A surprised Fernando Alonso said Ferrari had reason to be happy about its performance despite missing out on pole position for the German Grand Prix.
The Spaniard was beaten by Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel by just 0.002 seconds, the German denying the Maranello squad its first pole since the 2008 season.
Alonso was nonetheless delighted with the result, which he admits was a step forward for the Italian outfit.
"I think we have to be happy," said Alonso, who hadn't started from the front row since last year's Hungarian Grand Prix. "We are in the first row for the first time this season so that is definitely a step forward for us.
"We have been competitive all weekend, I'm very confident with the car. I was very happy with the car in Q1, Q2 and Q3.
"Finally we made a perfect Saturday. Obviously we lost pole position by a small margin, but the points are tomorrow not Saturday so we need to stay focused for tomorrow.
"The target is a good day tomorrow after a good day today. We'll try to score good points tomorrow."
The two-time champion said he was not expecting to be so close to Red Bull in Q3, the Milton Keynes team having dominated qualifying this season.
"No, not really," said Alonso. "We always expect the Red Bulls in Q3 to give something more. We saw this is very close in free practice but then in Q3 they are far away.
"We were surprised to be that close and finally fighting for a pole position after 10 races. It took a bit longer but now we are very close."
Team-mate Felipe Massa completed Ferrari's strongest qualifying of the year with third position.
"I think it was a good performance from us," said Massa. "It was a very tough qualifying. In Q3 I could not put all the sectors together.
"I am happy to be back in Q3 and more focused for the race tomorrow. I hope we can do a good job and score many points for the team and myself."
News from Formula One in the Formation Lap.
Showing posts with label Ferrari. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ferrari. Show all posts
Sunday, 25 July 2010
Thursday, 22 July 2010
Domenicali: No one giving up at Ferrari
Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali has issued a rallying call to his staff - telling them to either believe the Maranello outfit can still win the title this year, or quit their jobs.
Although Ferrari's title challenge has been dented by events outside of its control in the European and British Grands Prix, the team reckons that there is still everything to play for.
And with Fernando Alonso adamant after Silverstone – where a drive-through penalty for overtaking off the track cost him a points-scoring finish – that he 'will' win the title, Domenicali is equally optimistic.
Speaking at the weekend after a meeting of Ferrari's senior management, Domenicali said: "Anyone who does not believe that we can win the world championship would do better looking for another job.
"No one here is giving up: there are still nine races to go and anything can happen. We will have to do our job perfectly, that is to say the Ferrari way and then the results will come."
Although Ferrari's title challenge has been dented by events outside of its control in the European and British Grands Prix, the team reckons that there is still everything to play for.
And with Fernando Alonso adamant after Silverstone – where a drive-through penalty for overtaking off the track cost him a points-scoring finish – that he 'will' win the title, Domenicali is equally optimistic.
Speaking at the weekend after a meeting of Ferrari's senior management, Domenicali said: "Anyone who does not believe that we can win the world championship would do better looking for another job.
"No one here is giving up: there are still nine races to go and anything can happen. We will have to do our job perfectly, that is to say the Ferrari way and then the results will come."
Thursday, 15 July 2010
F1 teams agree to tweak testing rules
Formula 1 teams have agreed a tweak to the sport's testing regulations to prevent anyone gaining a benefit from using 'filming days' to try out new parts, AUTOSPORT has learned.
The strict in-season testing ban means outfits are not meant to try out new parts away from a grand prix weekend.
However, some teams - including Mercedes GP with its new engine cover design and Ferrari with its blown diffuser - have this year managed to complete some limiting testing under the guise of a 'filming' day.
Those runs caused some concern among rival outfits, and teams have spent the last few weeks trying to tidy up the regulations.
Sources have revealed that at last week's British Grand Prix teams got together to sign off a new testing agreement that will prevent teams from exploiting filming days.
AUTOSPORT understands that with immediate effect, teams will be banned during filming days from running any parts that have not been raced before.
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh confirmed the changes had taken place, and was pleased that everyone was now in agreement about what was and was not allowed.
"I personally did not feel there was any ambiguity, but others argued that there was," he said. "But that is pressure, and when people are under pressure they try and take a different view.
"It is now clear that, if you are doing a demo run, then you must use components that have been raced before - and it has to be a legitimate demo run."
Although the filming loophole was still open ahead of Silverstone, Whitmarsh revealed that he ruled out his team making use of it for its new blown diffuser, despite some pressure from team members.
"The engineers here said others have done it, why can't we?" he said. "My view, as someone trying to hold FOTA together, was that I felt we could not take that advantage."
The strict in-season testing ban means outfits are not meant to try out new parts away from a grand prix weekend.
However, some teams - including Mercedes GP with its new engine cover design and Ferrari with its blown diffuser - have this year managed to complete some limiting testing under the guise of a 'filming' day.
Those runs caused some concern among rival outfits, and teams have spent the last few weeks trying to tidy up the regulations.
Sources have revealed that at last week's British Grand Prix teams got together to sign off a new testing agreement that will prevent teams from exploiting filming days.
AUTOSPORT understands that with immediate effect, teams will be banned during filming days from running any parts that have not been raced before.
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh confirmed the changes had taken place, and was pleased that everyone was now in agreement about what was and was not allowed.
"I personally did not feel there was any ambiguity, but others argued that there was," he said. "But that is pressure, and when people are under pressure they try and take a different view.
"It is now clear that, if you are doing a demo run, then you must use components that have been raced before - and it has to be a legitimate demo run."
Although the filming loophole was still open ahead of Silverstone, Whitmarsh revealed that he ruled out his team making use of it for its new blown diffuser, despite some pressure from team members.
"The engineers here said others have done it, why can't we?" he said. "My view, as someone trying to hold FOTA together, was that I felt we could not take that advantage."
Monday, 12 July 2010
Alonso accepts British GP penalty
Fernando Alonso said he accepted the costly penalty he was given during the British Grand Prix on Sunday.
The Ferrari driver received a drive-through after overtaking Renault's Robert Kubica by going off the track.
The penalty ruined all his chances of a good result as he was forced to serve it after the safety car period, which meant he returned at the back of the field.
A calm Alonso, who had been angry in the previous race because of the safety car controversy, said that he accepted the penalty.
"I accept everything they do. They are the judges," Alonso told Spanish television after the race.
Ferrari made a reference to the European Grand Prix controversy in its official Twitter account, suggesting Lewis Hamilton should have been punished then like Alonso was today.
"You can just say one thing: if a penalty must be punishing it must be always like this," said the Italian team.
The result left Alonso 47 points behind championship leader Lewis Hamilton, but the Spaniard insisted the title is still within reach.
"This is just the halfway point of the season, so all the points that we have lost in this first half is because we haven't done things as well as the others," he said.
"So in the second half of the championship we are going to try to do better than the others and recover one point more than what they have now.
"The season is very long and we are not going to give up."
Alonso finished the race in 14th position on a dismal day for Ferrari, with team-mate Felipe Massa down in 15th.
The Ferrari driver received a drive-through after overtaking Renault's Robert Kubica by going off the track.
The penalty ruined all his chances of a good result as he was forced to serve it after the safety car period, which meant he returned at the back of the field.
A calm Alonso, who had been angry in the previous race because of the safety car controversy, said that he accepted the penalty.
"I accept everything they do. They are the judges," Alonso told Spanish television after the race.
Ferrari made a reference to the European Grand Prix controversy in its official Twitter account, suggesting Lewis Hamilton should have been punished then like Alonso was today.
"You can just say one thing: if a penalty must be punishing it must be always like this," said the Italian team.
The result left Alonso 47 points behind championship leader Lewis Hamilton, but the Spaniard insisted the title is still within reach.
"This is just the halfway point of the season, so all the points that we have lost in this first half is because we haven't done things as well as the others," he said.
"So in the second half of the championship we are going to try to do better than the others and recover one point more than what they have now.
"The season is very long and we are not going to give up."
Alonso finished the race in 14th position on a dismal day for Ferrari, with team-mate Felipe Massa down in 15th.
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Ferrari unveils new logo for 2011
Ferrari has unveiled a new logo that will feature on all its team and car branding from the start of next season.
The red-and-white design will become the Maranello-team's official racing logo from January 1, and comes on the back of the controversy over the bar code design that the outfit had used up until the early part of this season.
Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali confirmed that the team name would remain as Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro for 2011, and that the designs currently featured on the car and team branding areas would remain until the end of this season.
Ferrari and sponsor Marlboro agreed to remove the bar code design from its car earlier this year after suggestions, strongly denied by the team, that it was subliminal tobacco advertising.
The red-and-white design will become the Maranello-team's official racing logo from January 1, and comes on the back of the controversy over the bar code design that the outfit had used up until the early part of this season.
Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali confirmed that the team name would remain as Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro for 2011, and that the designs currently featured on the car and team branding areas would remain until the end of this season.
Ferrari and sponsor Marlboro agreed to remove the bar code design from its car earlier this year after suggestions, strongly denied by the team, that it was subliminal tobacco advertising.
Domenicali admits it is “crucial” that the team wins
Title-chasing Ferrari must get back in the winner’s circle before Formula 1’s three-week summer break at the start of next month, says its team boss Stefano Domenicali.
Since finishing 1-2 at the opening round of the season the Maranello outfit has claimed just three podium finishes in the subsequent eight grands prix.
