Video: Press Conference with Top 3 drives at Abu Dhabi GP 2012

Source: SeventySevenBucks

Räikkönen, the specialist of a last stint - needs more speed

Has Kimi Räikkönen's mental approach to the WDC-battle changed?

– Nothing has changed for me at least. I have nothing to lose. I just try and improve the position. If I don't succeed then it doesn't change anything in my life, Räikkönen assured when getting ready for the practice.

Räikkönen has experience of rising up from a hopeless situation to world championship. Is it an advantage when you know how it's done?

– One has to remember that I have both lost and won the championship in the last race. I guess the guy ahead of me have also experienced the same. I think Vettel is the only one who has only won, but at least Alonso has also lost and won the championship in the last race.

– The fact is however that we all have enough experience and we all know what we need to do, Kimi said.

Five years ago Räikkönen needed the credible and strong F2007-car for his last stint. Back then Kimi was 18 points behind Lewis Hamilton when four races were left. The difference to Vettel right now is in practice the same. Back then Alonso was also between as second.

Räikkönen won three times in the four last races.

– There is the difference that in 2007 I knew I could win everyone of those races with that Ferrari. Now winning would depend more on others making mistakes. Of course we can win but speed wise we aren't in the same place regarding others than we were in Ferrari.

Lotus is working night and day so that they could get more competitiveness to E20-car. However Red Bull seems to have escaped so far that it would require a completely massive development kick to reach them.

Red Bull is escaping far away

– Really much should happen so that the power relations would change remarkably from this. It's more depending upon if Vettel and Alonso or their teams make some mistakes. You never know what might happen. At least we try our best every time. Who knows if some track would suit our car better than others and then we could get better results.

– If I would have to place a bet on the WDC, my money would go for Vettel. He is leading and he has the fastest car. They have been fast in the last races and they don't make mistakes.

Lotus has modified the new exhaust system and will also get other new updates to their car.

– Hopefully we can improve from the last race and go forward in the same way as we did from Japan to Korea. We need better results in the end season. There is development coming all the time, but the problem is that no other team will suddenly stop their work either. Everyone is squeezing until the end, since the situation in the lead is so tight, Räikkönen said.

– On a fast track like this there's probably not much advantage of the exhaust as it is in the next race in Abu Dhabi, Räikkönen thought.

Contract still not signed

On the contract frontier we are still depending upon rumours. The latest grain of information from Lotus-camp tells that Räikkönen's contract might possibly next week be filed up to the dots so that it can be announced.

Assumably Romain Grosjean has to show his performances until the end of the season in order to get a new contract. They also have negotiations with other candidates.

– We have options, but nothing has been decided definitely. Both names have to be in the contract and I guess they will be there at some point, Räikkönen said.

Turun Sanomat

HEIKKI KULTA

Courtesy: Nicole

Vettel Wins As Alonso Retires

Sebastian Vettel took a massive step towards a third World title as he clinched a dominant victory in Japan while Fernando Alonso retired

Arriving in Japan, Alonso held a 29-point advantage over the Red Bull racer, however, by the end of lap one it was down to just four points.

The Ferrari driver failed to make it around the first corner as his rear tyre was clipped by Kimi Raikkonen, causing a puncture and an off that left Alonso beached in the gravel.

Vettel came home in front of Felipe Massa and Kamui Kobayashi who held off a late race charge from Jenson Button to get his first podium at his home grand prix - and send the crowd wild.

Race Report
The sun was shining down on Suzuka with an ambient temperature of 23C and the track at 32C.

Seven rows of grid<1 .vettel=".vettel" 10.massa="10.massa" 11.diresta="11.diresta" 12.maldonado="12.maldonado" 13.rosberg="13.rosberg" 14.ricciardo="14.ricciardo" 2.webber="2.webber" 3.kobayashi="3.kobayashi" 4.grosjean="4.grosjean" 5.perez="5.perez" 6.alonso="6.alonso" 7.raikkonen="7.raikkonen" 8.button="8.button" 9.hamilton="9.hamilton" span="span">

Start:As the lights went out it was a chaotic start at an old-fashioned track that is narrower than most. Vettel got a clean getaway, but behind him Romain Grosjean made contact with Webber, puncturing the Red Bull's rear tyre and sending him on a slow first lap back to the pits. Grosjean damaged his front wing and had to come in for a new one.

Further back down the grid the hapless Bruno Senna made another first lap contact, this time with Nico Rosberg sending the Mercedes driver out of the race and damaging Senna's front wing and obliging him to go back to the pits for a new one.

However the major loss on the first lap was championship leader Fernando Alonso who was tapped from behind by Kimi Raikkonen, the Lotus losing a chunk of its front wing, but enough to deflate Alonso's rear tyre and spin him into retirement, beached in the gravel.

