Who Could Replace Felipe Massa At Ferrari?

Although Felipe Massa’s condition is said to be “improving” there are underlying doubts that the Brazilian will compete in the European Grand Prix at Valencia in 4 weeks time.  There are some doubts to when he will return, and if he will during the entireity of 2009.  This has sparked a huge debate on who could race for Ferrari, and here I take a look at some of the possibilities Stefano Domenicali and Luca di Montezemolo could be assessing in the next few weeks.  Get well soon Felipe!

Luca Badoer

Luca Badoer is Ferrari’s main test driver and has been with the team for sometime.  The Italian also drove for Minardi, Scuderia Italia and Forti throughout the early 1990’s, and despite competing in many races he failed to score a point.  His last appearance in a race 10 years ago with Minardi could mean he is out of form and fitness, but he has done plenty of testing especially with the KERS system.

 

Marc Gene

Marc Gene is Ferrari’s “other” test driver, and works a lot on straightline speed testing.  He drove for Minardi in 1999 and 2000, before moving to test with Williams where he was a substitute driver for 3 races.  He is also a factory team Le Mans driver for Peugeot meaning he is fit and healthy enough to haul an F1 car around for 2 hours.  Scoring points on his substitution for Williams in 2003 is impressive, and he would be my choice of the two test drivers.

 

Michael Schumacher

The most successful F1 driver ever, and Ferrari’s darling looks like the obvious choice on paper.  Indeed he has everything going for him, and keeping his hand in with occasional testing he should have no problems with the F2009.  However his manager has cast doubts on his return, and Schuey has always denied wanting to drive again.  Could he be the one to help them out of a rut? I’d like to think so, and so would Bernie Ecclestone who must be rubbing his hands with glee at the chance of getting Schu back in a car.

 

Fernando Alonso

A bit of an “off-the-wall” choice, but it does make some sense.  Rumour says Alonso has signed a contract for 2010 with Ferrari, and with Renault being suspended from the next GP there is a slim chance Alonso could make his Ferrari debut some 8 months earlier than expected at another ‘home’ GP of Valencia.  It would be quite interesting to see the Spaniard alongside Raikkonen.

 

Bruno Senna

No-one has really considered Senna’s impressive nephew Bruno, but he has no race seat and is a proven fast driver.  He also drove at the Ferrari anniversary celebrations at Silverstone a few years back.  He’s young, fast and this could be a perfect break for him.

 

Selected Others:

Sebastien Bourdais – About as likely as me to get the drive

Niki Lauda  -I think he was joking

Takuma Sato – Probably more likely than Bourdais

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...

F1 Is Over As FOTA Pull Out

Good evening everyone who is reading, or follows my blog.  Today is one of the most pivotal days in Formula One’s history.  As we enter the British Grand Prix weekend, it was annonuced very early this morning that the remaining FOTA member teams will be leaving Formula One and starting their own racing series.

The announcement follows months of political deliberation, open letters, arguments, scuffles, driver questions, theories, rumours and a good helping of bad publicity for the sport which has been thrown into disrepute repeatedly since 2007 with Spy-Gate, Max Mosley’s dealings in a sex dungeon and now the end of the motorsport as we know it.

FOTA members; Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, Brawn GP, Red Bull Racing, Panasonic Toyota F1 Team, BMW Sauber, Scuderia Toro Rosso and ING Renault have all said they will leave F1 after no agreement between FOTA and the FIA has been reached over rule changes.

If you follow F1, this has been coming for a long time.  Too many rule changes, too many restrictions and Max Mosley took it one step too far this time and has led to the downfall of the sport.

“The teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental values of the sport and have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 World Championship,” said a statement issued by FOTA after the meeting.

“These teams therefore have no alternative other than to commence the preparation for a new Championship which reflects the values of its participants and partners. This series will have transparent governance, one set of regulations, encourage more entrants and listen to the wishes of the fans, including offering lower prices for spectators worldwide, partners and other important stakeholders.

“The major drivers, stars, brands, sponsors, promoters and companies historically associated with the highest level of motorsport will all feature in this new series.”

Max Mosley has done what he always does and says “They can’t do that” and will be launching a legal case against FOTA, which will probably get nowhere.  It’s a knee-jerk reaction which may cause minor ruptions but Mosley seems to be missing the bigger picture.  And with Bernie Ecclestone saying Max needs to sort it out, the head man of the FIA looks set to be the bad guy in this, which in all truth’s is deserved as his meddling has got us into this mess.

“The FIA’s lawyers have now examined the FOTA threat to begin a breakaway series,” said the FIA in a statement.

“The actions of FOTA as a whole, and Ferrari in particular, amount to serious violations of law including wilful interference with contractual relations, direct breaches of Ferrari’s legal obligations and a grave violation of competition law.

