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)

Ferrari 1-2 Finish for Bahrain GP

Race: 2010 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix

GP: Bahrain Grand Prix

Race No. 1

Location: Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir

Held On: 14 March 2010 (Sunday)

Race Winner: Fernando Alonso

Winning Team: Ferrari

Source: Formula1.com

Image: Telegraph.co.uk (PA)

Nelson Piquet Jr.

Just a quick news recap of what’s been going on in NASCAR in the last few days.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series News

We’ve got another Formula One driver crossing over to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The new driver is none other than the ex-Renault Formula One driver, Nelson Piquet Jr. The highly-controversial driver shook the F1 world when he revealed the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix scandal. After Piquet was fired, he decided to tell the FIA about how he deliberately crashed his car in the Singaporean GP to let his teammate Fernando Alonso get ahead in the race. This revelation led to the penalizing of Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds, who were both removed from Renault shortly after the scandal went public.

Piquet revealed in his website that his: “first 18 months in F1 did not go as planned. I have decided to focus on something different and have chosen to take a route in America.”

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NASCAR.com reports that Robby Gordon has completed Stage 12 of the Dakar Rally in fifth place, and is in eighth place overall. Good job Gordon!

You can check out Gordon’s progress in Robbygordon.com, Twitter, and PlanetRobby.com.

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Casey Mears

Possible bad news for Casey Mears fans out there. Richard Childress Racing has recently announced that they will be headed for Daytona with just three cars. Though Mears has earned a slot in the Daytona race, thanks to his 21^st place finish in the series, the organization won’t be running the No. 07 car.

The only cars RCR will field are those driven by Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick, and Jeff Burton.

Reports indicate that RCR’s change of heart has to do with Jack Daniels, the No. 07 car’s main sponsor leaving the sport last year. The team is yet to find another sponsor for Mears’ car. Meanwhile, there’s no news of Mears’ plans for 2010 yet.

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Good news for sports nuts who tune into ESPN the whole day. The station has announced that it will be airing 14 Sprint Cup races this season—and that includes 9 out of the 10 Chase races.

ABC on the other hand, will only be airing three primetime Saturday night races. If you want to watch the NASCAR races this season, then I suggest taking note of this little tidbit.

You can find the complete TV schedule of the NASCAR races at NASCAR.com.

Brad Parrott

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News

NASCAR Nationwide Series News

Brad Parrott will be joining Baker Curb Racing for this season. Parrott is now the team’s new crew chief for its No. 27 Ford Fusion entry. The No. 27 car will be driven by Greg Biffle this year.

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Good news for Truck Series veteran Jason White. White is set to drive the No. 23 Dodge entry of SS Green Light Racing. Gunbroker.com will be White’s main sponsor, while ASI Limited will be adorning the Dodge car’s quarter panels.

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Stringer Motorsports has also found itself a new crew chief. Leading Brad Sweet this season is Champion crew chief Trip Bruce. Guess that’s awesome news for Sweet, since Bruce is a very experienced and highly-capable crew chief. Bruce has worked for some of the top teams in the industry, including Ultra Motorsports, Evernham Motorsports, and Bill Davis Racing.

Source: NASCAR.com

Images: SpeedReadBlog.Blogspot.com, CatchFence.com, FastenalRacing.com, SceneDaily.com

Kimi Raikkonen

You don’t usually see an F1 champ like Kimi without a confirmed ride at the end of an F1 season, but that’s exactly what Kimi is facing right now.

When Ferrari let him out of his 2010 contract to give Renault’s Fernando Alonso a slot for next year, Räikkönen was immediately ride-less for next season. But that piece of news isn’t getting the Finn down. He refuses to settle for anything less than what’s best for his racing career, and he’s very determined to find the right team for 2010.

Last Friday, the Flying Finn said that right now he’s weighing his options but that he’s willing to wait until he finds a team that will give him a chance to win more victories, and possibly more world titles. According to Kimi:

“It’s hard to believe that I have been in Formula One for nine years already…I am very motivated to win races and a championship again and will only remain in Formula One if I can race for a team that can give me a car to fight at the front. Let’s wait and see what happens.”

Räikkönen also made it clear that he’s also considering taking a time-off from the sport in case he can’t find a suitable team to join.

“I can do whatever I want…But like I said before, I haven’t made my decision about what I want to do yet. Basically I have a few different options and we will see what is the best one overall and then I’ll make my decision.”

Well, I’m definitely hoping Kimi finds the right team soon—because he’s definitely one of the most talented F1 drivers right now, IMO.

Source: Formula1.com

Image: Forbes.com

Vettel: Number 1 at Abu Dhabi GP!

Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) may have been fastest at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifyings, but a braking problem stopped him from finishing the race. This was good news for Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, who was tailing the McLaren from the get-go. After spectacular driving from the Red Bull driver, Vettel went on to win the Yas Marinas race, cementing his second-place position in drivers’ standings this year.

It was a good start for Hamilton who established a 1.4-second gap between him and Vettel by the 17^th lap. Last year’s F1 Champ headed for a quick pitstop while Vettel continued driving until Lap 20. With Hamilton temporarily out of the circuit, Vettel established a considerable lead but faced quite a challenge when Lewis exited the pits. Unfortunately for Lewis, his excellent driving just wasn’t enough once trouble with his brakes started. Soon after that, Hamilton was out of the race.

Formula1.com reports that Hamilton’s car was suffering from excessive wear on the rear brake pads at the right side of the car. This forced McLaren to pull out its number one driver at the final race of the 2009 Formula One Season.

With Hamilton out of the picture, Vettel’s teammate Mark Webber was free to move on to second place. Following the two Red Bulls were the two Brawn drivers, F1 World Champion Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello.

At the start of the race, Barrichello was successful in overtaking his teammate. He was running fine until he clipped the left rear wheel of Webber’s car. Damage on Barrichello’s ride resulted in understeer that allowed Button to overtake him.

Fantastic Red Bull 1-2 Finish

But Webber wasn’t ready to give up second place. In a brilliant maneuver, the Red Bull driver hogged the inside line, forcing Button to take the outer lane. It was really exciting racing between those two, with Webber finishing just 0.6 seconds ahead of Button.

At the back of the grid, the race was pretty humdrum. Nick Heidfeld finished BMW Sauber’s final F1 race with a great fifth place finish. He was followed by Toyota’s über-talented new find, Kamui Kobayashi who ended the race a place ahead of his teammate Jarno Trulli. Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi overcame a hard challenge and a brush with Robert Kubica, letting Buemi finish at eighth.

Kubica spun after contact with Buemi, landing him at tenth behind Williams’ Nico Rosberg.

Hamilton’s teammate Heikki Kovalainen went from 18^th to 11^th, a place ahead of Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen who took 12^th. Kazuki Nakajima (Williams) then went on to take 13^th place with single-stop Fernando Alonso (Renault) following him. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Force India) finished the list of unlapped drivers in the Abu Dhabi GP. At 16^th, 17^th, and 18^th place respectively were Giancarlo Fisichella (Ferrari), Adrian Sutil (Force India), and Romain Grosjean (Renault).

Aside from Hamilton, Toro Rosso’s Jaime Alguersuari also failed to finish the race. His car stopped on the track after he mistakenly pulled up at Vettel’s Red Bull pit instead of his own.

Source: Formula1.com

Images: Guardian.Co.UK, SMH.com.Au

The Iceman: Kimi Raikkonen

But there’s no bad blood between Ferrari and Räikkönen. In fact, Kimi’s hoping for the best results to help propel his team (for now) over McLaren in terms of championship points’ standings. While McLaren and Ferrari have already lost the constructors’ title to new-team Brawn, they have the third place position to fight for.

According to the official website of Ferrari, the fast Finn has this to say about his hopes for the Abu Dhabi GP:

“The race in Abu Dhabi will be my last Grand Prix with Ferrari and as usual I will give it everything to gain the best possible result…We’ll try to conclude this difficult year with a good result, hoping that it will be enough to gain the third place in the constructors’ championship McLaren took over in Brazil.”

McLaren may still be conducting improvements to the MP4-24, but Ferrari has long since halted the development done to the F60. But Räikkönen remains optimistic.

“It will be difficult,” the Finn explained. “Our direct competitors are still improving their car, while we have been using the same car since the race in Hungary at the end of July. There are many expectations as far as the Yas Marina Circuit is concerned, but it’s difficult making any predictions, because we’re racing there for the first time. Let’s hope we can conclude the season with something nice to be remembered!”

Kimi is yet to announce his plans for the 2010 Formula One Season. I’m hoping he’ll be back. If not with McLaren, then some other competitive team.

Source: Formula1.com

Image: Zimbio.com

Kubica Jumps to Renault for 2010 F1 Season!

The Polish driver is very excited about his move. According to Kubica:

“I am very happy I will be joining Renault in the 2010 season…I feel I have a special connection with this team because in 2005 I won the World Series by Renault. This gave me the chance to test with the team in Barcelona, which led to my debut in Formula One.

“I share with Renault a strong winning mentality and feel comfortable with their friendly and open attitude. I’m highly motivated and optimistic that together we can be at the front of the grid next year and hopefully fighting for the world title,” Kubica added.

