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)

We’ve got some new names joining the Formula One drivers’ lineup this season. To help you out with who’s in what team these days, here’s a list of the 24 drivers you’ll be seeing this year.

As you can see from our list, we’ve also got three new teams joining F1. Originally, there were four teams: Hispania Racing, Virgin Racing, the US F1 Team, and Lotus Racing (who managed to enter after BMW Sauber pulled out). But the US F1 Team dropped out after it stopped working on its car.

Sauber, then decided to reenter, still bearing the “BMW” name. Because there was room for one more team, the FIA allowed Sauber to reenter.

2009 Drivers Missing from the List:

Okay, so they’re not exactly missing. But some of the 2009 drivers did fail to secure regular seats for this season. First up, we have Giancarlo Fisichella. Fisico joined Ferrari as the replacement driver for the injured Massa. Now that Massa’s back in action, Fisico takes the backseat as the team’s third driver.

Nick Heidfeld, who’s one of my personal favorites, wasn’t able to find a team on time. But he did land himself the “reserve driver” role for Mercedes GP.

Kazuki Nakajima, who had a lackluster run last year is rumored to be joining the Stefan Grand Prix. Unfortunately, the Serbian outfit didn’t make the cut this year.

Romain Grosjean, who was running with Renault last year, wasn’t able to get a contract. Siad contract was awarded to Vitaly Petrov instead.

Lastly, we have another personal favorite, Kimi Räikkönen. After not finding his idea of the right team for this coming season, Räikkönen opted to join the Citroen Junior Team for the 2010 World Rally Championship.

Source: Formula1.com, Wikipedia

Image: TopNews.In

Kimi Raikkonen

It’s official: Kimi Räikkönen is definitely out for the 2010 Formula One Season. The former-Ferrari driver was ride-less up until last month. And reports say that it’s because the Iceman was waiting for the right F1 team to join. Well, Räikkönen certainly found the right team, but not from F1.

According to Formula1.com, Kimi found himself a seat with Citroen’s Red Bull sponsored junior team for the 2010 World Rally Championship. Kimi is said to be a big fan of Rally, and has actually made his WRC debut earlier this year in Rally Finland. But don’t despair Kimi fans, because the 2007 F1 World Champion isn’t completely leaving Formula 1. If the right team with the right offer comes along, I’m sure we’ll be seeing Kimi behind an F1 car again.

Räikkönen is quite excited about the 2010 Rally Championship. He’ll be driving alongside Kaj Lindstrom who was once a driving partner to multiple WRC Champ Tommi Makinen. According to Kimi:

“I always wanted to compete in rally, especially in the World Rally Championship at some point in my career… Thanks to Red Bull, I have the opportunity to drive the best car of the series with the Citroen C4.

“This is a new but very exciting challenge. For the moment we have a one-year contract and we will see how it goes for the future. I am really looking forward to testing the car and taking the start of the first rally.”

I haven’t really had the chance to watch a lot of Rally races, but here’s one more reason why I should. Support Kimi by watching him race in 12 out of 13 WRC rounds!

Source: Formula1.com

Image: Formula1info.com

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

Kimi Raikkonen: No Deal for Next Year

Here’s some sad news for Kimi Räikkönen fans (myself, included). According to Formula1.com, the Finnish star racer will be taking a break from Formula One after failing to come up with the right deal with McLaren. After being let out of his contract with Ferrari so the team can sign Fernando Alonso, Räikkönen has been vocal about the possibility of him missing the 2010 Formula One Season if he can’t find the right team to race for.

The 2007 F1 World Champion has always made it clear that he will only race with a top team—after all, his motivation is to win another championship or two. And since he couldn’t find a good enough offer from any great team, the Finn decided to wait it out until 2011.

According to Kimi’s manager, Steve Robertson:

“The Formula One alternatives for next season were McLaren or nothing… Kimi and McLaren could not reach an agreement, so he will not drive at F1 level – at least not next year.”

With an interest in World Rally Championship, don’t be surprised to find Kimi competing in the sport again. Although Robertson is quick to add that this may not be the end of Kimi’s career in F1.

“Kimi still leaves and breathes driving ambition…In that sense, a year off means nothing. More important is to find a place for Kimi where he can fight for victory and the world championship,” Robertson added.

Source: Formula1.com

Image: Zimbio.com, Paul Gilham (Getty Images Europe)

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

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

Jarno Trulli

But from the start of the Brazilian Grand Prix, F1 fans became privy to the difficulties and dangers of the sport. The stewards of Interlagos got busy early-on when a series of events prompted them to investigate incidents and hand out penalties.

Jarno Trulli (Toyota), Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren), and the McLaren team were all handed penalties for their respective infringements.

Let’s start with Trulli. At the first lap of the race, it was immediately trouble for Trulli. The Italian driver was trying to make a move on Force India’s Adrian Sutil when the two collided. The two drivers had knocked each other out of the race.

Now, it’s understandable that the two drivers were upset. But Trulli truly did take things to the next level when he didn’t leave the track right away. FIA rules state that drivers must immediately leave the track after their cars are unable to continue. Trulli lingered. What was worse was that the Toyota driver also confronted Sutil in an aggressive manner. That’s two offences for Jarno.

According to the Formula One’s sanctioning body, Trulli had breached “Article 151 (c) of the 2009 FIA International Sporting Code. This rule goes against “any act prejudicial to the interests of any competition or to the interests of motor sport generally.” Trulli was fined US $10,000 and was also reprimanded.

Heikki Kovalainen

Immediately after the collision, the Safety Car was released. As the Safety Car made its rounds, some drivers ducked into the pit lane for quick fuel refills. Heikki Kovalainen brought his McLaren in for a splash of petrol. But in his haste to exit the pit lane, Kovalainen ended up running with his fuel hose still connected to his car. Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) who was driving behind Kovalainen was hit with fuel right on his visor. According to some reports, poor Kimi also got petrol in his eyes! As is often the result of intense heat combined with fuel, the petrol on Kimi’s helmet ignited. Thankfully, the Finn was fine and was even able to finish at sixth.

Because of Kovalainen’s hasty exit from the pit lane, 25 seconds was added to Heikki’s total time. McLaren was also penalized for Kovalainen’s unsafe release from the pit stop, and the team was fined US $50,000.

Source: Formula1.com

Images: i.Telegraph.co.uk, TeamAmericaF1.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