The Safety Car was dispatched so that Alonso's car could be recovered and as they lined up behind the order was: 1.Vettel, 2.Kobayashi, 3.Button, 4.Massa, 5.Raikkonen, 6.Perez, 7.Hamilton, 8.Hulkenberg, 9.Maldonado, 10.Ricciardo, 11.Glock, 12.Kovalainen, 13.Verne, 14.DiResta, 15.Schumacher

The stewards immediately put the Webber/Grosjean incident under investigation while Grosjean, Senna and Webber tried to race round to make the most of the temporary delay. On Lap 12 the stewards would get round to investigating the Senna/Rosberg incident. Both Grosjean and Senna took penalties as a result.

Button (P9) and Massa (P11) had profited enormously from having P2, P4, P6 and P7 get embroiled in first corner accidents and were up to third and fourth. We were racing again from Lap 3 and Sergio Perez was keen to get past Kimi Raikkonen - trying to overtake the Lotus in a wheel-to-wheel move around the outside of Turn 1. It didn't work, forced Perez out wide and he lost a place to Hamilton as a result.

Perez was then all over the back of Lewis Hamilton who looked to be struggling in the early phase of the race. On Lap 6 the Sauber driver was able to take advantage of Hamilton's lack of attention, running up the inside into the hairpin in a move reminiscent of Kamui Kobayashi's debut Japanese GP.

At the front, Sebastian Vettel was pulling away and by Lap 10 had opened up a 6.2 second gap to Kobayashi in second place. Button was two seconds down on the Japanese driver with Massa right behind him. Perez was able to close up the gap to Raikkonen who looked to be losing the rear tyres of the Lotus.

Although Button's times didn't appear to be dropping off, he was in for tyres at the end of Lap 13, along with Hulkenberg and Raikkonen. The Finn exited behind a battle between Jean-Eric Vergne and Heikki Kovalainen and spent a lap behind that battle. With Perez still on track and putting the hammer down, it looked like a formality that Perez would pick up Raikkonen's place.

Kimi battled his way past Vergne, using the DRS zone to pass the Toro Rosso on Lap 15 and a lap later he was past Kovalainen, just as Perez was pitting. The Sauber must have lost time somewhere on track or in the pits because Perez emerged from the pits not only behind Raikkonen, but when Hamilton stopped on Lap 17, the Mexican found himself back behind the McLaren again.

Perez was not the only one delayed; with Kobayashi able to keep his place in front of Button through the first pit-stops, they both found themselves behind the sluggish Toro Rosso of Daniel Ricciardo. This was a gift to Felipe Massa who came in with Vettel at the end of Lap 18 and exited firmly in second place, leapfrogging the pair of them and having fresher tyres to boot.

Positions on Lap 18:1.Vettel, 2.Massa, 3.Kobayashi, 4.Button, 5.Ricciardo(not stopped), 6.Raikkonen, 7.Hamilton, 8.Perez, 9.Hulkenberg, 10.Kovalainen (not stopped), 11.Vergne (not stopped)

Jenson Button was reporting problems with his gearbox which was dropping into neutral and the team were trying to find solutions for him on the fly. Future team-mate Perez was stuck behind Hamilton again, but Lewis wasn't going to be overtaken up the inside into the hairpin again and when Perez made a move there on Lap 20 he put a wheel on the grass and the Sauber went spinning off into the gravel and out.

Soon after his pit-stop Felipe Massa put in successive fastest laps of the race and on Lap 21 Vettel's lead dipped under ten seconds. To show he was in absolute command Vettel responded on Lap 22 with his own fastest lap which included two purple sectors.

Team-mate Mark Webber had made it up to ninth place by Lap 21 but he was out of sequence with the other cars having pitted so early, and on Lap 26 he was back into the pits again, all set for a late race charge.

Around Laps 29 and 30 both Mclarens started to make progress on the cars in front, Button began to catch Kobayashi - who he'd dropped back from - and Hamilton closed the gap on Raikkonen from 2.7 to 2.4 to 1.9 - then on lap 30 Lewis was 0.7 quicker than Raikkonen in Sector 1 alone and Raikkonen had to make a dash for the pits.

Hamilton pitted just a lap later and exited the pitlane alongside Raikkonen. The pair toughed it out through Turn 1 but Hamilton got the position and it was a credit to their car control skills that both could get through without touching. Kobayashi had pitted at the same time and such was his haste to get out of the pitlane that he almost took a jack with him.

Kobayashi had to put in a fast outlap and get up to speed quickly to stay ahead of Button who waited four laps before pitting. When he did, he had a problem with his right rear tyre, but such was Kobayashi's pace in the intervening four laps that it made no difference and Button resumed over four seconds in arrears.

Positions on Lap 36:1.Vettel, (one stop) 2.Massa (one stop), 3.Kobayashi, 4.Button, 5.Hamilton, 6.Raikkonen, 7.Hulkenberg, 8.Maldonado, 9.Schumacher (one stop), 10.Webber, 11.Ricciardo, 12.Vergne.

Michael stopped for the final time on Lap 37, along with Felipe Massa, while Vettel pitted on lap 38. By now he had an 18 second lead over Massa and could play around scaring his race engineer by going for an occasional fastest lap - which he did on lap 39.