“The FIA will be issuing legal proceedings without delay.

“Preparations for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship continue but publication of the final 2010 entry list will be put on hold while the FIA asserts its legal rights.”

It has left F1 with a roadshow for 2010 and only 5 teams.  Williams and Force India who brokeaway from FOTA are now stuck in F1, along with Manor, US F1 Team and Campos who all were accepted entries into the sport for next season.  The teams which failed including Lola and N.Technology have all swiftly withdrawn any such entries in the wake of the FOTA break-away and one can imagine they will be applying for the new series if such applications are formally allowed.

“With much regret, taking into consideration the highly questionable process conducted by the FIA, which is affected by many irregularities, and the uncertainties regarding the 2010 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the MSC board decided last night to withdraw its application, as Team N.Technology, under the new regulations allowing entry of ‘capped budget’ teams,” said the statement.

“MSC believes that through its wrong actions and objectionable management methods, the FIA severely hurt MSC’s efforts to become a new team and undermined the Formula 1 sport, taken as a whole.”

So what next for FOTA and indeed for this blog.  Well, I am probably going to loosely cover the F1 event of this weekend the British GP [in time] and again some coverage until the end of the season.  But if FOTA launch a rival series, F1Fanatics WILL, i repeat WILL be following the teams and supporting the new series.  A post will be brought up soon with how FOTA could go about launching the new series.  Keep your eyes peeled, and remember support FOTA’s actions.

Ferrari Lose FIA Appeal – Chances Are They Will Leave F1

Scuderia Ferrari have lost the monumentally important case against the FIA about the future of Formula One today after yesterday’s hearing in Paris.

The Italian company held a veto against the FIA and have done since 1998, deciding to use it for the first time against the FIa in the wake of a £40million imposed budget cap leading to a two-tier F1 series.

Manufacturers have all been against the idea of a new budget cap.

The decision means that it is unlikely Ferrari will remain in Formula One from next season, the only team ever to have competed in every single Grand Prix will be gone.  Renault, Toyota, Red Bull Racing and possibly McLaren too could be leaving, as could Mercedes Benz as an engine supplier.

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 Board Meeting To Discuss Team Future In F1

The Scuderia Ferrari board are meeting today to discuss the teams future in Formula One beyond the end of this season.

Ferrari director Luca di Montezemolo has been quick to criticise the budget caps which are being brought into F1 from next season, and has called for an urgent meeting with Max Mosley to discuss them in more detail.

Ferrari, the only team to compete in every single race since Formula One was formed in 1950, have been having a tortuous time so far this season.

Other manufacturers, including Toyota and BMW Sauber have expressed their distaste for the budget caps, Toyota and Red Bull Racing have both said they will consider not entering cars from next season.

It would be a great shame to lose Ferrari from F1, a team which many consider to be F1.

Ferrari Boss Won’t Let His Team Turn Into A Comedy

Luca di Montezemolo, the boss of Ferrari has told German website Sport1.de that he is not going to let the team turn into a complete joke.

The Italian squad, constructors world champions in 2007, have been dominant forces in F1 for the past 10 years, and indeed since the F1 GP was formed in 1950.  However, in the first two races of the 2009 season the red cars have been poor, with reliability problems, slow cars, technical insupremacy and big mistakes.

Fingers have been pointed, Massa blames the engineers, Domenicali is being ridiculued in presses around the world and Bild newspaper of Germany has lashed out at Michael Schumacher for hindering not helping in his position of advisor.

Montezemolo is trying to hold his team together, and get the damage fixed before they are left behind.  Ferrari join Force India as the only teams not to have scored points this season.

“We must not give up yet.  I will most definitely not let my team, and this season turn into something one might see in a comedy video.” Montezemolo told Sport1

One Off Rome GP Possible

Motorsport officials in Rome have suggested a “One-Off” street race in the city to be held in 2010, rather than a full time position on the F1 calendar after fans and team bosses were cool to the idea of Rome holding a full time Grand Prix.

Bernie Ecclestone was very pro the idea of a race being held around the historical Capital city of Italy, but Max Mosley and Luca di Montezemolo were concerned – prefering the race to be held at Monza, one of the spiritual homes of racing.

However with FIA officials making frequent visits, the rumour mill is spinning to the prospect of the one off race which could possibly be the European Grand Prix of 2010 if Valencia’s street track is not better than in 2008 this season.

“The possibility of running a Grand Prix in Rome in 2012 is ever more feasible,” Aleesandro Cochi, Rome’s sport minister is quoted as saying by the news agency ANSA.

Some private investors are prepared to cover the costs of the event, and this is warming Di Montezemolo to the idea.