This sequence of results has seen it fall adrift of McLaren and Red Bull in the championship standings and, on the eve of the season’s mid-point at Silverstone this weekend, Domenicali admits it is “crucial” that the team wins at least one of the grands prix in Britain, Germany and Hungary over the next four weeks if it is to remain a genuine title contender.
“I think that we do not have to hide behind something,” he said in a video preview on Ferrari’s website.
“For sure it will be very important.
“It will be crucial for the championships, for the motivation and I think that is really the key before the summer break to have this kind of result that I think our team deserves.”
After an abject performance in Turkey in late May – when the team was only the fifth fastest around Istanbul Park – Ferrari showed improved form in Canada and Valencia, although its chances of a strong result in the latter were scuppered by an untimely safety car.
Its bid to continue its recent resurgence will be boosted at Silverstone by new front and rear wings and, while Fernando Alonso has played down Ferrari’s hopes of triumphing at the historic track, Domenicali says the team goes there determined to make up for recent disappointments.
“As always after a difficult grand prix as we had in Valencia, the atmosphere that we have in Maranello is good and the will [is there] to go to this fantastic track and start a new racing weekend,” he said.
“We knew that unfortunately in the last two races we didn’t get the results we wanted. Unfortunately the performance was there, but the result was not there.
“So even if we know that traditionally Silverstone is not a track where we perform very well, we are really looking forward to going there and seeing what will be the outcome of it.”
Ferrari currently lies 83 points behind McLaren in the constructors’ standings, with lead driver Alonso 29 off Lewis Hamilton in the drivers’ chase.
Since finishing 1-2 at the opening round of the season the Maranello outfit has claimed just three podium finishes in the subsequent eight grands prix.
This sequence of results has seen it fall adrift of McLaren and Red Bull in the championship standings and, on the eve of the season’s mid-point at Silverstone this weekend, Domenicali admits it is “crucial” that the team wins at least one of the grands prix in Britain, Germany and Hungary over the next four weeks if it is to remain a genuine title contender.
“I think that we do not have to hide behind something,” he said in a video preview on Ferrari’s website.
“For sure it will be very important.
“It will be crucial for the championships, for the motivation and I think that is really the key before the summer break to have this kind of result that I think our team deserves.”
After an abject performance in Turkey in late May – when the team was only the fifth fastest around Istanbul Park – Ferrari showed improved form in Canada and Valencia, although its chances of a strong result in the latter were scuppered by an untimely safety car.
Its bid to continue its recent resurgence will be boosted at Silverstone by new front and rear wings and, while Fernando Alonso has played down Ferrari’s hopes of triumphing at the historic track, Domenicali says the team goes there determined to make up for recent disappointments.
“As always after a difficult grand prix as we had in Valencia, the atmosphere that we have in Maranello is good and the will [is there] to go to this fantastic track and start a new racing weekend,” he said.
“We knew that unfortunately in the last two races we didn’t get the results we wanted. Unfortunately the performance was there, but the result was not there.
“So even if we know that traditionally Silverstone is not a track where we perform very well, we are really looking forward to going there and seeing what will be the outcome of it.”
Ferrari currently lies 83 points behind McLaren in the constructors’ standings, with lead driver Alonso 29 off Lewis Hamilton in the drivers’ chase.
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Ferrari: Downforce key to catch Red Bull
Ferrari believes it urgently needs to bring more downforce onto its car if it going to be able to take the championship fight to Red Bull Racing.
Although Fernando Alonso is second in the drivers' standings, and ahead of both Red Bull's men, Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali believes the pace of the RB6 in Spain last weekend has acted as a wake-up call about its aerodynamic advantages.
And with the F1 calendar now heading for a series of tracks where downforce is key, Domenicali reckons his team must find more aerodynamic performance if it is stop Red Bull seizing the initiative in points terms.
"Red Bull did a step in terms of their own performance," Domenicali said about the improved RB6 in Spain. "We saw it on Saturday and we saw it on Friday, but in all honesty we saw it in the race with the performance of Mark Webber. That is a reference for our side.
"We don't have to over-react to that, but it is something that we need to look at very carefully. They [Red Bull Racing] have improved the efficiency of their car, so they are doing a very good job.
"If you look at the championship, they are really the quickest one because if I recall they have been on pole position since the beginning of the season, but they are third in the championship. That is a very important factor - don't forget the reliability and don't forget all the other things that are important for the package of the car.
"This situation gives us a push to work very hard at home, mainly to try to find on the aerodynamic side more downforce on the car. That is the area where we have to do a step ahead, because there are some other tracks where this will be fundamental and we cannot run the risk of having a not very efficient car."
Domenicali also believes Ferrari needs to look closely as to why Red Bull appears to be so much better on softer tyres than the opposition - whereas its advantage is not so obvious on harder compounds.
"Why is not so clear at the moment," he said. "It is something that our engineers need to understand. And also the other thing that we need to really understand properly is that the behaviour of our drivers is different depending on the tyres or the compound that we are using.
"So this is very effective on the performance of our package, and this is an area that we have to look at very carefully."
Although Fernando Alonso is second in the drivers' standings, and ahead of both Red Bull's men, Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali believes the pace of the RB6 in Spain last weekend has acted as a wake-up call about its aerodynamic advantages.
And with the F1 calendar now heading for a series of tracks where downforce is key, Domenicali reckons his team must find more aerodynamic performance if it is stop Red Bull seizing the initiative in points terms.
"Red Bull did a step in terms of their own performance," Domenicali said about the improved RB6 in Spain. "We saw it on Saturday and we saw it on Friday, but in all honesty we saw it in the race with the performance of Mark Webber. That is a reference for our side.
"We don't have to over-react to that, but it is something that we need to look at very carefully. They [Red Bull Racing] have improved the efficiency of their car, so they are doing a very good job.
"If you look at the championship, they are really the quickest one because if I recall they have been on pole position since the beginning of the season, but they are third in the championship. That is a very important factor - don't forget the reliability and don't forget all the other things that are important for the package of the car.
"This situation gives us a push to work very hard at home, mainly to try to find on the aerodynamic side more downforce on the car. That is the area where we have to do a step ahead, because there are some other tracks where this will be fundamental and we cannot run the risk of having a not very efficient car."
Domenicali also believes Ferrari needs to look closely as to why Red Bull appears to be so much better on softer tyres than the opposition - whereas its advantage is not so obvious on harder compounds.
"Why is not so clear at the moment," he said. "It is something that our engineers need to understand. And also the other thing that we need to really understand properly is that the behaviour of our drivers is different depending on the tyres or the compound that we are using.
"So this is very effective on the performance of our package, and this is an area that we have to look at very carefully."
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
FIA approves Ferrari engine changes
Ferrari has been given the green light by the FIA to make modifications to its engine on reliability grounds following the problems it has had in the early stages of the season.
Both Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa have suffered engine issues in the opening flyaway events - with Alonso suffering two blow-ups that has left him in particular on the back foot in terms of his supply for the season.
With customer team Sauber having also encountered its share of engine issues, Ferrari conducted a detailed investigation into the matter after the Chinese Grand Prix.
And after finding out that there was an intrinsic problem with the design of the engine, Ferrari applied to the governing body to be able to make some improvements to the power units on reliability grounds.
The Maranello outfit was duly given approval and the modifications will be ready in time to be fitted to the F10 cars at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.
Although Ferrari has not outlined exactly what the issues were with the engine, they are believed to relate to air consumption, which could have been caused by leaking pneumatic valves.
A statement by Ferrari said: "A lot of work was carried out on the test bench, completing several long runs and this work produced some solutions which it is felt will solve the reliability problems experienced in Bahrain and Malaysia. The team therefore requested and received authorisation from the FIA to make some changes within the framework of the current engine regulations and these modifications will be fitted to the engines to be used in Spain.
"While since China, everyone in the Gestione Sportiva has been working hard as always on their various areas of activity, it is fair to say that over the past weeks, the staff in the engine department really produced a major effort, working night and day to analyse, evaluate and solve issues that have affected engine performance in past races."
The Spanish GP will also see Ferrari fit the full version of the F-Duct to both drivers' cars for the first time in practice, although a decision about whether the concept will be used for qualifying and the race will only be made after the results of the Friday sessions are in.
Both Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa have suffered engine issues in the opening flyaway events - with Alonso suffering two blow-ups that has left him in particular on the back foot in terms of his supply for the season.
With customer team Sauber having also encountered its share of engine issues, Ferrari conducted a detailed investigation into the matter after the Chinese Grand Prix.
And after finding out that there was an intrinsic problem with the design of the engine, Ferrari applied to the governing body to be able to make some improvements to the power units on reliability grounds.
The Maranello outfit was duly given approval and the modifications will be ready in time to be fitted to the F10 cars at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.
Although Ferrari has not outlined exactly what the issues were with the engine, they are believed to relate to air consumption, which could have been caused by leaking pneumatic valves.
A statement by Ferrari said: "A lot of work was carried out on the test bench, completing several long runs and this work produced some solutions which it is felt will solve the reliability problems experienced in Bahrain and Malaysia. The team therefore requested and received authorisation from the FIA to make some changes within the framework of the current engine regulations and these modifications will be fitted to the engines to be used in Spain.