Raikkonen faded away from Hamilton and Hulkenberg couldn't close the gap to the Finn. The only big question now was could Kamui Kobayashi hold off a determined charge from Jenson Button in the remaining laps to the flag? Kamui's advantage fell from 3.9 to 3.5 to 3.0 to 2.7 to 2.2 to just 1.8 on Lap 44 (of 53). Progress beyond that was slow for Button as he encountered the turbulent air off the Sauber's rear wing. Kobayshi put in personal best after personal best in his fight to stay ahead.

Most important of all Button couldn't get into the DRS zone and he wasn't helped when Kovalainen's Caterham delayed him on a lap where he looked to move into it. So the gap then levelled out: 1.7 to 1.5 to 1.8 to 1.8 to 1.6 to 1.2 to 1.1 to 1.0. On the last lap Button made significant gains and was right behind Kamui coming into the hairpin for the final time, but the Japanese driver hung on to finish just 0.5 ahead - sending the crowd wild.

Vettel, in his usual style, had done some more fast-lap-scaring with an almighty 1:35.775 on the penultimate tour (the previous Vettel fastest lap on Lap 46 had been a 1:36.466!) but cruised to the flag ahead of Massa, Kobayashi, Button, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Hulkenberg and Pastor Maldonado scoring his first points since Barcelona in P8. Mark Webber had hauled himself up into P9 and had both the Williams and the Force India in his sights when he ran out of laps.

It was an emphatic win for Vettel on a day when nobody was going to catch the Red Bull. Now just four points behind Alonso, Vettel knows that all he has to do to make it World Championship No.3 is stay in front of his main rival on track. With the Red Bull looking significantly faster than the Ferrari the betting is only going to go in one direction.

However it was just as significant a drive for Massa, his first podium since Korea in 2010, and a seat-for-2013-saving drive. Kobayashi's third place equalled the best result for a Japanese driver in Japan and will have gone a long way in convincing the Sauber team to keep him on for 2013.

Results

01. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h28:56.242
02. Massa Ferrari + 20.639
03. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 24.538
04. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 25.098
05. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 46.490
06. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault + 50.424
07. Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes + 51.159
08. Maldonado Williams-Renault + 52.364
09. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 54.675
10. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1:06.919
11. Schumacher Mercedes + 1:07.769
12. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1:23.400
13. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1:28.600
14. Senna Williams-Renault + 1:28.700
15. Grosjean Lotus-Renault + 1 lap
16. Kovalainen Caterham-Renault + 1 lap
17. Glock Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap
18. Petrov Caterham-Renault + 1 lap
19. De la Rosa HRT-Cosworth + 1 lap

Did Not Finish
Pic Marussia-Cosworth 39
Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 34
Perez Sauber-Ferrari 19
Alonso Ferrari 1
Rosberg Mercedes 1

Source: Planet-F1

Stealthy Räikkönen builds up healthy points tally

Kimi Räikkönen has moved stealthily up the Formula One standings to a healthy third place and the Lotus driver could become even more of a contender now the championship has turned its back on Europe

Lotus team principal Eric Boullier made no secret of the fact that Monza, the fastest track on the calendar and a power circuit with long straights and few corners, did not play to his car's strengths on Sunday.

"We knew here would not be easy," he said after Räikkönen finished fifth at the Italian Grand Prix, the last European race of the year with the focus now on the Far and Middle East before the season ends in the Americas.

"We look forward now obviously to the next races because it should suit our car much better."

Scoring regular points has been key in this most unpredictable of championships and Raikkonen and Ferrari's championship leader Fernando Alonso have been the kings of consistency.

Räikkönen has scored points in his last 10 races and, although the Finn has yet to win in his comeback season after two years in the world rally championship, he has been on the podium six times in 13 races.

Alonso's focus has been mostly on Red Bull's world champion Sebastian Vettel and McLaren's Monza race winner Hamilton so far this season but the Spaniard may have to take his Ferrari predecessor into account as well now.

Both Red Bulls failed to finish at Monza but Raikkonen banked points as usual.

Alonso will need no reminding of how Raikkonen took the 2007 title against the odds, mounting one of the sport's great comebacks by winning three of the last four races of that season to pip Hamilton and the Spaniard, at the time McLaren team mates, by a single point.

"It's good to go into third position," said Räikkönen, just one point behind Hamilton and 38 adrift of Alonso despite the top two having each won three races this year.

"It was a difficult weekend as we were too slow in a straight line. We came into the race looking for sixth or seventh so fifth is the maximum we could have done here this weekend."

Nobody has won more than three races this year and Räikkönen has plenty of time to clamber on top of the podium before the year is out. Japan's Suzuka circuit, which comes after next week's Singapore Grand Prix, is a particular favourite.

Räikkönen was Lotus's sole points scorer on Sunday, with regular French team mate Romain Grosjean banned for the race after causing a pile-up at the start in Belgium and replaced by Belgian reserve Jerome D'Ambrosio.

D'Ambrosio's hopes were hit by a KERS problem, a big blow at a track like Monza, and Grosjean will be back for Singapore champing at the bit but with a lesson learned after a weekend spent watching and listening from the garages.

"I think he learned a lot because being in your car you have only one radio in your head, when you are sitting in the garage you have both cars and you can learn a lot," said Boullier.