The new team principal for Renault, Bob Bell, also shares the team’s enthusiasm over Kubica’s move, saying:

“We are very excited to have signed Robert with the Renault F1 Team starting next season. Ever since Robert made his Grand Prix debut in 2006, he has been on our radar as one of the most naturally talented drivers of his generation and he has delivered on that promise so it’s great to have secured him in one of our cars next season. Renault has high ambitions and hopes for the future of the team and we feel that Robert can play a big role in fulfilling them.”

BMW Sauber Boss: Mario Theissen

“I’m very thankful to those responsible in the BMW Sauber F1 Team for giving me the chance to get a Formula One cockpit…I think I justified the belief in me by delivering good results.

“In 2008 I managed to get the first pole position in Bahrain and the first win in Canada. Both will remain unforgettable moments for me. For 2010 I will have a new challenge. I wish everybody I worked with at the BMW Sauber F1 Team all the best for the future. I’m sure the future of our paths will cross in Formula One.”

Current motorsport director for BMW, Mario Theissen, is also thankful for all that Kubica has done for the team.

“Robert played an important role for us—and we certainly did the same for him,” Theissen said. “He joined us in 2006 as a test driver with no Formula One experience, and then we promoted him to be one of our team’s drivers during that season.

“He never let us down and, with our first pole position in 2008 at Bahrain and first victory the same year in Canada, he set milestones in the history of our team. We are grateful for his strong and constant performances and wish him all the best for his future.”

Source: Formula1.com

Images: Newzar.Wordpress.com, 16Valvulas.Wordpress.com

Raikkonen Says Goodbye to Ferrari

When Kimi Räikkönen signed his original contract with Ferrari, the agreement was that he would be racing under the Prancing Horse until the end of the 2010 Formula One Season. But in the last few months, it seems like his team has made its choice to let the Finn go next season.

Ferrari has recently announced that they just signed Fernando Alonso (Renault) to race for them from 2010 until 2012. So where does that leave former F1 World Champion, Kimi Räikkönen? Well, the Finn is keeping mum about his options—but he has said that he’s “sad” to be leaving Ferrari so soon.

Formula1.com reports that the “Iceman” had this to say about leaving the team:

Domenicali and Raikkonen

“Together we have won 50 percent of the world titles during that period and I managed to take the driver’s title in 2007, thus achieving the target I had set myself at the start of my career. I have always felt at home with everyone here and I will have many happy memories of my time with the team,” added Räikkönen.

Kimi has been racing for Ferrari since he left McLaren back in 2007. That same year, Räikkönen won the drivers’ championship. In the span of three years, the Finn has also had a total of 225 points, with five pole starts, and nine race victories.

The team principal for Ferrari, Stefano Domenicali, gave thanks to the Finn’s efforts, saying:

“Of course we wish to thank Kimi for everything he has done during his time with Ferrari: in his first year with us, he managed to win the drivers’ title, thus making his contribution to Ferrari’s history and he played a vital role in our taking of the constructor’s title in 2007 and 2008.

“Even during a difficult season like this one, he has demonstrated his great talent, with several good results including a great win at Spa and we are sure that we can share more good times together in the final three races of this season.”

Source: Formula1.com

Image: Forbes.com, NDTV.F1Pulse.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

Happier Times at Renault: Piquet Jr., Briatore, and Alonso

Things are definitely not looking good for the Renault camp after the Formula One racing team was proven guilty of the Singapore GP Conspiracy. During the 2008 Singaporean Grand Prix, the team conspired to have Nelson Piquet Jr. crash deliberately to help boost Fernando Alonso’s standing in the race. After Piquet’s crash, Alonso was propelled to the front part of the grid with the help of the safety car. Alonso won the event.

Flavio Briatore

Both Renault and the Council investigated the alleged conspiracy. It was found out that Pat Symonds (ex-director of engineering) and Flavio Briatore (ex-Renault team boss) conspired with Piquet Jr. According to both camps, Alonso wasn’t aware of the conspiracy. The only other person who knew about the “planned crash” is currently an unidentified witness.

Symonds and Briatore were both served with their own penalties. Both of them are no longer a part of the Renault team. Former Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr. on the other hand, wasn’t served with any penalties after he cooperated fully with the FIA’s investigations. Piquet Jr. was dropped from the team last July.

Pat Symonds

“We are very sad to find ourselves in front of the World Motor Sport Council today…By way of background, as a result of our own enquiries, we informed the FIA last week that we would not defend the charges and we accept our responsibilities in relation to the incident in Singapore and we immediately took appropriate action inside the team.

“Today, we fully accept the decision of the Council. We apologize unreservedly to the F1 community in relation to this unacceptable behavior. We sincerely hope that we can soon put this matter behind us and focus constructively in the future. We will issue further information in the next few days,” Rey added.

Source: Formula1.com

Images: WorldCarFans.com, Corrieredellosport.it, Guardian.co.UK