"While since China, everyone in the Gestione Sportiva has been working hard as always on their various areas of activity, it is fair to say that over the past weeks, the staff in the engine department really produced a major effort, working night and day to analyse, evaluate and solve issues that have affected engine performance in past races."
The Spanish GP will also see Ferrari fit the full version of the F-Duct to both drivers' cars for the first time in practice, although a decision about whether the concept will be used for qualifying and the race will only be made after the results of the Friday sessions are in.
Sunday, 2 May 2010
Ferrari denies subliminal Marlboro livery
Ferrari has dismissed suggestions that its car livery is using subliminal Marlboro advertising, after calls from leading doctors for a government inquiry into the matter.
A report in The Times on Thursday said that a host of medical figures had called on the British and Spanish governments to look into the extent of Marlboro's backing of Ferrari and especially the use of the barcode that is used on the cars.
Ferrari took the decision to publish a statement on its website on Thursday night rubbishing the claims and stating it was baffled why its colour scheme was being picked out by doctors.
"Today and in recent weeks, articles have been published relating to the partnership contract between Scuderia Ferrari and Philip Morris International, questioning its legality," said the Ferrari statement.
"These reports are based on two suppositions: that part of the graphics featured on the Formula 1 cars are reminiscent of the Marlboro logo and even that the red colour which is a traditional feature of our cars is a form of tobacco publicity.
"Neither of these arguments have any scientific basis, as they rely on some alleged studies which have never been published in academic journals. But more importantly, they do not correspond to the truth.
"The so-called barcode is an integral part of the livery of the car and of all images coordinated by the Scuderia, as can be seen from the fact it is modified every year and, occasionally even during the season. Furthermore, if it was a case of advertising branding, Philip Morris would have to own a legal copyright on it.
"The partnership between Ferrari and Philip Morris is now only exploited in certain initiatives, such as factory visits, meetings with the drivers, merchandising products, all carried out fully within the laws of the various countries where these activities take place. There has been no logo or branding on the race cars since 2007, even in countries where local laws would still have permitted it.
"The premise that simply looking at a red Ferrari can be a more effective means of publicity than a cigarette advertisement seems incredible: how should one assess the choice made by other Formula 1 teams to race a car with a predominantly red livery or to link the image of a driver to a sports car of the same colour? Maybe these companies also want to advertise smoking!
"It should be pointed out that red has been the recognised colour for Italian racing cars since the very beginning of motor sport, at the start of the twentieth century: if there is an immediate association to be made, it is with our company rather than with our partner."
A report in The Times on Thursday said that a host of medical figures had called on the British and Spanish governments to look into the extent of Marlboro's backing of Ferrari and especially the use of the barcode that is used on the cars.
Ferrari took the decision to publish a statement on its website on Thursday night rubbishing the claims and stating it was baffled why its colour scheme was being picked out by doctors.
"Today and in recent weeks, articles have been published relating to the partnership contract between Scuderia Ferrari and Philip Morris International, questioning its legality," said the Ferrari statement.
"These reports are based on two suppositions: that part of the graphics featured on the Formula 1 cars are reminiscent of the Marlboro logo and even that the red colour which is a traditional feature of our cars is a form of tobacco publicity.
"Neither of these arguments have any scientific basis, as they rely on some alleged studies which have never been published in academic journals. But more importantly, they do not correspond to the truth.
"The so-called barcode is an integral part of the livery of the car and of all images coordinated by the Scuderia, as can be seen from the fact it is modified every year and, occasionally even during the season. Furthermore, if it was a case of advertising branding, Philip Morris would have to own a legal copyright on it.
"The partnership between Ferrari and Philip Morris is now only exploited in certain initiatives, such as factory visits, meetings with the drivers, merchandising products, all carried out fully within the laws of the various countries where these activities take place. There has been no logo or branding on the race cars since 2007, even in countries where local laws would still have permitted it.
"The premise that simply looking at a red Ferrari can be a more effective means of publicity than a cigarette advertisement seems incredible: how should one assess the choice made by other Formula 1 teams to race a car with a predominantly red livery or to link the image of a driver to a sports car of the same colour? Maybe these companies also want to advertise smoking!
"It should be pointed out that red has been the recognised colour for Italian racing cars since the very beginning of motor sport, at the start of the twentieth century: if there is an immediate association to be made, it is with our company rather than with our partner."
Monday, 26 April 2010
Q and A with Fernando Alonso
After three difficult races in Australia, Malaysia and China, Fernando Alonso arrives in Spain next week for what he reckons is the real start of the championship.
And the Spanish driver is bullish his Ferrari team will be up there fighting.
AUTOSPORT heard from Alonso during a media event for sponsor Santander.
Q. How do you judge the car so far and what is the situation with the engine problems?
Fernando AlonsoFernando Alonso: The car is fine. For one reason or another we haven't managed to score as many points as we wanted, but I think we are going to have a good car again in Barcelona. I'm not worried.
As for the engines, we have found the problems that we had. I know there have been things written about the valves and the air consumption system of the engine, which are completely untrue, as it usually happens. So we are quiet because we have found the problems and we'll try to do the rest of the season with an engine that's 100 per cent reliable.
Q. Felipe Massa told Brazilian media that he thought there could have been an accident in China. What's your point of view?
FA: I don't know what Felipe said. What's clear is that 15 days after a race you can't keep talking about such minuscule things, so I'm not going to answer because otherwise tomorrow we'll have another front page and I think that's unnecessary.
Q. Is it true that Ferrari has asked the FIA to be allowed to modify its engine?
FA: I don't know what the team has asked exactly. What I know from what I've talked about with the engineers is that they are very confident they have solved the problems. The issues we and Sauber had were different, it wasn't only one thing in particular, but I believe it's solved.
Q. You said in Australia that you were not worried about the result because the drivers ahead of you were not your main championship rivals. Now that Button has won two races, do you believe he's a real contender?
FA: I always respect all my rivals. Even so, I believe there are rivals you have to have more under control and others you can give a certain margin to. I've always said that Hamilton, Vettel or Michael, Felipe are very good drivers who can fight for the title.
Button didn't win the title by chance last year, it was because he deserved it. And now he's leading the championship on his own merit because he has done better than us, so we have to improve. All rivals are respectable, but to me there are two or three I'll keep a closer look on.
Q. After four races, what's your feeling? Relief for having rescued points in complicated races or frustration because you could have won more races?
FA: There's always frustration on Sunday afternoon when you don't achieve all the points you should have scored, but from a more general perspective, after a week home, these four races have been very positive. Being third in the championship, very few points away from the leader, I believe is a very good situation.
With the potential that we have, with the super team that I have, this is just the beginning and I have a real chance to fight for the world championship, something I couldn't even think about last year after four races.
I'm enjoying it again, and I've felt that bug from winning a race or winning the championship again, and that's the most positive thing about the start to this year. We can't forget that last year during the final part of the season Ferrari was very far from the leaders, so there were a lot of things to confirm and many wishes to grant and they have been granted.
Q. Is the real championship starting in Europe?
FA: The championship always starts in the first race, but it's true that it's just a race to confirm the good sensations you've had during testing. But it's true that in Europe it is time to show who is going to fight for the title and who isn't.
The first races can be atypical races with changing weather all the time, so now in Europe it's the moment of truth to show who is going to be in the title fight, and also for the teams to prove they can develop faster than their rivals. It's the start of a nice fight.
Q. You said the F10 was the best car you had ever driven. Do you still stand by that?
FA: Yes, I said it during the pre-season and I still believe it's the best car I've very driven. It's very good in every sense, but obviously in Formula 1 everything can be improved because engineers are inventing new parts every day. So the best car I've driven in my life is yet to come, and that will be the one I use in Barcelona, then in Monaco, then in Turkey. Every day it will be better.
Q. Will Ferrari use the F-Duct in Barcelona?
FA: We are on it. There's nothing confirmed yet. I wish there are lots of updates for Barcelona, but it's not an easy system to make work. I know the team is working hard so it's available as soon as possible.
Q. Will those improvements be enough to catch Red Bull in qualifying trim?
FA: I think so. I believe we'll catch them.
Q. Germans seem to be disappointed with Schumacher. Is there such a feeling on the grid too?
FA: No, there's no such feeling. It's not like we spend too much time thinking about what the others are doing, but we have a huge respect towards Schumacher and every driver on the grid knows it's been a bad start for him, with very few points in the first races, but I believe there's nobody ready to say the championship is over for him. We knew what he's capable of doing so we have to respect him and we know the best is yet to come from him.
Q. In the last two races there were two controversial actions from Hamilton: the weaving in Malaysia and the pitlane exit side-by-side with Vettel. He wasn't punished for those. Do you believe Hamilton has a privileged position when judged by the FIA stewards?
FA: No, I don't think so. The decisions are perhaps not very consistent, because there will be other times when the same happens and someone gets a penalty for it. So it varies a bit, but I don't think that's very important.
He got two warnings and maybe he will be penalised in the next race if he does something wrong. It's like referees in football: their intention is not bad, but sometimes they make a decision and other times a different one.
And the Spanish driver is bullish his Ferrari team will be up there fighting.
AUTOSPORT heard from Alonso during a media event for sponsor Santander.
Q. How do you judge the car so far and what is the situation with the engine problems?
Fernando AlonsoFernando Alonso: The car is fine. For one reason or another we haven't managed to score as many points as we wanted, but I think we are going to have a good car again in Barcelona. I'm not worried.