"I think he is extremely eager (to return)."

Source: Reuters Sports

Heikki Kulta's Blog: Up to luck

In the WC-battle the most crucial 175 points from seven races are still not given out. Hence it's useless to make any long-term conclusions, because the top leader Fernando Alonso has at the moment 179 points.

Therefore so far only Heikki Kovalainen and a few other drivers have already lost their mathematical chances for the WDC...

I'm writing this on the flight from Milano to Helsinki and from there to Turku. Nearby sits Mika Salo from MTV3, with whom we ended up to the conclusion that the next race on Singapore streets in Marina Bay's night will show what Kimi Räikkönen's Lotus really can do.

– Lotus was still the fastest car in July's races. After the break it hasn't gone anywhere in Belgium and Italy. I wonder if they have fallen off the wagon in Enstone factory since other top teams have been busy in their own development work? Salo wondered.

– Spa and Monza are of course special tracks in every sense, hence the more realistic picture of Lotus-car's speed can only be seen in Singapore, which is a downforce-track and where they again drive with softer compounds, which have been more successful for Lotus.

– But at this exact moment it looks like Fernando Alonso will take the WDC. If they had a defense-strategy in Belgium, then in Monza again the Ferrari attacked at full blast, Salo thinks.

I asked after the race on Monza paddock about the sceneries for the WC-battle and about Kimi Räikkönen's chances to come with a super-surprise.

Eric Boullier stated that they knew Monza would be extremely difficult, but that all the remaining tracks would surely be more favorable for E20-car.

– Kimi does have a chance to win this WDC but it's going to be difficult. We will return back to better positions in Singapore. Here in Monza we had to sacrifice our qualification result, because we needed more downforce for our setups than some other teams needed, Bouillier thought.

Boullier was of course also speaking on the behalf of his team. But let's take an opinion from a completely opposite side. 

Peter Windsor is a long-time media personality, who has an immense experience from all F1-works - and who at times has a very critical point of view. 

How will it go in this WC-battle?

– I wouldn't want to sound arrogant, but I predicted already before the first test that Alonso will be WDC and Lewis Hamilton will be his toughest contender. I have at no point changed my opinion. I knew after last season that with the new regulations this will become a very tough and even WC-battle. Back then I believed that Alonso would be in the best position to get the best out of his team and car.

– Of course I can see that Ferrari isn't that great car, but it's good enough for Fernando to win the WDC. Hamilton is a spectacular driver and McLaren is at the moment the strongest car, but just like Mark Webber couldn't take points from Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button also takes points from Hamilton. That's why his chances against Alonso aren't so good.

– I think that during a season like this a fast teammate is really not of any use when every point counts. Felipe Massa is in that sense a brilliant teammate for Fernando, Windsor sums up.

Then what about Räikkönen's chances - he is third isn't he?

– Although I appreciate Finns and although Leo Kinnunen is my eternal idol, I have at no stage seen Kimi as a strong WDC-candidate. He might win some race during the endseason, but a lot would have to go wrong for these other top drivers for him to become a champion.

– This isn't because I wouldn't respect the team, the elements there just aren't top class. And innermost I don't see Kimi as fast as he was when he destroyed Juan Pablo Montoya at McLaren. Although I still love to watch Kimi racing I still don't think he is as fast as he was especially at McLaren, not even as fast as he was when leaving Ferrari.

Michael Schmidt from Auto, Motor und Sport also thinks that Alonso will take his third WDC. Monza changed the settings so that now Ferrari has to now be more alert when it comes to McLaren instead of Red Bull.

– McLaren is at this stage the measure stick for everything. They won three races from pole in a row on completely different tracks with their car. No other team has this season won three races in a row. If Hamilton can drive safely to the end, then Alonso will have a really hard time.

– I guess that this championship will be decided in the very last race.

– Lotus scores points every time, Kimi is the most reliable driver in this serie, but unfortunately the car is too slow. The same tune will continue on the next tracks also, Schmidt thinks.

Martin Brundle from Sky Sports joked if I want him to claim that Kimi is no good or that he will make a sensation.

– Realistically it looks like Alonso has the best assets when going to long distance races whereas those behind him driving for victories are possibly Vettel, possibly Hamilton, possibly Button, possibly Webber, possibly Kimi, possibly Sauber. The scores will get mixed up conveniently and when Fernando like this starts from 10th grid, doesn't drive any super-race - more like a very normal race - comes in 3rd and at the same time grows the score-gap to the next battle. Hey, that's just the luck that a champion needs!

– Kimi is doing a good work. But in order to win the WDC he needs victories, Brundle emphasizes.

Courtesy: Nicole

Kimi Raikkonen rubs his friends down with lotion as they set sail aboard a luxury yacht

On Sunday Formula One star Kimi Raikkonen was left disheartened after he failed to finish first at the European Grand Prix in Valencia.

But not letting the fact he missed out on the title get to him, Raikkonen was spotted as he set sail on a luxury yacht in Ibiza.

The 32-year-old race driver was pictured relaxing aboard the grand vessel as he soaked up the sun alongside some of his friends.

