Fisichella To Race For Ferrari Until End Of Season – Full Report

Giancarlo Fisichella will drive for the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team until the end of the 2009 season, in place of Felipe Massa’s replacement driver Luca Badoer.

Fisichella leaves the Force India team with immediate effect, despite scoring their best finish ever last race out in Belgium with a 2nd place finish.

His former boss Dr. Vijay Mallya commented; “Giancarlo and his management team approached me yesterday with the proposal from Ferrari.

“For any Italian driver, a Ferrari race seat is a long-held dream and for Giancarlo it was no exception. No one should stand in the way of this. Furthermore the agreement will secure Giancarlo’s long-term future with Ferrari and it would be incorrect to jeopardise this, particularly when Giancarlo has made such a vital contribution to Force India.”

It will be even more exciting that just joining Ferrari for Italian Fisichella, because his debut race with the top team will come at the Italian Grand Prix next week.  He will be looking to impress in the Ferrari F60, which took it’s maiden win in the last race at the hands of Kimi Raikkonen.

“We have chosen Fisichella because we can expect him to make a valuable contribution in this final part of the season.” Stefano Domenicali, boss of Ferrari Formula One Team said today

“Giancarlo has shown, throughout his long career, that he is fast and competitive and we are therefore proud to be able to run an Italian driver in our home race.”

Giancarlo Fisichella, known as Fisi to his fans, is still unbelieveably excited at the prospect of racing for Ferrari.  It comes 14 years after he test drove a Ferrari in Maranello.

“I’m in seventh heaven,” Fisichella told the official Ferrari website. “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 then second place at Spa and now I’m called by Ferrari to race the last five races of the season for them.

“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.”

Bortolotti Focusing On F2 Not Ferrari Possiblity

MirkoBortolotti has said he is focusing on his Formula 2 career at the moment rather than the possibility of driving for F1 giants Ferrari.

The Italian yougnster has already achieved success in the newly formed F2 series, and following a very successful test in a Ferrari F2008 last year he is being linked with the Felipe Massa/Luca Badoer seat.

Bortolotti is just 19 years old, and the interest has been sparked after the lack of success test driver Luca Badoer achieved.

Depite the focus, Mirko says he is just focusing on F2.

“All I can say is that I’m racing in F2 and I’m not thinking about anything other than the championship,” he said on Wednesday.

“I want to be higher than sixth, so I have to work hard and apply myself 100%. There is still enough time to improve, so if I can get the best possible results hopefully I can move up the order again.

“There has been quite a lot of speculation in Italy surrounding the Ferrari seat. To be honest I think Luca (Badoer) just needs a bit more time to get a feeling for the car.

“Everything has changed since he last raced, but I’m sure he will be quicker at Spa as the pace is there in the car.

“As for me, I’m just focusing on Formula Two. It’s nice to be linked with the team, but my mentality is just to do a good job for the remaining three rounds – after that, I’ll start thinking about my future.”

Bortolotti in the Ferrari

Comparison: Scuderia Ferrari Versus Williams Grand Prix

When Williams decided to not allow Michael Schumacher to test the F60 ahead of his eagerly anticipated return at the European Grand Prix, a war of words started between Williams and their fierce rivals Ferrari.

Ferrari branded Williams as a “useless team who hadn’t won anything in years”.  Williams hit back with “You didn’t win much in 30 years before Schumacher”.  I know personally that the Williams team hate Ferrari, especially Schumacher and here I am going to make a small comparison article between the two teams stats and figures.

 

Team	Scuderia Ferrari	Williams Grand Prix
Based	Maranello, Italy	Grove, England
Debut	1950 Monaco Grand Prix	1978 Argentine Grand Prix
Races Completed	786	513
Victories	209	113
Pole Positions	203	125
Fastest Laps	219	130
Drivers Titles	15 (last: 2007)	7 (last: 1997)
Constructors Titles	16 (last: 2008)	9 (last: 1997)
2008 Position	1st (172 Points)	8th (26 Points)
Notable Drivers	Juan Manuel Fangio, Phil Hill, John Surtees, Clay Regazzoni, Jacky Ickx, Niki Lauda, Gilles Villeneuve, Alain Prost, Gerhard Berger, Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen	Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg, Carlos Reutemann, Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet, Riccardo Patrese, Damon Hill, Ayrton Senna, David Coulthard, Jacques Villeneuve, Juan Pablo Montoya

 

FIA/FOTA War Over As Agreement Made At Last Minute

An agreement between the FIA and FOTA has been made at the last moment in an emergency meeting called in Paris today.

With all FOTA member teams present, along with members of the FIA, including the contraversial Max Mosley who also said today he will not stand for another term as president, a deal was reached for a single racing series – F1.  FOTA will now not breakaway from the standard formulae.

The concorde agreement of 1998 will be continued, along with new rules which agree to cost cutting over the next few seasons.  Technical assistance will also be offered to the three new teams allowed into F1, USF1, Campos and Manor.

“There will be no split,” said Mosley. “We have agreed to a reduction of costs. There will be one F1 championship but the objective is to get back to the spending levels of the early 1990s within two years.”