As for the engines, we have found the problems that we had. I know there have been things written about the valves and the air consumption system of the engine, which are completely untrue, as it usually happens. So we are quiet because we have found the problems and we'll try to do the rest of the season with an engine that's 100 per cent reliable.
Q. Felipe Massa told Brazilian media that he thought there could have been an accident in China. What's your point of view?
FA: I don't know what Felipe said. What's clear is that 15 days after a race you can't keep talking about such minuscule things, so I'm not going to answer because otherwise tomorrow we'll have another front page and I think that's unnecessary.
Q. Is it true that Ferrari has asked the FIA to be allowed to modify its engine?
FA: I don't know what the team has asked exactly. What I know from what I've talked about with the engineers is that they are very confident they have solved the problems. The issues we and Sauber had were different, it wasn't only one thing in particular, but I believe it's solved.
Q. You said in Australia that you were not worried about the result because the drivers ahead of you were not your main championship rivals. Now that Button has won two races, do you believe he's a real contender?
FA: I always respect all my rivals. Even so, I believe there are rivals you have to have more under control and others you can give a certain margin to. I've always said that Hamilton, Vettel or Michael, Felipe are very good drivers who can fight for the title.
Button didn't win the title by chance last year, it was because he deserved it. And now he's leading the championship on his own merit because he has done better than us, so we have to improve. All rivals are respectable, but to me there are two or three I'll keep a closer look on.
Q. After four races, what's your feeling? Relief for having rescued points in complicated races or frustration because you could have won more races?
FA: There's always frustration on Sunday afternoon when you don't achieve all the points you should have scored, but from a more general perspective, after a week home, these four races have been very positive. Being third in the championship, very few points away from the leader, I believe is a very good situation.
With the potential that we have, with the super team that I have, this is just the beginning and I have a real chance to fight for the world championship, something I couldn't even think about last year after four races.
I'm enjoying it again, and I've felt that bug from winning a race or winning the championship again, and that's the most positive thing about the start to this year. We can't forget that last year during the final part of the season Ferrari was very far from the leaders, so there were a lot of things to confirm and many wishes to grant and they have been granted.
Q. Is the real championship starting in Europe?
FA: The championship always starts in the first race, but it's true that it's just a race to confirm the good sensations you've had during testing. But it's true that in Europe it is time to show who is going to fight for the title and who isn't.
The first races can be atypical races with changing weather all the time, so now in Europe it's the moment of truth to show who is going to be in the title fight, and also for the teams to prove they can develop faster than their rivals. It's the start of a nice fight.
Q. You said the F10 was the best car you had ever driven. Do you still stand by that?
FA: Yes, I said it during the pre-season and I still believe it's the best car I've very driven. It's very good in every sense, but obviously in Formula 1 everything can be improved because engineers are inventing new parts every day. So the best car I've driven in my life is yet to come, and that will be the one I use in Barcelona, then in Monaco, then in Turkey. Every day it will be better.
Q. Will Ferrari use the F-Duct in Barcelona?
FA: We are on it. There's nothing confirmed yet. I wish there are lots of updates for Barcelona, but it's not an easy system to make work. I know the team is working hard so it's available as soon as possible.
Q. Will those improvements be enough to catch Red Bull in qualifying trim?
FA: I think so. I believe we'll catch them.
Q. Germans seem to be disappointed with Schumacher. Is there such a feeling on the grid too?
FA: No, there's no such feeling. It's not like we spend too much time thinking about what the others are doing, but we have a huge respect towards Schumacher and every driver on the grid knows it's been a bad start for him, with very few points in the first races, but I believe there's nobody ready to say the championship is over for him. We knew what he's capable of doing so we have to respect him and we know the best is yet to come from him.
Q. In the last two races there were two controversial actions from Hamilton: the weaving in Malaysia and the pitlane exit side-by-side with Vettel. He wasn't punished for those. Do you believe Hamilton has a privileged position when judged by the FIA stewards?
FA: No, I don't think so. The decisions are perhaps not very consistent, because there will be other times when the same happens and someone gets a penalty for it. So it varies a bit, but I don't think that's very important.
He got two warnings and maybe he will be penalised in the next race if he does something wrong. It's like referees in football: their intention is not bad, but sometimes they make a decision and other times a different one.
Monday, 19 April 2010
Ferrari targets qualifying improvement
Ferrari must focus more of its effort onto improving its qualifying form if it is to stand a good chance of winning the world championship this year.
That is the view of team principal Stefano Domenicali, who believes that the edge that Red Bull Racing has enjoyed in qualifying this season must be closed down.
"One thing that we need to work towards perhaps in a little bit of a different way is to prepare qualifying," said Domenicali.
"We know that qualifying is really important and we saw that our major competitor seems to be, at least from what we have seen in the times, a little bit better than us on that moment of the weekend."
Like many teams, Ferrari is planning to bring an upgrade package for the Spanish Grand Prix - with Domenicali under no illusions about the effort his team needs to make to beat Red Bull Racing and McLaren.
"We are working very hard in order to bring new performance developments already for Spain because we have seen this weekend that the others have done the same," he said. "The difference between the cars is so small.
"It is unbelievably small and if you do a little mistake while you are driving, you move from first or second to seventh or eighth position. That is the way it is with this championship. We knew it, and that is the way that we will approach it."
He added: "But, on the other side, and as we have always said since the beginning, the competition is very tight. It is very tough.
"And we don't have to give up and push like hell in order to make sure that the new step that we will bring at every race will be enough, because we did a step in this race but we have seen that the others have done the same. That is the racing of this year, and that is basically the situation."
That is the view of team principal Stefano Domenicali, who believes that the edge that Red Bull Racing has enjoyed in qualifying this season must be closed down.
"One thing that we need to work towards perhaps in a little bit of a different way is to prepare qualifying," said Domenicali.
"We know that qualifying is really important and we saw that our major competitor seems to be, at least from what we have seen in the times, a little bit better than us on that moment of the weekend."
Like many teams, Ferrari is planning to bring an upgrade package for the Spanish Grand Prix - with Domenicali under no illusions about the effort his team needs to make to beat Red Bull Racing and McLaren.
"We are working very hard in order to bring new performance developments already for Spain because we have seen this weekend that the others have done the same," he said. "The difference between the cars is so small.
"It is unbelievably small and if you do a little mistake while you are driving, you move from first or second to seventh or eighth position. That is the way it is with this championship. We knew it, and that is the way that we will approach it."
He added: "But, on the other side, and as we have always said since the beginning, the competition is very tight. It is very tough.
"And we don't have to give up and push like hell in order to make sure that the new step that we will bring at every race will be enough, because we did a step in this race but we have seen that the others have done the same. That is the racing of this year, and that is basically the situation."
Sunday, 4 April 2010
Alonso bemoans 'hardest race ever'
Fernando Alonso labelled the Malaysian Grand Prix as the hardest race of his life after having to cope with gearbox issues before retiring.
The Ferrari driver lost his clutch before the start of the race and was forced to step on the throttle on corners in order for the gears to engage.
Despite that, Alonso battled with team-mate Felipe Massa and McLaren's Jenson Button, before an engine failure forced him out with two laps to go.
The Spaniard looked set for ninth position, which would have helped him keep the championship lead. As it was, however, Alonso is now tied in second place, two points behind Massa.
"From the start things went wrong," Alonso told Spanish television. "On the formation lap my gearbox broke and I had no clutch during the race, so I had to brake in a weird way.
"I had to first gear down and then push the throttle hard so it would engage the gear for that corner.
"So it was probably the hardest race of my whole life in terms of driving, because I had to improvise for every corner. But even so we were going to get a few points, which in the end was not possible because of the engine.
"But if the gearbox and then the engine are going to break, it's better than in happens when you are ninth than when you are leading and you lose 25 points."
He added: "A tough weekend. Sometimes it's us, sometimes it's other. You have to take the opportunities."
The Ferrari driver lost his clutch before the start of the race and was forced to step on the throttle on corners in order for the gears to engage.
Despite that, Alonso battled with team-mate Felipe Massa and McLaren's Jenson Button, before an engine failure forced him out with two laps to go.
The Spaniard looked set for ninth position, which would have helped him keep the championship lead. As it was, however, Alonso is now tied in second place, two points behind Massa.
"From the start things went wrong," Alonso told Spanish television. "On the formation lap my gearbox broke and I had no clutch during the race, so I had to brake in a weird way.
"I had to first gear down and then push the throttle hard so it would engage the gear for that corner.
"So it was probably the hardest race of my whole life in terms of driving, because I had to improvise for every corner. But even so we were going to get a few points, which in the end was not possible because of the engine.
"But if the gearbox and then the engine are going to break, it's better than in happens when you are ninth than when you are leading and you lose 25 points."
He added: "A tough weekend. Sometimes it's us, sometimes it's other. You have to take the opportunities."
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Outboard mirrors to be banned
Outboard mirrors are to be banned from Formula 1 with effect from the Chinese Grand Prix in two weeks' time, AUTOSPORT has learned, following concerns over poor visibility from sidepod-mounted mirrors creating a safety issue.
Several teams have mounted their mirrors on the sidepods of their cars for aerodynamic reasons, with Ferrari and Red Bull Racing's mirror positioning the most dramatic. But from Shanghai onwards, the mirrors will have to be fitted on the cockpit sides on safety grounds.