Kimi who wore a sunhat with a pair of glasses, and checked beach shorts, looked to be in good spirits as he took in the views of the gorgeous sea and joked about with his chums.

And it appears that the sportsman's wife, model and former Miss Scandinavia, Jenni Dahlman sat this short break out as she wasn't pictured on the boat.

After finishing in second place behind Fernando Alonso on Sunday, Kimi admitted he was disappointed but didn't feel he would win the race.

He said: 'In the end second place is okay, but not what we wanted.'

During the action packed competition Lewis Hamilton crashed out on the penultimate lap while running in third after a run-in with Pastor Maldonado, and Michael Schumacher placed third.

Source: Dailymail more pics!

"Villeneuve pure momentum, Fernando the best of all"

Maranello, 8 May – “Villeneuve was amazing in terms of momentum. But then, his temperament would cost him points and that would affect his standing at the end of the season. Alonso, especially in the races, is the best driver in the world.” This comparison of the unforgettable Gilles and one of the two current Scuderia drivers came from Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo on the day dedicated to the thirtieth anniversary of the death of the Canadian driver. “Gilles gave the public what they wanted. And he did not care about the championship, he drove each race as it came. Maybe I was less close to him than I was to my other drivers such as Lauda, Regazzoni or Reutemann.

I recall when Enzo Ferrari told me he’d spotted a youngster with great temperament and talent who raced snowmobiles in Canada. He had a pre-contract with McLaren, but Ferrari wanted to bring a breath of fresh air into the team. He was an extraordinary driver and human being. We must not be prisoners to the past, but if one looks at football, F1, politics, Italy back then, one can see that human relations were different and better. But we look ahead and to have Gilles’ old mechanics here alongside Alonso and Massa shows that Ferrari thinks of the future while looking to the past, which is unique in the world.” Asked about the chances of hiring drivers who maybe lack discipline but have plenty of heart, Montezemolo replied, “With F1 the way it is today, there would be no place at Ferrari for an undisciplined driver,” while on the subject of the team’s start to this season, he did not hide a slight feeling of disappointment. “I got a shock from the way we started, as I was not expecting it. I had in mind a different scenario. There have been four races and we have won one of them. So we are there abouts and now we have to make a leap forward in terms of quality to have a more competitive car. I have noticed the engineers seem more confident and now we will see what happens in Spain. I have said to those around me that maybe we have been too engrossed in ourselves in Maranello, without seeing what is going on around us, without bringing in some fresh air from other sources. These regulations which mistakenly make aerodynamics the key factor in determining who wins or loses, have convinced us to bring into the team some greater experience in this area of aerodynamics to try and change this situation.” Fernando Alonso was a bit more optimistic, going into his home race, which takes place this weekend at the Barcelona circuit. “We have significant updates for Spain, as indeed will our competitors and that means we have to think it will not be easy. We are not in an easy situation and we know we must do our best. However, the aim is to fight right down to the last lap. We will bring new parts, we will never give up and our aim is to win the World Championship.”


Source: ferrari.com

Video: Especial Interview with 6 WDC CCTV 5 at Chinese GP 2012

Interview with Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel from CCTV 5



Source: AnneCarvalho78

The two Kimi Räikkönens

There are, it turns out, two Kimi Räikkönens

The public face of the 2007 world champion, who has returned to Formula 1 this season after two years in rallying, is of a monosyllabic, monotone, unsmiling figure, energised only the moment he steps into a racing car.

The one who emerges in private is very different - a talkative, jocular man, who can happily sit and shoot the breeze like anyone else.

As Lotus trackside operations director, Alan Permane has worked closely with Räikkönen since he joined the team last November.

The 32-year-old Finn, Permane says, "is happy to sit and talk, not only about technical stuff, but laughing and joking and talking rubbish with his engineers about all sorts of stuff".

He is just not interested in any of his dealings with the media and, unlike his rivals, doesn't bother to hide it.

Permane worked with Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso through the title-winning years with the team formerly known as both Benetton and Renault. He has been impressed with Raikkonen from the start.

Räikkönen first drove one of the team's cars at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia in late January. Straightaway the team knew they had something special.

He had not driven an F1 car since the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and had no experience of the Pirelli tyres he was using. Yet, after a single installation lap to check the car's systems were working, his first flying lap was within a few 10ths of a second of the fastest lap he would do over the next two days.

The good impressions did not go away.

Permane said, "He has never driven a car with a full load of fuel in it.
"We went from 30-160kg [of fuel load in Valencia] to show him that's the sort of difference you can expect - certainly from qualifying to race it's even bigger than that.

"We calculate the lap time difference the fuel load will make and his first lap was absolutely spot on that difference. That is impressive."

After that, Räikkönen did another 20 laps, each one exactly 0.1secs slower than the last - the lap time lost by tyre degradation.

There is a widespread belief that Räikkönen is as unforthcoming in his technical debriefs as he is in public, but that, too, appears to be a fallacy.

Lotus have found his comments in debriefs to be not only lengthy but very perceptive, too.

