

I mention this now because Felipe Massa has just overhauled team mate Kimi Raikkonen in the 2008 championship hunt, and at somepoint in the not too distant future, the Maranello team will need to consider their strategy for the final few races of the year. During the live blog yesterday, Sebastian (1:39) asked why it appears that Ferrari are giving Massa the better option for pitstops and fuel-loads, to which a few commenters offered opinions. The most likely is that Massa has been the faster of the two in recent events, and thus it is only fair that the Brazilian be offered the choice strategy.

But when I suggested that maybe Ferrari are already backing Felipe for the title, some felt I was being too hasty. I should point out that I only suggested it as a theory, after all, I know as much as the next person. The reason for suggesting that Ferrari may have already made a decision though stems from Kimi Raikkonen’s apparent reluctance to officially confirm his future involvement in the sport. Of course, he doesn’t have to confirm anything – the contract is in place – but the rumours refuse to disappear.

Raikkonen has a contract for next season, and I’m sure Ferrari would want the Finn to continue with them. However, Kimi has showed signs of not really wanting to be a Formula One driver of late, and while this in itself may be unnecessary speculation, you can’t help but wonder with Kimi – the man is quite the enigma at times. So if it is true that Raikkonen is yet to make up his mind, maybe Ferrari are now looking beyond this year and into a future that may see another driver take up the helm alongside Felipe Massa. If that is the case, it would be better for Ferrari to have an active world champion on the books than a retired one. For nothing else, the marketing would be easier to push.

Couple this with a recent rumour surrounding Philip Morris ending their relationship with Ferrari prematurely, and you can understand why the Scuderia are going to need every trick available to them. Philip Morris essential own the Ferrari car, and any space they have left over after their sponsor’s logos have been placed is negotiated via Philip Morris themselves, not the team. If Marlboro left, Ferrari would once again have to take over the negotiations for the sponsorship. A key ingredient to this rumour is the recent employment of two key people in this field; Steve Wright from McLaren (Johnnie Walker) and Rhys Edwards from Renault (ING).

While the two issues of tactics and marketing are separate, they do come together at times and although the difference between an active and inactive world champion is small, it can make a difference to who is attracted to the brand for sponsorship.

In all honesty, I doubt Ferrari have already decided who they will back. In fact, it may be that they don’t back any one driver, given how this title race is panning out. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kimi came back strong in the final few races and the title went down to the wire in Brazil, with Massa, Raikkonen and Hamilton all still in with a shout of winning. But if Massa did well in Spa and Singapore, I also wouldn’t be surprised if Kimi is asked to stand aside for his team mate, something that they may break the camel’s back.

Original article by BlogF1.

Putting All The Red Eggs In One Basket

Felipe Massa was released from his pit box into the path of Force India driver Adrian Sutil. Massa was forced to back out of the throttle and concede to Sutil hampering both drivers in the progress and almost making contact. The FIA have stated that the incident will be investigated after the race, meaning that if Massa is penalised, he could lose his win. All this despite the Ferrari driver walking on to the podium and collecting the winners trophy.

Kimi Raikkonen’s stop was also eventful, the Finn making contact with the refueller and knocking the hose-holder with his rear wheel. Ferrari are using a light system for their pitstops, essentially replacing the lollipop with a series of lights on a gantry above the drivers head. When each of the wheel changers have completed their job and the fuel hose has been removed from the car, the light changes from amber to green, indicating to the driver that he can leave.

Looking at replays, the light looked amber to me, so it appears that Raikkonen left his stop early. The reigning champion managed to drag the refueller down and he/she took a hard knock from the Ferrari’s rear-right wheel. The Ferrari employee was stretchered off to the medical centre, but it appears there are no serious injuries.

The semi-automatic system was described by Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali, and it was said that it isn’t automatic as ITV suggested, but controlled by a human, implying that one person is in charge of allowing the light to change. However, no matter how clever you can develop systems like these, there is still the reliance on the driver to follow instructions and obey the system. Initially speaking, it looks as though Raikkonen made an error of judgement. The Finn refused to talk to Louise Goodman after he retired on his outlap with a blown engine.

Should Felipe Massa be penalised I will post an update.

Update: Ferrari have been fined €10,000 and have received a slap on the wrists. Felipe Massa keeps his race win though – the result is unchanged.

Original article by BlogF1.

Ferrari Cause Controversy With Pit Stops

Felipe Massa pushed the McLaren duo down to fifth and sixth while the Force Indias showed improvements with their seamless shift gear box. Giancarlo Fisichella went tenth while team mate Adrian Sutil managed seventeenth. And although Honda were looking fine with Button near the top, Rubens Barrichello ended Friday at the very bottom of the timing sheets. The circuit did improve further with laptimes improving by about a second, but rain this evening in Valencia could undo all the hard work by washing away the rubber that has been laid down.

Tomorrow’s qualifying reports will be late as I am away for the afternoon, but Saturday’s running should prove to be very exciting and I will post all the details in the late evening.

Valencia 2008: Friday Free Practice Two

Original article by BlogF1.

Valencia 2008: Friday Afternoon Practice