Drivers had said in Melbourne last weekend that they would be speaking to the FIA about the mirror problem. Several issues of accidental blocking in practice were put down to poor rear visibility.
"Everyone has got a problem with mirrors," said Sauber's Pedro de la Rosa in Australia. "The reality is that the mirrors on the sidepods, they give you very small vision of what is happening behind and they vibrate a lot so you see very little.
"So if you don't have a lot of information coming from the radio, then you have a problem. You can see when you have a car straight behind okay, but when it is two seconds behind you have no idea where it is.
"Everyone has the same problem, but since the mirrors have gone outboard this is a problem - as they are aerodynamic devices now."
But Ferrari's Felipe Massa said he was quite happy with his team's mirror design.
"I have no problem with my visibility," he insisted. "So, if it is the same I prefer to keep what I have, but we will see how it is going to be. I hope we don't lose anything moving the mirrors from one side to the other."
Several teams have mounted their mirrors on the sidepods of their cars for aerodynamic reasons, with Ferrari and Red Bull Racing's mirror positioning the most dramatic. But from Shanghai onwards, the mirrors will have to be fitted on the cockpit sides on safety grounds.
Drivers had said in Melbourne last weekend that they would be speaking to the FIA about the mirror problem. Several issues of accidental blocking in practice were put down to poor rear visibility.
"Everyone has got a problem with mirrors," said Sauber's Pedro de la Rosa in Australia. "The reality is that the mirrors on the sidepods, they give you very small vision of what is happening behind and they vibrate a lot so you see very little.
"So if you don't have a lot of information coming from the radio, then you have a problem. You can see when you have a car straight behind okay, but when it is two seconds behind you have no idea where it is.
"Everyone has the same problem, but since the mirrors have gone outboard this is a problem - as they are aerodynamic devices now."
But Ferrari's Felipe Massa said he was quite happy with his team's mirror design.
"I have no problem with my visibility," he insisted. "So, if it is the same I prefer to keep what I have, but we will see how it is going to be. I hope we don't lose anything moving the mirrors from one side to the other."
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Ferrari is ready for the Grand Prix on the Sepang circuit
Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro is already hard at work at the Sepang circuit, outside the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, preparing for the third round of the world championship, which it currently leads in both the Drivers' and Constructors' categories. "We are happy with the Melbourne result, even if, on Sunday morning, we might have expected a slightly better one," said Stefano Domenicali. "Considering what happened in the race, we can be pleased with finishing third and fourth, partly because our closest rivals either failed to score, or at least did not pick up many points. We are surely not the only ones to be pleased with the afternoon's work in Albert Park: F1 fans the world over can tell themselves they watched a truly spectacular motor race and those who made such a fuss about Bahrain being dull, should now think again. I have always maintained it is impossible to draw conclusions about the state of our sport after just one Grand Prix, but that does not mean we should now claim that Formula 1 has returned to some sort of golden age, if indeed there ever was one!" A new driver pairing always takes time to break in, but in Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso, the Scuderia seems to already have a strong partnership: the Brazilian had a difficult weekend throughout, but he made the best of it, getting a very good start, before adopting a sensibly cautious approach when dealing with a lack of grip. As for the Spaniard, he drove a truly fantastic race, demonstrating not only his skill in going from last to fourth, after his first lap spin, but also the fact that he knows how to be a team player.
"Back-to-backs," the term applied to Grands Prix on consecutive weekends present a tough logistical challenge, which all the teams undertake in conjunction with FOM, (Formula One Management) who are responsible for shipping cars and equipment from one race to the next. Late on Sunday night in Albert Park, the entire team set about re-preparing the two race cars and packing everything into containers. "Once packed, all the containers are positioned in the pit lane, from where trucks take everything to the airport," explains Massimo Balocchi, the team's head of logistics. "We provide all the Customs documentation and FOM does the rest. "Then, in Sepang, the reverse process takes place with the equipment delivered from Kuala Lumpur airport, ready for the team to start work on Tuesday. Not all the material we use goes by air. In order to save time and money, at the start of the year, in January, we send four separate container loads to Bahrain, Australia, Malaysia and China. These contain much of the infrastructure we need to use, but not the technical equipment or car parts. These containers then return by sea to Europe, where they are repacked and then dispatched again to the last races of the season." Balocchi is also in charge of all personnel movements for a team of around 65 people - the 45 permitted to actually work on the cars and the additional press, marketing and Paddock Club staff. "We always try and stay in a maximum of two hotels at each race," says Balocchi. "That makes the logistics easier in terms of how many cars we use to move around. We have an agreement with Europcar and the local FIAT importers also help on this front. As for the hotel bookings, I normally do this one year in advance, so for example, I have already discussed our 2011 requirements in Melbourne with the hotels this week."
This will be the twelfth edition of the Malaysian Grand Prix and when the circuit was first used in 1999, it was absolutely state-of-the-art and is still one of the best facilities on the calendar. Ferrari's Malaysian adventure got off to a good start, with a trio of wins; Eddie Irvine being first past the flag in the inaugural 1999 event, followed by two victories for Michael Schumacher over the next two years. The German won again in 2004 and Kimi Raikkonen was victorious in 2008. Current driver Fernando Alonso rates the Sepang circuit as one of his all time favourites and the Spaniard stood on the top step of the podium in 2005 with Renault and in 2007 for McLaren.
Sepang provides a challenging track, with the added difficulties of coping with very hot conditions and extreme humidity, two factors which can have a debilitating effect on both car and driver. With that in mind, the F10s will have some further updates aimed at dealing with the unique characteristics of this event. Last year's race started at five in the afternoon, to better suit global TV viewers, however, fairly predictably this meant the inevitable tropical storm disrupted the event, with it being stopped after just 31 of the scheduled 56 laps, so that only half points were awarded, as required by the regulations. Therefore, Sunday's race start has been brought forward by one hour: whether this will be enough to miss the storm is another matter, even if, after Melbourne, the viewing public would appreciate the added spice of a wet track.
"Back-to-backs," the term applied to Grands Prix on consecutive weekends present a tough logistical challenge, which all the teams undertake in conjunction with FOM, (Formula One Management) who are responsible for shipping cars and equipment from one race to the next. Late on Sunday night in Albert Park, the entire team set about re-preparing the two race cars and packing everything into containers. "Once packed, all the containers are positioned in the pit lane, from where trucks take everything to the airport," explains Massimo Balocchi, the team's head of logistics. "We provide all the Customs documentation and FOM does the rest. "Then, in Sepang, the reverse process takes place with the equipment delivered from Kuala Lumpur airport, ready for the team to start work on Tuesday. Not all the material we use goes by air. In order to save time and money, at the start of the year, in January, we send four separate container loads to Bahrain, Australia, Malaysia and China. These contain much of the infrastructure we need to use, but not the technical equipment or car parts. These containers then return by sea to Europe, where they are repacked and then dispatched again to the last races of the season." Balocchi is also in charge of all personnel movements for a team of around 65 people - the 45 permitted to actually work on the cars and the additional press, marketing and Paddock Club staff. "We always try and stay in a maximum of two hotels at each race," says Balocchi. "That makes the logistics easier in terms of how many cars we use to move around. We have an agreement with Europcar and the local FIAT importers also help on this front. As for the hotel bookings, I normally do this one year in advance, so for example, I have already discussed our 2011 requirements in Melbourne with the hotels this week."
This will be the twelfth edition of the Malaysian Grand Prix and when the circuit was first used in 1999, it was absolutely state-of-the-art and is still one of the best facilities on the calendar. Ferrari's Malaysian adventure got off to a good start, with a trio of wins; Eddie Irvine being first past the flag in the inaugural 1999 event, followed by two victories for Michael Schumacher over the next two years. The German won again in 2004 and Kimi Raikkonen was victorious in 2008. Current driver Fernando Alonso rates the Sepang circuit as one of his all time favourites and the Spaniard stood on the top step of the podium in 2005 with Renault and in 2007 for McLaren.
Sepang provides a challenging track, with the added difficulties of coping with very hot conditions and extreme humidity, two factors which can have a debilitating effect on both car and driver. With that in mind, the F10s will have some further updates aimed at dealing with the unique characteristics of this event. Last year's race started at five in the afternoon, to better suit global TV viewers, however, fairly predictably this meant the inevitable tropical storm disrupted the event, with it being stopped after just 31 of the scheduled 56 laps, so that only half points were awarded, as required by the regulations. Therefore, Sunday's race start has been brought forward by one hour: whether this will be enough to miss the storm is another matter, even if, after Melbourne, the viewing public would appreciate the added spice of a wet track.
Saturday, 20 March 2010
Ferrari's young drivers get F2008 test
Ferrari Driver Academy members Jules Bianchi, Mirko Bortolotti and Daniel Zampieri had a day of testing in one of the team's 2008 Formula 1 cars at Fiorano on Friday.
The participants in Ferrari's new driver development scheme will get five such tests during the year. All three had previous Ferrari F1 testing experience, with Bortolotti and Zampieri having tested in winter 2008 and 2009 respectively as part of the team's tie-up with Italian Formula 3, where both won titles, and Bianchi running in last December's young driver test session.
The Frenchman felt his performance at Fiorano was much stronger than in his maiden F1 test four months ago.