He was slightly quicker than new team-mate Romain Grosjean throughout pre-season testing, so it was a surprise that he was about 0.2secs slower than the Franco-Swiss semi-novice in the practice sessions in Melbourne.

Equally, the errors Räikkönen made on his qualifying laps that left him down in 18th on the grid betrayed a certain ring-rustiness, as well as perhaps the pressure he was feeling from Grosjean's pace.

In the race, though, something of the old Räikkönen returned as he fought back up from his low starting position to take seventh place by the end.

Clearly, though, there is more to come.

Räikkönen is not entirely happy with the feel he is getting from the Lotus's steering, but Permane plays down the significance of the problem.

"He's very particular," Permane says. "He knows what he wants and it's not quite to his liking. It's not a million miles away, but we'll get it there."

Räikkönen can drive perfectly well with the steering as it is, but the problem probably does mean that he is driving a little below his maximum.

The question now is, at what level is his maximum?

The reason Räikkönen left F1 in the first place was because he performed for Ferrari for much of 2008 and 2009 way below the level expected of him.

Ferrari, in fact, terminated Räikkönen's contract a year early and paid him not to drive in 2010 so they could bring in Alonso.

The Spaniard has since out-performed Felipe Massa, the man who generally had the better of Räikkönen from the start of 2008 until fracturing his skull in an accident in Hungary in July 2009.

Does this mean Alonso is that much better than Räikkönen? Or that Räikkönen in 2008-9 was a long way below his best? Or that Massa is not the driver he was?

No one knows for sure, but for Räikkönen's comeback to be considered an unqualified success he will have to be able to match his new team-mate's pace.

The fact Lotus have regrouped over the winter and produced one of the year's fastest cars only increases the pressure - it's not so bad to be beaten by a team-mate when you're battling to get into the top 10; but a very different matter when you're fighting for the podium.

That, it appears, is what Lotus are in a position to do.

"We screwed up with the car last year," Permane says, "and we know we've done a lovely car this year, not only aerodynamically, but we've done a nice package mechanically."

So pleased are Lotus with the new E20 that Permane says he "dared to compare it with 2005", when Alonso won the first of his two titles.

That is not so much a measure of Lotus's realistic hopes as a reflection of how much the drivers like the car, and how well it responds to changes.

Nevertheless, the team are confident they can keep up with the break-neck development pace of the likes of McLaren and Red Bull and hold on to their position.

For Räikkönen, the requirement now is prove that he can go with them. So far, the signs are positive.

Source: BBC Sport

Schumacher, Alonso, Hamilton, Button, Vettel, Räikkönen. A straight flush and a joker on top of that

Kimi Räikkönen's comeback to the 'real work', F1, has been the biggest news before the season has begun. They have speculated over the backgrounds, weighed the test results, tried to dig inside Räikkönen's head. With no success.

Räikkönen himself tells that he came back to the F1-business because he had missed it. It sounds odd at first, because during his last couple of years in Ferrari the disgust and fatigue with everything the genre offered was shining from his face.

However rallying in a small car with only the clock as the opponent for two years got Räikkönen fed up. He told earlier this spring that he has missed 'real racing', driving on track man to man, and now it's offered to him.

Räikkönen still doesn't care for the PR-things and other cackle that comes with the sport.

'Neither does any other driver either. Everyone of us only wants to race', Räikkönen said in February to reporters.

When the information of Räikkönen's will to come back were confirmed, they were taking him starting from Red Bull to all other top teams. Finally he joined Lotus.

They were astonished over his choice. They didn't think that the French team that had dropped in the midfield would be any dream working place.

Testing in Jerez and Barcelona however changed the tune in the bell. Although the test results aren't comparable the performance ability and reliability of Lotus has surprised. The car has been both reliable and fast.

Australia will be the real thing. If it goes well in Melbourne, then the co-existance of Räikkönen and Lotus will get a lot more easier. If the car is not good for racing, then we can expect some wrinkles in love.

Räikkönen gets visibly nervous when someone says the word 'motivation' around him. Everybody notices how the safety clicks.

Yet the truth is that Räikkönen doesn't get fired up over lower positions. This has been taken in account when making the Lotus-contract.

According to Autosport the contract has a clause which justifies ending the contract if Lotus doesn't get into top 8.

Räikkönen also doesn't have to drive with a community effort. He gets 8-12 million euros per season which will substantially slow down poverty.

Although a driver, who so far has earned about 200 million euros isn't in any need for pocket change, it still is expensive to live like Räikkönen lives. It costs to keep up several luxurious houses, flying with a private jet and keeping the armada of cars swallows money like a F1-car swallows fuel.

By Vesa Kovanen
Courtesy: Nicole

Räikkönen: Ferrari just a team among others

Kimi Räikkönen says that defeating Ferrari drivers is not a specific target for him in this season.

Räikkönen won the world championship for Ferrari in 2007, but left the Italian team and F1 in a special atmosphere after the 2009 season. In the paddock there was a rumor that Ferrari one way or another smoked Räikkönen out from the team to make room for Fernando Alonso.