“I’ve spoken to Bernie and if, as it appears, the costs can be totally borne by private investors, I think it would be interesting to make an in-depth assessment of its feasibility,” Montezemolo said.

Roman driver Giancarlo Fisichella demonstrated F1 to the city a couple of years ago

FOTA Announce Changes They Want

FOTA, The formula one teams association have announced a series of changes they wish to see in Formula One, and want the FIA to accept.

FOTA is a conglomorate of all of the teams bosses, chaired by Luca di Montezemolo the CEO of Ferrari.  Their aim is to work with the fans in getting their desired changes across to the FIA who people believe just change things without consulting anyone.

This is the first major report published by the group formed in 2008.

Its changes are as follows:

FOR 2009:

• Eight engines per driver per season (100% mileage increase)
• 8million Euro customer engine availability
• Reduction in Wind-Tunnel useage
• Revised points system – 12,9,7,5,4,3,2,1
• Public data availability of strategy
• Test reduction
• Improve global F1 coverage
• Investigate new media formats
• Get the racing closer to the fans

The points system change is a big one.  It was one of the biggest complaints found in the public survey that the winner of the most races did not win the championship in 2008, Massa won one more race than Hamilton yet Hamilton’s habit of second place finishes meant he won the title.

“Audiences desire greater championship recognition for race winners and our proposal is to offer greater rewards for the race winner,” McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh said at the proposal announcements.

Meanwhile desired changes for 2010 are:

• 5 million euro engine, 1.5million euro gearboxes available for customers
• Standardised KERS, with one producer at around 2 million euro cost
• Lowered amount of homoglations allowed to reduce costs
• Standardised telemetary and radio systems
• New qualifying format
• Points for things outside of race place finishes (Fastest pitstop, fastest lap)
• Reduction of GP length to 250km
• Further testing restrictions

All of this is pending the approval of the FIA, but things are looking good.  The refuelling ban and the testing bans make me a little upset, the test ban alongside the wind tunnel reduction makes me fear that F1 will no longer be at the pinnacle of technological advancement.  Who knows, things come aronud, FOTA said they would never ban tyre changes as that is ridiculous…hang on a minute thats exactly what happened in 2005!

Luca Di Montezemolo also announced that a new Concorde agreement was on track to be signed.

“I haven’t got any written confirmation from all the teams or all the car manufacturers,” said di Montezemolo during a FOTA press conference on Thursday, “but as you know I have a lot of contact with my colleagues, and I am talking now as the chairman of Fiat, and I want to say that all the car manufacturers are prepared to enter and commit into a new Concorde Agreement until the end of 2012.

“All the actual teams and all the car manufacturers,” added the Ferrari chief, who is hopeful the new agreement will be signed before the start of the season.

“We are now in the process, our discussions with the legal department of FOM (are ongoing) to solve the latest problems and we hope and we think that we can be in condition to sign the Concorde Agreement before the start of the season and anyway, anyway we hope before March 18,” he said.

Alonso Turned Down Ferrari For 2009 According To AS

iario AS has run with an exclusive story in Spain today claiming that Fernando Alonso turned down a late offer from Ferrari for a race drive in 2009 out of loyalty to Renault.

The Spaniard driver claimed that the offer from Ferrari was far too late and if he had accepted it would have been unfair on Renault having to find another driver, and work their development for 2009 around someone else after all their work with him.

AS also claims that the deal would have seen Alonso replace Kimi Raikkonen NOT Felipe Massa as many had expected at the start of 2008.

“In short, the Italian team’s sudden interest came too late for Fernando.” AS said.

Alonso loyal to Renault

This rumour about Kimi Raikkonen being replaced comes just days after former Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine suggested that Raikkonen should be sacked if he does not perform in 2009.  If Ferrari were to keep him into 2010, Irvine believes he should take a massive pay-cut after what he saw as serious shortcomings in 2008.

“If you’re the highest paid you have to be the best and he’s not doing the job, simple as that,” Irvine told Virgin Media

“If he [Raikkonen] doesn’t beat Massa next year I’d be sacking him or reducing his wages massively.” the Northern Irish driver added.

Kimi Raikkonen - Jumping or being pushed?

Meanwhile in Italy, media and motorsport figures have been adding significant fuel to fire in terms of attracting the driver to the team.

“It’s like putting another Schumacher in the house,” La Gazzetta dello Sport wrote. “Alonso is quick, technically strong, very bright, and his consistency is unparalleled.”

Former F1 boss Giancarlo Minardi spoke to La Gazetta too.

“I haven’t seen him since the Italian Grand Prix, and even then we did not talk about his future, but there is no doubt that he would be a great Ferrari driver.” Minardi said.

“I have the feeling that with an equal chance he can easily beat Hamilton,”

Giancarlo Minardi