"Since Jerez I gained lots of confidence with the car," said Bianchi, who will race in GP2 this year. "Today it was about going to the limit. In collaboration with the Academy's technicians, I've been working to improve my performance."
Luca Baldisserri, head of the Academy project, was pleased with the outcome of the test.
"It's about physical and mental training, but we also made a physical check-up to check the drivers' health and their training level," he said.
"Today's test was very intense, because three drivers took turns behind the wheel of a F1 single-seater. We're very satisfied, because we could see their first impressions and it was very interesting to see how young men, without real experience in F1, were doing with high-performance cars. The drivers gave it their all, but also had fun."
Fifteen-year-old karting graduate Raffaele Marciello, the fourth member of the Ferrari academy, was also in action at Fiorano in a Formula Abarth car earlier in the week.
The participants in Ferrari's new driver development scheme will get five such tests during the year. All three had previous Ferrari F1 testing experience, with Bortolotti and Zampieri having tested in winter 2008 and 2009 respectively as part of the team's tie-up with Italian Formula 3, where both won titles, and Bianchi running in last December's young driver test session.
The Frenchman felt his performance at Fiorano was much stronger than in his maiden F1 test four months ago.
"Since Jerez I gained lots of confidence with the car," said Bianchi, who will race in GP2 this year. "Today it was about going to the limit. In collaboration with the Academy's technicians, I've been working to improve my performance."
Luca Baldisserri, head of the Academy project, was pleased with the outcome of the test.
"It's about physical and mental training, but we also made a physical check-up to check the drivers' health and their training level," he said.
"Today's test was very intense, because three drivers took turns behind the wheel of a F1 single-seater. We're very satisfied, because we could see their first impressions and it was very interesting to see how young men, without real experience in F1, were doing with high-performance cars. The drivers gave it their all, but also had fun."
Fifteen-year-old karting graduate Raffaele Marciello, the fourth member of the Ferrari academy, was also in action at Fiorano in a Formula Abarth car earlier in the week.
Saturday, 6 March 2010
FDA grows looking towards Brazil
The Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) is taking its first steps and widens its group of participants. As of today there are three more young talents taking part in the project by the manufacturer from Maranello, joining Jules Bianchi: Mirko Bortolotti, Daniel Zampieri and Raffaele Marciello.
Both, Bortolotti and Zampieri, won the Italian Formula 3 - Mirko in the year 2008, Daniel in 2009. These successes enabled them to drive a Ferrari Formula 1 single-seater during the tests the Scuderia has been organising, in collaboration with ACI-CSAI, over the last two years for the first three in the national racing series’ classification. The 15-year-old Marciello convinced in last years international kart Championship and will debut in 2010 in a single-seater, racing in the Formula Abarth with the JD Motorsport team. The other three drivers will participate on the international stage: Bianchi will race in the GP2 with ART Grand Prix, Bortolotti in GP3 with the Addax team, while Zampieri will participate in the World Series 3.5 with Pons Racing.
Meanwhile an agreement with the organisers of Formula Future Fiat, the new Brazilian racing series under the patronage of Felipe Massa, has been signed. The series will start on 25 April in Interlagos during the Racing Festival, with the Trofeo Linea and the 600 Supersport, a motorbike competition. Formula Future Fiat will be held with Signatech cars fitted with engines from Fiat Powertrain with 150 BHP involving young kart drivers who are at least 16 years old, who want to try a single-seater. The winner of this series’ first edition will participate in the 2011 Ferrari Driver Academy.
Both, Bortolotti and Zampieri, won the Italian Formula 3 - Mirko in the year 2008, Daniel in 2009. These successes enabled them to drive a Ferrari Formula 1 single-seater during the tests the Scuderia has been organising, in collaboration with ACI-CSAI, over the last two years for the first three in the national racing series’ classification. The 15-year-old Marciello convinced in last years international kart Championship and will debut in 2010 in a single-seater, racing in the Formula Abarth with the JD Motorsport team. The other three drivers will participate on the international stage: Bianchi will race in the GP2 with ART Grand Prix, Bortolotti in GP3 with the Addax team, while Zampieri will participate in the World Series 3.5 with Pons Racing.
Meanwhile an agreement with the organisers of Formula Future Fiat, the new Brazilian racing series under the patronage of Felipe Massa, has been signed. The series will start on 25 April in Interlagos during the Racing Festival, with the Trofeo Linea and the 600 Supersport, a motorbike competition. Formula Future Fiat will be held with Signatech cars fitted with engines from Fiat Powertrain with 150 BHP involving young kart drivers who are at least 16 years old, who want to try a single-seater. The winner of this series’ first edition will participate in the 2011 Ferrari Driver Academy.
The Man in Red
Nine days before the start of the 2010 Formula 1 Championship Fernando Alonso spoke to Pino Allievi from the “Gazzetta dello Sport” daily.
Alonso, Italy is waiting for a miracle.
“My father always told me that a driver can win races and even titles, but if he doesn’t drive a Ferrari he hasn’t achieved anything. So here we are. I’m ready, I’ve come to Ferrari to win.”
From whom did you get this competitive attitude?
“I don’t know. Even when I’m eating my pudding I have to finish first. When I was a child coming back from school with my mother we raced, from traffic light to traffic light. And she had to let me win to avoid me becoming grumpy. I was a disaster!”
What does Ferrari have that the others don’t?
“Tradition, coherence, passion. Since the first day in Maranello I’ve seen that even the people responsible for the rear view mirrors show the same enthusiasm as if it was their car. There’s feeling, heart.”
Your teammate is Felipe Massa. Skilful and fast. Are you talking to each other? Did he give you any advice?
“Yes, regarding technical things of the car’s behaviour. The relationship with Ferrari is something personal and everybody lives it his own way.”
The competitors?
“Massa, Hamilton, Button, the two Red Bull drivers, Schumacher: I didn’t expect him to come back.”
There are many good drivers in F1, but in the end what is it that makes the difference?
“The head. The ten best drivers are extremely close together, if we exclude the car, the tyres and the team. The one who gives 100% prevails. There are drivers using 93% of their talent and others 97%: if one gets out 99% in 19 races, he’ll be World Champion.”
You have a family background where danger has always been the order of the day…
“My father was responsible for the explosives in mines. There were some explosions in the company’s depot where he worked and several people died. As I child I didn’t perceive risk at all.”
And today?
“I know what risk means and the one in traffic scares me more. Although the emotions come out before the start of the race, because this is the moment when you’re up for it, when it’s about your and the team’s expectations. But after five or six laps the stress fades out.”
Fatalistic?
“Yes. I think everything is set up for us, everybody has his own fate.”
When did you start earning money with races?
“At the age of 14 I won the kart World Championship and I was offered to change the team. I didn’t accept and they started paying me a symbolic fee for every race. So that’s more or less when I turned professional.
Are you keeping a race diary?
“I always have. I’m writing my feelings down, the changes regarding the car and my observations. I’ve got some notes I’m going through before every race; doubts generate tension. Adrenaline and anxiety generate mistakes.”
Quick decisions or do you meditate?
“Really fast decisions.”
They say that you are a good imitator of Aznar…
“Oh well, not all the imitations work out well.”
But you’re extremely good as a magician: is it important to hide the truth from your competitors in F1?
“Impossible. You’re always working under the eyes of everybody, so you can’t play tricks.”
Can you tell us now when you had the first serious contact with Ferrari?
“Last summer, when we were talking about a possibility for 2010. First we spoke about 2011, which was far away.”
Are you recognised in Italy?
“Yes, and the question was always the same: when are you coming to Ferrari? I was asked that by someone in a red Ferrari jacket when I was skiing in Madonna di Campiglio. He stopped and asked: So, when are you coming to Ferrari? I said: soon.”
Where did you learn Italian?
“Just by speaking it. I’ve never studied it. In fact when I’m writing in Italian it’s a disaster; I’m struggling with ligatures, I never know when to double v or p.”
Your wife Raquel is a famous singer: are you ever going to see her shows?
“Rarely. She’s giving around 50 concerts per year. I’m maybe going to see two. A very low percentage.…”
What did she say about you going to Ferrari?
“She was happy. We’re talking a lot about our respective lives an also about racing.”
You are a football fan: Milan, Inter, Juve or Roma?
“I grew up with Milan, which was the nightmare of my team Real Madrid. That’s why I really respect them.”
Alonso, Italy is waiting for a miracle.
“My father always told me that a driver can win races and even titles, but if he doesn’t drive a Ferrari he hasn’t achieved anything. So here we are. I’m ready, I’ve come to Ferrari to win.”
From whom did you get this competitive attitude?
“I don’t know. Even when I’m eating my pudding I have to finish first. When I was a child coming back from school with my mother we raced, from traffic light to traffic light. And she had to let me win to avoid me becoming grumpy. I was a disaster!”
What does Ferrari have that the others don’t?
“Tradition, coherence, passion. Since the first day in Maranello I’ve seen that even the people responsible for the rear view mirrors show the same enthusiasm as if it was their car. There’s feeling, heart.”
Your teammate is Felipe Massa. Skilful and fast. Are you talking to each other? Did he give you any advice?
“Yes, regarding technical things of the car’s behaviour. The relationship with Ferrari is something personal and everybody lives it his own way.”
The competitors?
