Fernando Alonso Wins Big in Bahrain

It was a 1-2 finish for Ferrari last week, with Spanish Ace Fernando Alonso leading the rest of the drivers to the finish line. Though Alonso started third in the grid, he certainly put the pressure on pole sitter Sebastian Vettel. The Red Bull driver kept both Ferrari drivers (Alonso and Felipe Massa) at bay during the early stages when they were on super-soft Bridgestone tires. But after switching to harder compounds at around Lap 16 or 17, Alonso started to close in on Vettel.

Vettel’s time began slipping noticeably. Then it all became clear come Lap 34. The Red Bull suffered from technical problems, which were later identified as spark plug failure. Massa and Alonso then passed Vettel without problems. Later on, Alonso would overtake his own teammate after running incredibly quick laps. Once Alonso had grabbed the lead from Massa, there was no one else who could challenge him.

Massa stayed behind Alonso, conserving his fuel. It was a good move for Massa, since a temperature issue in his cockpit required him to stop pushing too hard. Vettel, who was still running third, was then challenged by McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton. The 2008 world champ pushed past the German driver at the circuit’s main straight in Lap 38.

Poor Vettel encountered more problems as Mercedes GP driver Nico Rosberg started putting the pressure on him. But the Red Bull driver held on to fourth place while Rosberg took fifth. Rosberg’s teammate, seven-time world champ Michael Schumacher advanced from seventh place to finish sixth. But it wasn’t an easy drive for Schumi, especially with 2009 champion Jenson Button hot on his heels.

Button, who started eighth, went on to finish seventh for the race. While Vettel’s teammate Mark Webber followed to finish at eighth place. Force India also got is first couple of points for this year, with Vitantonio Liuzzi’s ninth place finish. Then, taking the final point for the race was Button’s ex-Honda and Brawn teammate, Rubens Barrichello, for Williams.

There was a bit of drama going on at the start of the race when Webber’s car sputtered clouds of oil as he sped through Turn One. Renault and Force India drivers Robert Kubica and Adrian Sutil ran straight into the oil and their rides spun. The good news is that both drivers were able to finish 11^th and 12^th.

Ending the race at 13^th place was Toro Rosso’s Jaime Alguersuari. Alguersuari was followed by rookie Niko Hulkenberg (Williams) who also survived a wild spin during the almost 2-hour long drive.

Also making a great impression on their debut race was the Lotus team. Heikki Kovalainen showed everyone just how reliable a driver he was, finishing at 15^th. While teammate, Jarno Trulli’s ailing Lotus rolled on to 17^th place. Finishing between the Lotus drivers was Sebastien Buemi in his Toro Rosso.

As usual, we have our retirements. The BMW-Saubers, HRTs, Virgins, and Vitaly Petrov’s Renault all failed to finish the race. While it would’ve been exciting to watch the late, great Ayrton Senna’s nephew, HRT driver Bruno Senna in the same circuit as Ayrton’s rival, Schumacher—it didn’t happen. Senna’s ride ate its engine. Senna’s teammate, Karun Chandhok crashed his HRT on Lap 2.

The Virgins driven by Lucas di Grassi and Timo Glock also suffered from mechanical problems. While what would’ve been a great run for Vitaly Petrov was cut short after the Renault was discovered to have suspension problems.

All in all, it was an exciting race. And I for one, am looking forward to the Australian Grand Prix next week.

Source: Formula1.com

Images: Telegraph.co.uk (Photo Credit: AP)

Rafaela and Felipe Massa

Just a little over a week ago, we witnessed a spectacular comeback from injured Formula One star, Felipe Massa at the International Challenge of the Stars. Since then, Massa has celebrated another victory after winning the race held near Sao Paolo, the 500 Miles of Granja Viana Kart Race.

This is Massa’s first outright motorsport victory since the injury he sustained at the Hungarian Grand Prix last July. For someone who suffered from a fractured skull, Massa’s doing incredibly well in preparing for his F1 comeback next season. The Brazilian ace dedicated his fantastic win to his new son, Felipinho who was born last week.

With his teammates Julio Campos (Stock Car Lights driver) and Lucas di Grassi (the Renault F1 test driver), Massa crossed the finish line of the 644-lap race after just 11 hours of driving.

Massa’s pretty thrilled with his victory and even more excited about his new son. According to the Brazilian driver:

“Together with the victory gained in Florianopolis last week this was a very important goal for me after I had dreamt of getting back onto the track for a very long time… I want to dedicate this victory to my son, it’s my way to say how much I love him.”