“They’ve got the rules they want and the stability; we’ve got the new teams in and the cost reduction…so that’s very helpful.”

Mosley added “As far as I’m concerned, the teams were always going to get rid of me in October.  Well they still are.”

The official statement from the FIA read;

“The manufacturer teams have further agreed to the permanent and continuing role of the FIA as the sport’s governing body.  They have also committed to the commercial arrangements for the FIA Formula 1 World Championship until 2012 and have agreed to renegotiate and extend this contract before the end of that period.

“All teams will adhere to an upgraded version of the governance provisions of the 1998 Concorde Agreement.

“As part of this agreement, the teams will, within two years, reduce the costs of competing in the championship to the level of the early 1990s.

“The manufacturer teams have agreed to assist the new entries for 2010 by providing technical assistance.”

The teams and FIA made a unilateral agreement for the future...

No Agreement Reached Between FIA and Teams In Pointless Meeting

The FIA and Formula One Teams made no agreement in today’s emergency meeting held at Heathrow in London.

The manufacturers in F1 want a block on the budget cap rule which is coming in next season, Max Mosley thinks they’re stupid so all the manufacturers have threatened to pull out.

“It was quite a friendly meeting, but in the end all that happened was that the teams have gone off to see if they can come up with something better than the cost cap,” Max Mosley told reporters after the Heathrow meeting.

“We explained we cannot put back the entry date, as this has all been published, and we cannot disadvantage the potential new teams who will come in. But we are prepared to listen to whatever they have to say.

“In the meantime, the regulations are as published. We have explained that we want everyone to race under the same regulations. We have explained that we would like all of the teams to come in under the cost cap and that is what they have gone off to consider.

“We have said that we cannot see why anyone wouldn’t want to operate under the cost cap, and it would mean a gradual relaxation of the technical regulations – which all the engineers would want. We said in the end the choice was between intellectual freedom and financial constraint, or intellectual constraint and financial freedom – which is what they have had up until now.

“We have pointed out, and it is something the engineers have said, that current F1 consists of endless refinement at enormous expense and we want to move away from that and have invention and creativity, but we can only do that if we restrict the cost – because if we have unrestricted cost nobody would be able to afford it.

“I think some of the teams agree with that idea, and some don’t, and they have gone away to discuss it.”

Meanwhile, it was discovered during the meeting that Ferrari have taken the new rules to a French court claiming that it is a breach of the technical regulation veto they have.

“During the meeting it became apparent that Ferrari has made an application to the French courts, and I don’t know the details, but it is to apply for an injunction to stop us doing what we want to do.  So that is where the situation rests as far as Ferrari is concerned.”

Official: Ferrari Threaten To Quit In 2010

Scuderia Ferrari bosses met today to discuss the future of their team in Formula One.

They have announced, through complete agreement that if the FIA continues with their plans for the 2010 rules and a £40million budget cap thus creating a two tier Grand Prix series, that the most successful F1 team of all time will leave the sport that has brought it so much glory.

It is a decision which will have been taken with a heavy heart, with Ferrari having competed in every single F1 event since 1950.

Drivers such as Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, Niki Lauda, Gilles Villeneuve, Jody Schekter to name just a few have walked through the hallowed gates at Maranello and thrust the scarlet Ferrari’s around the world’s best circuits.

The statement reads:

“The same rules for all teams, stability of regulations, the continuity of the FOTA’s endeavours to methodically and progressively reduce costs, and governance of Formula 1 are the priorities for the future,” said the statement.

“If these indispensable principles are not respected and if the regulations adopted for 2010 will not change, then Ferrari does not intend to enter its cars in the next Formula 1 world championship. “

“Although this meeting was originally called only to examine a disciplinary matter, the decisions taken mean that, for the first time ever in Formula 1, the 2010 season will see the introduction of two different sets of regulations based on arbitrary technical rules and economic parameters.

“The Board considers that if this is the regulatory framework for Formula 1 in the future, then the reasons underlying Ferrari’s uninterrupted participation in the world championship over the last 60 years – the only constructor to have taken part ever since its inception in 1950 – would come to a close.”

“The Board also expressed its disappointment about the methods adopted by the FIA in taking decisions of such a serious nature and its refusal to effectively reach an understanding with constructors and teams,” added the statement.

“The rules of governance that have contributed to the development of Formula 1 over the last 25 years have been disregarded, as have the binding contractual obligations between Ferrari and the FIA itself regarding the stability of the regulations.”

“Ferrari trusts that its many fans worldwide will understand that this difficult decision is coherent with the Scuderia’s approach to motor sport and to Formula 1 in particular, always seeking to promote its sporting and technical values,” said the statement.

“The Chairman of the Board of Directors was mandated to evaluate the most suitable ways and methods to protect the company’s interests.”

Ferrari Modify Exhaust Design

Scuderia Ferrari have reported that they have modified their exhaust design in the wake of other teams criticising and claiming that they contravened rules.