“Massa, Hamilton, Button, the two Red Bull drivers, Schumacher: I didn’t expect him to come back.”
There are many good drivers in F1, but in the end what is it that makes the difference?
“The head. The ten best drivers are extremely close together, if we exclude the car, the tyres and the team. The one who gives 100% prevails. There are drivers using 93% of their talent and others 97%: if one gets out 99% in 19 races, he’ll be World Champion.”
You have a family background where danger has always been the order of the day…
“My father was responsible for the explosives in mines. There were some explosions in the company’s depot where he worked and several people died. As I child I didn’t perceive risk at all.”
And today?
“I know what risk means and the one in traffic scares me more. Although the emotions come out before the start of the race, because this is the moment when you’re up for it, when it’s about your and the team’s expectations. But after five or six laps the stress fades out.”
Fatalistic?
“Yes. I think everything is set up for us, everybody has his own fate.”
When did you start earning money with races?
“At the age of 14 I won the kart World Championship and I was offered to change the team. I didn’t accept and they started paying me a symbolic fee for every race. So that’s more or less when I turned professional.
Are you keeping a race diary?
“I always have. I’m writing my feelings down, the changes regarding the car and my observations. I’ve got some notes I’m going through before every race; doubts generate tension. Adrenaline and anxiety generate mistakes.”
Quick decisions or do you meditate?
“Really fast decisions.”
They say that you are a good imitator of Aznar…
“Oh well, not all the imitations work out well.”
But you’re extremely good as a magician: is it important to hide the truth from your competitors in F1?
“Impossible. You’re always working under the eyes of everybody, so you can’t play tricks.”
Can you tell us now when you had the first serious contact with Ferrari?
“Last summer, when we were talking about a possibility for 2010. First we spoke about 2011, which was far away.”
Are you recognised in Italy?
“Yes, and the question was always the same: when are you coming to Ferrari? I was asked that by someone in a red Ferrari jacket when I was skiing in Madonna di Campiglio. He stopped and asked: So, when are you coming to Ferrari? I said: soon.”
Where did you learn Italian?
“Just by speaking it. I’ve never studied it. In fact when I’m writing in Italian it’s a disaster; I’m struggling with ligatures, I never know when to double v or p.”
Your wife Raquel is a famous singer: are you ever going to see her shows?
“Rarely. She’s giving around 50 concerts per year. I’m maybe going to see two. A very low percentage.…”
What did she say about you going to Ferrari?
“She was happy. We’re talking a lot about our respective lives an also about racing.”
You are a football fan: Milan, Inter, Juve or Roma?
“I grew up with Milan, which was the nightmare of my team Real Madrid. That’s why I really respect them.”
Friday, 5 March 2010
Special appointment at the Scuderia
Special appointment at the Scuderia
Maranello, 4 March – An important day for the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro. The men and women from the Scuderia met at the Logistics department to reflect together a few days before the start of the F1 Championship with the first GP in Bahrain. They were greeted by Chairman Luca di Montezemolo, who wanted to be present with Fernando Alonso, who is working with the simulator in Maranello today and tomorrow
"We have a difficult season behind us and we have a season with strong competitors ahead of us, with many unknown factors,” Domenicali said. "We’ve worked a lot during the winter and I want to thank you for what you have done: at the end of the last Championship we were really behind, now, after the tests in February, we can say that we picked up a lot. We’re in the top group, but not yet amongst the best. This has to be a stimulus, because we need to develop race after race, this will be the 2010 Championship, but also the reliability will be important. The fact that we were the team with the most kilometres confirms how well we worked, but we can’t stop paying attention. We have to know out potential and our strength, because we have people, resources and structures, which can keep up with everybody else. During the tests we’ve shown what we can do and now we have to continue to train."
Fernando Alonso, who was received with a standing ovation, was moved by the atmosphere and said: "I want to thank you all for what you have done for this new Formula 1 Ferrari. I already told it to the newspapers but I want to tell you personally: this is the best car I’ve ever driven. This doesn’t mean that it will be enough to win every single race, but I’m happy about how the tests went and I think that we’re at 100% for the first race in Bahrain. We are Ferrari and we know from our history that we have only one goal: winning the Championship. And I know that thanks to your work we can do it. We know that the first race is like the first stage at the Tour de France: what counts is winning. Felipe and I are extremely motivated and we’ll give it our all to show that we merit the opportunity to drive a car like Ferrari.”
To conclude the event Montezemolo said: "It has been for the last 19 years that we met here before the start of the Championship. We had difficult moments, but also wonderful ones, great successes, thanks to you. I want to thank you for what you’ve done during the winter. I haven’t forgotten the humiliation of the Abu Dhabi weekend, but now we know that our efforts paid off, because we can look at the start of the season, knowing that we have a reliable car and we’re ready to tackle our competitors. We want to win and we’re sacrificing a lot for that, but this is our passion’s engine, our pride, our desire to demonstrate that we are the best team in the world. To reach this goal we need to be aware of the fact that a tenth of a second can make the difference: this is why I ask you all, nobody excluded, to give it your all, at every moment. We have a driver, Fernando, who is on top of his career and has all the attributes to win; we have Felipe, completely renewed after what happened last year. We’re close to the best, but we want to be the best. We have a great team and we have to give out best to improve the car: Grand Prix after Grand Prix. We can’t leave any stone unturned: on the track, at home, at the works, everything has to be done the best possible way. This is what I’m asking of you. You’ve done some great work and I want you to continue like this. I’m convinced that you can do it and I hope I will see you again soon to thank you for the results, to enjoy the victories we merit together. Good luck from my heart: Forza Ferrari!"
Maranello, 4 March – An important day for the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro. The men and women from the Scuderia met at the Logistics department to reflect together a few days before the start of the F1 Championship with the first GP in Bahrain. They were greeted by Chairman Luca di Montezemolo, who wanted to be present with Fernando Alonso, who is working with the simulator in Maranello today and tomorrow
"We have a difficult season behind us and we have a season with strong competitors ahead of us, with many unknown factors,” Domenicali said. "We’ve worked a lot during the winter and I want to thank you for what you have done: at the end of the last Championship we were really behind, now, after the tests in February, we can say that we picked up a lot. We’re in the top group, but not yet amongst the best. This has to be a stimulus, because we need to develop race after race, this will be the 2010 Championship, but also the reliability will be important. The fact that we were the team with the most kilometres confirms how well we worked, but we can’t stop paying attention. We have to know out potential and our strength, because we have people, resources and structures, which can keep up with everybody else. During the tests we’ve shown what we can do and now we have to continue to train."
Fernando Alonso, who was received with a standing ovation, was moved by the atmosphere and said: "I want to thank you all for what you have done for this new Formula 1 Ferrari. I already told it to the newspapers but I want to tell you personally: this is the best car I’ve ever driven. This doesn’t mean that it will be enough to win every single race, but I’m happy about how the tests went and I think that we’re at 100% for the first race in Bahrain. We are Ferrari and we know from our history that we have only one goal: winning the Championship. And I know that thanks to your work we can do it. We know that the first race is like the first stage at the Tour de France: what counts is winning. Felipe and I are extremely motivated and we’ll give it our all to show that we merit the opportunity to drive a car like Ferrari.”
To conclude the event Montezemolo said: "It has been for the last 19 years that we met here before the start of the Championship. We had difficult moments, but also wonderful ones, great successes, thanks to you. I want to thank you for what you’ve done during the winter. I haven’t forgotten the humiliation of the Abu Dhabi weekend, but now we know that our efforts paid off, because we can look at the start of the season, knowing that we have a reliable car and we’re ready to tackle our competitors. We want to win and we’re sacrificing a lot for that, but this is our passion’s engine, our pride, our desire to demonstrate that we are the best team in the world. To reach this goal we need to be aware of the fact that a tenth of a second can make the difference: this is why I ask you all, nobody excluded, to give it your all, at every moment. We have a driver, Fernando, who is on top of his career and has all the attributes to win; we have Felipe, completely renewed after what happened last year. We’re close to the best, but we want to be the best. We have a great team and we have to give out best to improve the car: Grand Prix after Grand Prix. We can’t leave any stone unturned: on the track, at home, at the works, everything has to be done the best possible way. This is what I’m asking of you. You’ve done some great work and I want you to continue like this. I’m convinced that you can do it and I hope I will see you again soon to thank you for the results, to enjoy the victories we merit together. Good luck from my heart: Forza Ferrari!"
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Interview with Ferrari's Chris Dyer
Formula 1's pre-season testing has left onlookers in little doubt that Ferrari will be returning to the fight at the front of the field this year - even if it is too early to predict exactly how good a season the team will have.
Although the Maranello-based outfit itself is keeping its optimism in check, you can sense that the team is excited by what the F10 has produced so far.
AUTOSPORT caught up with Ferrari's chief track engineer Chris Dyer to reflect on the winter progress, get his verdict on testing form and ask for his opinions on the opposition.
Chris DyerQ. Has the winter programme gone the way you would have hoped?
Chris Dyer: Yeah, I think overall we're pretty happy with the way things have gone. The biggest problem has been the weather – that's quite comforting in terms of how things have gone with the car that we've had nothing more serious to worry about than the rain.
Q. So do you feel fortunate that you've come out of the blocks well, as you haven't suffered like you would have in this situation with last year's car?