Source: Formula1.com

Image: DayLife.com

Fernando Alonso Makes Ferrari Move

Alonso (Renault) will be teaming up with recuperating Ferrari driver, Felipe Massa, should the Brazilian Ace be fit enough to race by next year. Former Force India driver, Giancarlo Fisichella, will be staying onboard with the Prancing Horse as the team’s reserve driver.

Formula1.com reports that Alonso has just signed a 3-year contract with the team, starting 2010.

According to Alonso:

“I’m very happy and very proud to become a Ferrari driver…Driving a single-seater from the Prancing Horse is everybody’s dream in this sport and today I have the opportunity to make this dream come true. Above all I want to thank Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo, who really wanted this three-year contract.

“We already had an agreement this summer starting 2011, but then, the last days, the picture changed and we decided to anticipate my arrival in Maranello by one year. The years at Renault were fantastic: together we won four world titles (two drivers’ and as many constructors’ championships), and until this day 21 Grands Prix.

“I wish the team all the best and let’s hope we gain some good results in the last races this year. After this season I will put all my effort in the next season: I’m sure that together with Felipe, we’ll offer Ferrari and the fans from all over the world some great satisfaction. I can’t wait to start working with my new team,” Alonso added.

The team principal for Ferrari, Stefano Domenicali, was also happy with the decision to get Alonso into Ferrari, saying: “We are very proud to welcome to our team another winning driver, who has demonstrated his amazing talent by winning two world championships in his career to date.”

Alonso will be the second Spanish driver who’ll be a part of the Ferrari driving team. The first one being Alfonso de Potago who raced for Ferrari back in 1956-1957.

Source: Formula1.com

Image: Bumeral.Net

Giancarlo Fisichella

Just days after Force India denied the news of Giancarlo Fisichella’s move to Ferrari, Ferrari announced that the Italian driver will indeed be racing for them in the remaining five races of this season. Fisico will then be the reserve driver for the team in 2010.

According to Formula1.com, Force India has allowed its driver to cancel his contract with the team. This is a brave move, considering how Fisico scored Force India’s first points in the last race. Fisico will be replacing Luca Badoer who replaced Michael Schumacher who was set to replace the injured Brazilian driver, Felipe Massa. Ferrari’s been switching drivers since Massa’s accident a month or two back.

According to Stefano Domenicali, the team principal for Ferrari, Fisichella was the right choice for them. He said:

“We’ve chosen Fisichella because we can expect him to make a valuable contribution in this final part of the season…Giancarlo has shown throughout his long career that he’s fast and competitive and we are therefore proud to be able to run an Italian driver in our home race.”

Mallya with Fisichella

“I am very grateful to (Force India boss) Vijay Mallya for allowing me this opportunity to drive for the Scuderia Ferrari team.”

“It is true that it has always been an ambition to do this, and for Vijay to have allowed it to become a reality is very generous. I hope in my turn, I have helped Force India grow up and be on the right path to achieve their own ambitions. They are now a very competitive team and I wish them all the very best,” Fisichella added.

Fisichella also claims that the opportunity to race for Ferrari is, for him, “seventh heaven.” The highly-competitive Italian driver told the Ferrari website:

“I’m in seventh heaven…I still can’t believe it that the dream of my life comes true and I want to thank Ferrari and Chairman Luca di Montezemolo. Over the last week, some really incredible things happened to me: the pole position and the second place at Spa and now I’m called by Ferrari to race the last five races of the season for them.”

Stefano Domenicali

“I’ll give my best to recompense the Scuderia for this great opportunity they gave me: I know that it won’t be easy, but I’ll give it everything to gain the best possible results… I want to say that I’m very sorry for Luca: I know how much he cared to race in Monza behind the wheel of a Ferrari, because this is the best thing that can happen to an Italian drive, to drive a red car in front of our fans.”

Domenicali also expressed his thanks to Badoer for the effort in the last two races. According to Domenicali:

“We wish to thank Luca Badoer for the team spirit he has demonstrated in these circumstances…It is a shame that he was unable to show his true worth in these last two races, tackled under conditions which anyone would have found difficult.”

Source: Formula1.com

Images: Formula1.neoseeker.com, F1Wolf.com, F1Mundial.Es

Felipe Massa, Recovering Well

Here’s a piece of good news for all you Felipe Masa and Ferrari fans out there.