The 2009 season sees the regulations dramatically changed, and it was alleged that the Ferrari tailpipes were slightly too long and protruded out of the bodywork too far.

Toyota, Williams and McLaren all believed the design to be illegal and took their concerns up with the FIA.  Toyota and Williams themselves are now in ‘hot water’ over their rear diffuser design.

A Maranello source claimed that the pipes were now muich more flush with the body, and that the team were certain nothing else on the car contravened any regulations.

The teams exhausts pre-modification

David Richards Rules Out Honda Purchase At ASI

David Richards took to the centre stage at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham yesterday to talk to fans, writers and businessmen alike.  The stalwart of motorsport spoke about motorsport, its state within the current climate, how he will save Aston Martin and most importantly for us how he is NOT going to buy the remnants of the Honda F1 Team.

He still believes it is expensive to join, and at the current time it makes little sense for him to do so.

“All I can say is that I have made it very clear that the only terms (under which) I would ever consider a return or an involvement was if I felt we could be competitive – and nobody expects to win in their first year of Formula One,” he said on the main Autosport stage.

“It has also got to be financially viable. You expect to (have to) invest but you also expect it to work. I just personally feel that the current environment is too unsettled.

“The cost-cutting process that has been put in place has not yet seen its full benefit, and I don’t think it will be until 2010 that you will see those issues roll out properly. The teams have still got a burden of overhead that is unsustainable. So consequently, with the window of time for entry, I just question whether it is right at the moment.”

He also believes that he would not be instantly looking to the title, like many assume after his successes with BAR in 2004.

“We were runner up that year behind Ferrari, and everyone assumes I would be motivated to go back for the last push. That is not what motivates me at all.” Richards continued

“It will be a business decision. It will be a hard-headed business decision, not an emotive one when I make it.”

David Richards at the Autosport International Show

David Richards has plenty on his plate trying to keep Aston Martin, the luxury sportscar manufacturer afloat.  They have experienced a sales slump of 45% in December 2008 compared to December 2007.

Top of the range models like the V12 Vanquish S have seen a big slow down in sales, but a member of the Stratstone Dealership network claimed on a TV Station that all models have been hit and this could lead to job losses and closures.   Workers in the factories have had an extended Christmas holiday break as there is no work for them to do.

Aston Martin are no the only ones struggling though.  Land Rover/Range Rover group, which experienced a renaissance in the new millenium has seen a sales slump of 55% on December 2008/2007 figures.  Also, supercar manufacturer Ferrari are recieving so few orders for the 612 Scaglietti and 599 GTB Fiorano that they are on “Special Builds” only.

Aston Martin

Brawn and Fry To Try and Save The Honda Team – Buyers Lined Up; Ferrari?

Ross Brawn and Nick Fry have been working furiously throughout the night since discovering that the Honda mangement in Japan have pulled the plug on their F1 programme, in attempts to get a new owner.

The pair want to save the team, and everyone’s jobs.  If unsuccessful, it could see a significant number of people unemployed.

Brawn has, allegedly, lined up a number of potential buyers, and is in talks with Ferrari to get engines for the forthcoming season.

Going once, going twice... Ross has allegedly got buyers lined up.

With that Ferrari link, we can make some assumptions on potential purchasers.  Ferrari could buy the team and run it as a B-Team, like McLaren are Force India and Red Bull run Toro Rosso.  Gerhard Berger could buy it, and he has close affiliation with Ferrari (securing 2008 engines for Toro Rosso last season), and he could be interested in starting his own squad.  Alain Prost could make a return, to get a race seat for his son.  Jenson Button could rally support from sponsors and do some form of driver buy-out.  Adrian Campos could buy it, he has been sniffing around F1 for some time.

Honda’s marketing director David Butler wrote a letter to Japan, and has said this:

“We will enter into consultation with the associates of Honda Racing F1 Team and its engine supplier Honda Racing Development regarding the future of the two companies.  This will include offering the team for sale.”

Rossi Completes Ferrari Test Day 1

Valentino Rossi has completed the first day of a two day test with the Scuderia Ferrari team at Mugello.

The Italian MotoGP World Champion, was driving the car for “just a bit of fun” and that the test was not for a race seat in the future.

He has previously tested in 2005.

Rossi completed a fastest time in the 1.22’s, around 1 second slower than Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa’s average times.

“I have nothing to prove, neither to myself nor to others,” Rossi told reporters after the test.

“I only had a big curiosity to know. Well, I’m more and more convinced that with a bit of time I could have become a good F1 driver. It only remains to be seen how good, whether good enough to win or not.

“So I have no regrets, never had them: I did the right thing with staying in MotoGP, where I win and I hope to carry on winning for a long time.”

He added: “I want to thank Luca di Montezemolo and Stefano Domenicali for giving me this huge present. This is a celebration for me and for Ferrari, I longed for it, and I’m very happy to be just halfway through it, as I still have another day.

“Compared to 2005 I’ve found a stronger car, more drivable, with formidable aerodynamics. It’s clear that I’ve tried to go as fast as possible: when you drive a Ferrari you can only go quick, otherwise you stay home.”