CD: We have been very good on the reliability front, which really makes a huge difference in the winter test programme. We're extremely limited now on testing days, and you can't afford to lose too many hours with the car stuck in the garage. We've been very happy with the way that's gone this winter.
Q. What were the benefits of stopping development of the '09 car rather than developing it and carrying that over to this year's car?
CD: It's a little bit of a trade-off. You can say that in developing the '09 car we would find things that we could put on the new car. But I think even though the regulations have been pretty stable over the winter, the big issue was not rule changes this winter, but the things that happened earlier in the year with the double diffuser.
Really, that forces you to go back to a very clean sheet of paper, and that's where part of the advantage in the decision we made - was that by starting the new car earlier, we could really optimise the car around the double diffuser concept which, with the old car, was never going to be possible because of the basic architecture of the car.
Q. How would you gauge your performance in race trim from the Barcelona test?
CD: I think so far this week we've seen that it's extremely close. We've got four teams at the front of the timesheets here, and the situation seems quite close whatever the fuel load. High fuel, medium fuel, low fuel, we're always there or thereabouts. Sometimes one day someone seems ahead on low fuel or high fuel, the next day the situation changes a little bit.
I think it's so close between the teams that we start talking about how much the track improved, which way was the wind blowing, was someone running 10 kilos more, to try and decide where we are. It's really difficult to draw anything more than the conclusion that it's very tight at the front.
Q. Does the fact that it's so close at the front mean it's more important than ever to start the year well?
CD: When the competition is tight, you can't afford to make any mistakes. The drivers can't afford any mistakes, we as a team can't make any mistakes, we can't afford to have any reliability issues. There's no margin, and it becomes very difficult to recover when everybody is so close.
Q. Has this been the most difficult winter to gauge everyone's performance?
CD: Yeah I think so, because of the situation with the fuel levels. We've seen a much bigger spread of fuel loads now than we've ever seen before in testing. That just makes the job of trying to decipher that all the more difficult.
Q. Does Ferrari have more updates for Bahrain?
CD: I would say there's always things in the pipeline, but we don't have a big upgrade planned.
Q. What about the McLaren improvement over the last few days of Barcelona?
CD: I've thought right from the beginning that all of the cars were very close together, and I think from each test we've seen a very similar conclusion. I don't really see signs of anybody that's put on a package here – I think everybody has added performance at a similar rate. I don't think we've seen, within the difficulties of trying to work out everyone's performance, anything that has changed the relative performance of the cars.
Although the Maranello-based outfit itself is keeping its optimism in check, you can sense that the team is excited by what the F10 has produced so far.
AUTOSPORT caught up with Ferrari's chief track engineer Chris Dyer to reflect on the winter progress, get his verdict on testing form and ask for his opinions on the opposition.
Chris DyerQ. Has the winter programme gone the way you would have hoped?
Chris Dyer: Yeah, I think overall we're pretty happy with the way things have gone. The biggest problem has been the weather – that's quite comforting in terms of how things have gone with the car that we've had nothing more serious to worry about than the rain.
Q. So do you feel fortunate that you've come out of the blocks well, as you haven't suffered like you would have in this situation with last year's car?
CD: We have been very good on the reliability front, which really makes a huge difference in the winter test programme. We're extremely limited now on testing days, and you can't afford to lose too many hours with the car stuck in the garage. We've been very happy with the way that's gone this winter.
Q. What were the benefits of stopping development of the '09 car rather than developing it and carrying that over to this year's car?
CD: It's a little bit of a trade-off. You can say that in developing the '09 car we would find things that we could put on the new car. But I think even though the regulations have been pretty stable over the winter, the big issue was not rule changes this winter, but the things that happened earlier in the year with the double diffuser.
Really, that forces you to go back to a very clean sheet of paper, and that's where part of the advantage in the decision we made - was that by starting the new car earlier, we could really optimise the car around the double diffuser concept which, with the old car, was never going to be possible because of the basic architecture of the car.
Q. How would you gauge your performance in race trim from the Barcelona test?
CD: I think so far this week we've seen that it's extremely close. We've got four teams at the front of the timesheets here, and the situation seems quite close whatever the fuel load. High fuel, medium fuel, low fuel, we're always there or thereabouts. Sometimes one day someone seems ahead on low fuel or high fuel, the next day the situation changes a little bit.
I think it's so close between the teams that we start talking about how much the track improved, which way was the wind blowing, was someone running 10 kilos more, to try and decide where we are. It's really difficult to draw anything more than the conclusion that it's very tight at the front.
Q. Does the fact that it's so close at the front mean it's more important than ever to start the year well?
CD: When the competition is tight, you can't afford to make any mistakes. The drivers can't afford any mistakes, we as a team can't make any mistakes, we can't afford to have any reliability issues. There's no margin, and it becomes very difficult to recover when everybody is so close.
Q. Has this been the most difficult winter to gauge everyone's performance?
CD: Yeah I think so, because of the situation with the fuel levels. We've seen a much bigger spread of fuel loads now than we've ever seen before in testing. That just makes the job of trying to decipher that all the more difficult.
Q. Does Ferrari have more updates for Bahrain?
CD: I would say there's always things in the pipeline, but we don't have a big upgrade planned.
Q. What about the McLaren improvement over the last few days of Barcelona?
CD: I've thought right from the beginning that all of the cars were very close together, and I think from each test we've seen a very similar conclusion. I don't really see signs of anybody that's put on a package here – I think everybody has added performance at a similar rate. I don't think we've seen, within the difficulties of trying to work out everyone's performance, anything that has changed the relative performance of the cars.
Monday, 1 March 2010
"Now we’re getting serious and we’re in the top group” Ferrari
Domenicali’s balance:
"That’s it with the exhibition games, now we’re getting serious." Not even a month ago Stefano Domenicali, the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro’s Team Principal, was using football language when he was talking about the first three days of testing in Valencia. After twelve more days of testing and a total of 7,353 kilometres done with the F10 he strikes a positive balance.
"We’re satisfied with the work done in these four test sessions, especially because we completed the programme we had set up,” Domenicali told Ferrari.com. "First of all it was important to get to a good level regarding reliability and I think that we can say that we’ve reached our goal. Although we have to stay really concentrated and improve wherever we can. We have to say that the team has done some really good work during the winter to get ready the best possible way for those 15 days of testing. With such a limited time for testing losing only a couple of hours due to a technical problem is a real pity."
Domenicali, who took part in today’s debriefing with the technicians who came back from Barcelona last night, was also positive as far as the single-seaters performance is concerned. “What we could see and considering all the unknown factors in the testing I think that we’ve shown that we can be competitive and are part of the top group in terms of pure performance and also on the long run. This is an important result considering how we ended the last season just a little more than four months ago in Abu Dhabi; we’ve worked a lot over the last months. Now we have to continue with the F10’s development, because this will be the key to this season.”
It’s difficult to say who will be the favourite after what we’ve seen during the last weeks, even for the ones working there. “I’m not used to make forecasts, but it’s clear that it will be a very balanced Championship, not like last year,” Stefano said. "Before the tests we thought that there might be four teams able to fight for the title. But what we’ve seen so far there might be even more. Furthermore there are still some questions to be solved, such as the tyres’ behaviour at high temperatures and the race strategy management. Just to name a few. With the performances so close together a slight mistake will be enough not to enter Q3, which means that we have to give it our all, all the time: team, drivers, car. We know that we’re fighting against very strong teams from a very different season, who have worked very hard during the winter and who want to win. We’re ready for the challenge ahead!”
"That’s it with the exhibition games, now we’re getting serious." Not even a month ago Stefano Domenicali, the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro’s Team Principal, was using football language when he was talking about the first three days of testing in Valencia. After twelve more days of testing and a total of 7,353 kilometres done with the F10 he strikes a positive balance.
"We’re satisfied with the work done in these four test sessions, especially because we completed the programme we had set up,” Domenicali told Ferrari.com. "First of all it was important to get to a good level regarding reliability and I think that we can say that we’ve reached our goal. Although we have to stay really concentrated and improve wherever we can. We have to say that the team has done some really good work during the winter to get ready the best possible way for those 15 days of testing. With such a limited time for testing losing only a couple of hours due to a technical problem is a real pity."
Domenicali, who took part in today’s debriefing with the technicians who came back from Barcelona last night, was also positive as far as the single-seaters performance is concerned. “What we could see and considering all the unknown factors in the testing I think that we’ve shown that we can be competitive and are part of the top group in terms of pure performance and also on the long run. This is an important result considering how we ended the last season just a little more than four months ago in Abu Dhabi; we’ve worked a lot over the last months. Now we have to continue with the F10’s development, because this will be the key to this season.”
It’s difficult to say who will be the favourite after what we’ve seen during the last weeks, even for the ones working there. “I’m not used to make forecasts, but it’s clear that it will be a very balanced Championship, not like last year,” Stefano said. "Before the tests we thought that there might be four teams able to fight for the title. But what we’ve seen so far there might be even more. Furthermore there are still some questions to be solved, such as the tyres’ behaviour at high temperatures and the race strategy management. Just to name a few. With the performances so close together a slight mistake will be enough not to enter Q3, which means that we have to give it our all, all the time: team, drivers, car. We know that we’re fighting against very strong teams from a very different season, who have worked very hard during the winter and who want to win. We’re ready for the challenge ahead!”
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