According to Ferrari, Felipe Massa’s recovery is going “very well”. The team’s principal Stefano Domenicali paid the Brazilian driver a visit at Sao Paolo, and according to Ferrari’s official website, Domenicali said that:

“Felipe is in excellent form and his recovery is going very well! I’m very happy about Felipe’s state.”

“The medical checks which have been carried out over the last two weeks continue to be very encouraging…Now it’s important to be patient and take one step at a time, without any hurry,” Domenicali added.

This is great news for all Formula One fans, since we all appreciate the flair and the tough competition Masa brings to the sport.

Source: Formula1.com

Image: F1Badger.com

Badoer and Schumacher

Michael Schumacher, who was supposed to replace injured Felipe Massa (Ferrari) for the race at Valencia is out. A bike injury in February has forced the seven-time world champ to delay or even cancel his Formula One comeback. While thousands of fans are undoubtedly disappointed over this piece of news, one man is feeling mixed emotions over the whole affair—Luca Badoer.

Yes, Ferrari has announced that taking the place of Schumacher who was taking the place of Massa is none other than test driver Badoer.

According to Formula1.com, excerpts of the statement of Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo read:

“I am very unhappy that a problem means that Michael cannot return to racing…In the past few days, I have appreciated his great efforts and the extraordinary motivation which had spread through the team and fans around the world. No doubt his return would have been good for Formula One and I am sure it would have seen him fighting for wins again.”

“In the name of Ferrari and all the fans, I wish to thank him for the strong attachment he displayed for the team in these circumstances. In agreement with (Team Principal) Stefano Domenicali, we have therefore decided to give Luca Badoer the chance to race for Scuderia after he has put in many years of hard work as a test driver.”

The Beautiful Ferrari F60

In Ferrari’s official website, Badoer told fans and the team that:

“Since I’ve been a child I’ve always wanted to race for Ferrari and now I’ve got the possibility to make this desire come true…I’m really sorry for Michael, because I know how much he wanted to return: I’m saying that as his friend and his fan.”

“We’ve been in contact during the last days and we drove karts together at Lonato last week. So I followed him very closely in this attempt. He called me a few minutes after team principal Stefano Domenicali had told me the news and I know that he’ll always be ready to give me some advice and he will shout for me.”

While Badoer may be the team’s test driver, he still hasn’t practiced with the F60. But the good news is that he has familiarized himself with the racecar’s controls, and he believes that he is fit enough to undertake this great challenge.

“Although this year’s rules foresee a drastically reduced mileage for us test drivers, I have prepared myself to be ready under any circumstances, just as I’ve been doing the last year too…I’ve been in this business for quite a while. After Felipe’s accident I intensified my programme and I’m sure that I won’t have any problems from this point of view.”

Badoer also wishes a speedy recovery for Brazilian driver, Felipe Massa, saying:

“My first thought goes to Felipe…I was shocked about his accident and I’m so glad that the situation is getting better so quickly. I wish him all the best and to get back on track as soon as possible. I also want to thank Luca di Montezemolo and Stefano Domenicali for the faith they put in me and for the honor that they are handing the car over to me.”

“I will give it my best for them and for all the Ferrari fans, who—and I’m sure about that—will give me their support.”

So far, Badoer seems like a great guy. Good luck to him and his first race this season!

Source: Formula1.com

Images: Formula1.com, Outlander.Kiev.UA

Schumacher, Unable to Participate in European Grand Prix

Yes, you read right. And I’m just as disappointed as every other F1 fan out there. Michael Schumacher will not be making his Formula One comeback—at least not just yet. I saw it in the news last night, and confirmed everything after reading an article at Formula1.com.

Schumi revealed that he won’t be returning to F1 as Felipe Massa’s replacement for the European Grand Prix. The 7-time Formula One World Champion revealed that he’s experiencing pain in his neck—an injury that was brought on by a motorcycle accident from early this year.

As found in Schumi’s official website, the 40-year-old racer announced that:

“Yesterday evening, I had to inform Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo and team principal Stefano Domenicali that unfortunately I’m not able to step in for Felipe… I really tried everything to make that temporary comeback possible, however, much to my regret it didn’t work out.”

After training hard in the last few days, Schumacher was initially pleased with his performance. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, the old injury flared up. And treatment has failed to ease the driver’s discomfort.