Räikkönen, however, assures that beating Ferrari will not bring him any particular pleasure.

- All teams must be won if you want succeed.

- Drivers have always changed teams before, and raced against their old teams. Ferrari is only one competitor among others. And Ferrari have not even been at the top for few years now. But hopefully we are able to challenge all the teams, the current Lotus pilot Räikkönen explained.

MTV3 STT

Courtesy: reppo

Ferrari launch 'aggressive' F2012

In another dramatic sign of the times, Ferrari have launched their radical 2012 charger - the F2012

Though hailed as an 'aggressive' car, attention is bound to be focused on another, rather ugly, 'boxer's nose' and radical front-end design.

Having been forced by snowy weather to cancel their plan to launch their new car in front of an invited audience, Ferrari instead took the wraps off online, with the 'Scuderia Ferrari 2012 single-seater' unveiled on the team's website.

"We know the future of the company depends on what we do here today," said team boss Stefano Domenicali. No pressure then.

The car was unveiled by drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa and, according to first impressions, is far closer in look to the Caterham CT01 than the relatively-conventional McLaren.

"This is something that was part of my dreams, I really trust the team and the new car," said Massa. "It looks really, really aggressive."

That's one way of putting it.

The car's most distinctive feature is another 'boxer's nose', with the car a radical departure from Ferrari's designs of the recent past. It can't, however, be described as a pretty car. With the sharply-stepped nose, in layman's terms, perched on front-wing tusks, it is certainly an attention-grabbing challenger, however.

Looking ahead to the new season, Alonso remarked: "We have to be resolute and positive for the season ahead. We have to fight for the title."

Meanwhile, speaking on a weblink, Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo repeated his demand for the under-pressure Massa, who has just a single year remaining on his contract, to improve his performances this season.

"He knows as much as we know that he has to do something great, something better after a not-so-positive season," announced the typically-forthright di Montezemolo. "We are offering him the best conditions to do a great job."

Yet, for the timebeing at least, it's the team's new car that is the centre of attention at Maranello. With the unveiling endorsing reports last week in Italy that Ferrari's latest creation was not a looker, the team will be hoping that beauty is no barometer of speed.

"I am sure our car will be winning right from the beginning," declared Stefano Domenicali in confident fashion. "We have learned many lessons from the past, and taken some difficult decisions. But I am sure all our efforts will be represented with this car.

"From a technical point of view, we have many novelties in terms of mechanics and also the shape of the car. We wanted continuity here, and hopefully we will reach the right performance."

Now for the hard work - with the car set to be put through its pace for the first time in Jerez next week.

"We have only 12 days to work on the car and achieve reliability, and also test the new tyres that have been given to us by Pirelli," added Domenicali.

Source: SkySports

A special Jeep to tackle the snow in Maranello

Maranello, 2 February –Special conditions call for special measures. Unusually, there has been so much snow falling on Maranello these past few days that, this afternoon, Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso each had a special vehicle to get around in. They were the first two examples of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, the quickest and most powerful Jeep ever built. The cars were handed over to the Scuderia Ferrari drivers by Beth Peretta, Director Marketing and Operations SRT Brand and Motorsports, Chrysler Group LLC.

The two cars had a special trim, bringing some exclusive styling details and the unmistakeable Rosso Corsa colour which is a distinguishing feature of the cars from the Maranello marque. The two Grand Cherokke SRT8, personalised for the Scuderia Ferrari champions are the first of the new high performance version of the Jeep flagship to hit Europe, where it will go on sale this summer.

“We are excited and proud to be able to hand over the exclusively personalised “Ferrari-style” versions of the most powerful and fastest Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 of all time to two of the most talented drivers in the world,” said Beth Peretta. “We are sure Fernando and Felipe will feel perfectly at home at the wheel of these cars that take styling cues from Ferrari with Rosso Corsa bodywork and that represent the pinnacle in terms of performance for the Jeep brand. Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 offers all who love driving, a unique combination of the amazing capacity of the Jeep on road and track, with the pinnacle of personalised style and technology.”

Source: Ferrari.com

Video: Scuderia Ferrari Racing News n.2

The 2012 Formula 1 Championship is just around the corner. Just before the start of the season, the presentation of the new single-seater and the first test sessions, the Scuderia Ferrari drivers were in a training camp in Lanzarote on the Canary Islands. In this issue of the Scuderia Ferrari Racing News Alonso, Massa, Bianchi and Rigon tell about their physical preparations, while Massimo Rivola and Stefano Domenicali talk about the importance of this event also to strengthen the team spirit



Source: ferrariworld

Snow in Maranello, sunny and hot in Lanzarote

Maranello, 31 January – At the Fiorano track, preparations are underway for the presentation of the new Formula 1 car and in Lanzarote in the Canary Isles, the training camp is coming to an end for Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Jules Bianchi and Davide Rigon.

The four drivers, along with the physiotherapists who look after them throughout the season, have spent the past few days tackling different sports, ranging from mountain biking to football, from tennis to ping-pong, not forgetting canoeing and working out in the gym or on the beach. All of this has taken place in very different conditions to those in Maranello, as the drivers enjoyed average daily temperatures of 20 °C.