“Unfortunately we did not manage to get a grip on the pain in the neck which occurred after the private Formula One day in Mugello, even if medically and therapeutically we tried everything possible…The consequences of the injuries caused by the bike accident in February, fractures in the area of head and neck, unfortunately have turned out to be still too severe…

That is why my neck can’t stand the extreme stresses caused by Formula One yet. These are the clear results of the examinations we did on the course of the past two weeks and the final examination yesterday afternoon. As there were no improvements after the day in Mugello, I decided at a short notice on Sunday to do that thorough examination already yesterday,” Schumacher added.

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

Note: To be honest, I actually forgot about Schumi’s motorcycle injury. I remember writing about it before, but I always though Schumi would pass the physical test. But while the disappointment may be great, we have to remember that racing in F1 is physically taxing. And that Schumi did everything he could to get back in shape. I mean, he lost three kilos, right? But it’s better that that the F1 champ remain safe and healthy, than to force anything and risk getting injured for life.

Source: Formula1.com

Image: ThisIsLondon.co.uk

Felipe Massa

After fracturing his skull due to a crash in Hungaroring, Ferrari driver Felipe Massa has been given permission from doctors in Sao Paolo to continue his recuperation at home.

According to Formula1.com, no further surgeries are needed.

Massa flew back to Sao Paolo last week, Monday, after staying in the AEK Hospital in Budapest for nine days. When he reached his home country, Massa went straight to the Albert Einstein Hospital for a few tests, all of which featured good results. Because of this, the driver was discharged and allowed to continue his rest and recovery at home.

His personal doctor, Dr. Dino Altmann is positive about Massa’s quick recovery. According to the doctor:

“Felipe has made a remarkable recovery… We did a series of in-depth tests and the outcome is very encouraging so that we, together with the hospital’s medical staff, decided that it wouldn’t be currently necessary to further intervene from a surgical point of view. The best thing for him now is to go back home, where he can calmly convalesce and rehabilitate.”

Source: Formula1.com

Image: Examiner.com

Michael Schumacher

As far as pre-race preparations are concerned, Michael Schumacher is doing everything he can to make sure his one-race stint/comeback with Ferrari is going to yield the best results possible. Schumi, who indisputably is one of the best Formula One drivers to have graced the sport, is acting as a replacement driver for Felipe Massa. Massa is currently recovering from injuries sustained in his crash in Hungaroring.

Schumi retired from the sport three years ago (2006). But a request from Ferrari brought the German Ace back to the sport. And we all know that Schumi isn’t one to turn down a great challenge, right?

While the fitness test that will determine if Schumi is fit enough to race in the European Grand Prix is still ongoing, things are looking great for Michael.

Ferrari F2007

As Schumi puts it (in his official website):

“I’m currently on the midst of my preparations for the upcoming race…I already lost three kilograms even if it is also important to me to build up muscles. So all in all, the practice works pretty well.”

Although Michael also admits to needing more work on his neck. Racing in F1 actually puts a lot of strain on the neck. As you drive in high speeds, the G-force becomes so great that keeping your head up becomes near impossible unless you’re in great shape. According to Michael:

“I have to admit that my neck pinches a bit. We have to get a grip on that as health has priority—that’s the clear agreement made with Ferrari and, by the way, with my wife too.”

Ferrari F60 (2009)

“It’s on! I accepted the challenge. And as you all know, I really love challenges,” the German champ said.

To familiarize himself with the controls of the F60, Schumacher has been using the car’s simulator.

Source: Formula1.com

Images:

Bild.de, Formula1.com, MyComputerNinja.com

Frank Williams

Williams, one of the oldest teams in Formula One, has just announced its answer to Ferrari’s request to let Michael Schumacher test in the F60 in preparation for his F1 comeback. The answer? A resounding “No”.

Because testing is banned throughout the season based on the regulations being followed by F1 this year, Ferrari has to ask governing sport body FIA and its fellow F1 teams for special permission to let Schumi have a run in the F60 prior to the European Grand Prix. Schumi is being groomed (again) to replace Felipe Massa who was injured in the qualifying session of the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Young Driver Jaime Alguersuari

According to Williams:

“In a similar situation, Williams would unhesitatingly use its current test driver…For the sake of consistency and fairness, therefore, we oppose Ferrari’s proposal to test ahead of the European Grand Prix,” Williams said.

Formula1.com reports that the Red Bull team has also voiced their objections. And because Ferrari wasn’t able to secure all the “yeses” needed for the practice run with the F60, Schumacher will have to practice in an older car and with the Ferrari factory-based simulator of the F60.

Source: Formula1.com