The Lanzarote course was not only aimed at improving physical condition, which is absolutely vital in a demanding sport like Formula 1, but it was also an important exercise in team building, both because the competitive nature inherent in all the drivers spurred them to work even harder and in the right spirit and also because, spending time together reinforces the friendship between them.

In a few days, all four of them have important appointments. Jules will make a lightning visit to Maranello, before flying to England to start a new adventure as reserve driver for Force India, while, on 3 February, Fernando and Felipe will be taking part in the launch ceremony for the car they will be driving as from the Jerez test (7-10 February.)

Davide, who has recently extended his agreement with the Scuderia for two more years, will also be in Maranello: a lot of work awaits him in the simulator, in support of the development of the car that will see the light of day for the first time in a few days.

The programme has been established for the drivers in the three test sessions which take place prior to the Australian Grand Prix: in Jerez, Felipe will begin the development work, with Fernando closing the test; at the first Barcelona test, (21-24 February) it will be the Spaniard who drives for the first two days, with Felipe taking over for the final two; at the second session at the Catalunya Circuit (1-4 March) the driver order will again be reversed. Meanwhile the weather forecast for this week in the Maranello area is not very encouraging, with predictions of snow and very low temperatures. This means there is a real doubt as to whether it will be possible to carry out any promotional filming at the Fiorano track prior to heading for Jerez de la Frontera. It’s a very long way from Andalusia to the Emilia region and the departure of the car transporter with the racecar on board cannot be delayed any later than the afternoon of the fourth.

Source: Ferrari.com

Wrooom 2012 gets underway

Madonna di Campiglio, 9 January –The 22nd running of Wrooom, the Press Ski Meeting organised by Philip Morris International gets underway this evening at the Salone Hofer in Madonna di Campiglio, signaling the imminent arrival of a new season for Formula 1 and MotoGP.

Tonight sees the traditional welcome dinner, featuring members of Scuderia Ferrari and their two-wheeled colleagues from the Ducati team. Also in attendance will be the Maranello team drivers, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, the Spaniard making his third visit to this event dating back to 2010, while the Brazilian is now a veteran on the snow covered peaks of Campiglio. Awaiting everyone is a week of spectacle, sport and meetings with the international media, all set against the background of the Dolomites.

Friday is the day for ice racing on the lake, when Giancarlo Fisichella and Marc Gene will also attend. Journalists from around eighty different media from a dozen countries are expected, with interview sessions for the Ferrari men getting underway on Wednesday morning, when Team Principal Stefano Domenicali will be under the spotlight, while on Thursday it will be Alonso and Massa’s turn.

Source: Ferrari.com

Briatore says Vettel is not best driver in F1

Sebastian Vettel may be the sport’s first ever reigning back-to-back world champion, but he is not the best driver on the grid.

That is the view of former Renault boss Flavio Briatore, who thinks his charge Fernando Alonso and also McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton are better than the dominant 24-year-old German.

“Vettel is definitely good,” the Italian told Corriere dello Sport, “but he has won because he has been the best to manage his phenomenal (Red Bull) machine.

“He is not the best. Imagine a race with everyone racing the same car; Vettel would be behind Fernando Alonso and also Lewis Hamilton.

“Over one lap I see him in pole position, with Hamilton second and Alonso third,” added Briatore.

Source: YallaF1

Video: 458 Spider unveiled by F1 drivers Alonso and Massa at the Japan Premiere

Over 350 passionate clients, Ferrari tifosi and collectors participated in yesterday's charity auction held at Zojoji, the main temple of the Jodo-Buddhists, which makes for a spectacular sight at the foot of the Tokyo Tower



Source: ferrariworld

458 Spider unveiled by F1 drivers Alonso and Massa at the Japan Premiere

Ferrari charity auction also held in the same evening. Over 70m JPY of donations raised this year, which will help build two after-school facilities in Ishinomaki

Tokyo, 11 October – Over 350 passionate clients, Ferrari tifosi and collectors participated in yesterday’s charity auction held at Zojoji, the main temple of the Jodo-Buddhists, which makes for a spectacular sight at the foot of the Tokyo Tower.

At the Japan Premiere of 458 Spider, the Ferrari’s new exclusive 8-cylinder model, Ferrari held a special charity auction to further support the city of Ishinomaki, the region severely hit by the earthquake in Japan last March.

Joined by surprise guests, the F1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, who had just finished the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka at the weekend, the auction was a great success. Special items, including the nose cone of the 150th Italia, the F1 car with the famous “Gambare Nippon” message displayed at the opening Grand Prix of 2011 season in Melbourne were auctioned.

Following the charity auction held in July at the FF Japan Launch at the Italian Embassy where Ferrari raised over 53 million yen, over 12 million yen was raised by the Ferrari Owners Club of Japan, which will be added to this event’s donation of another 8 million yen. The total donations collected by Ferrari has now reached over 70 million yen, which will enable Ishinomaki to build two after-school facilities.

Source: Ferrari.com

Now the creator of Alonso's fiasco-strategy talks

Dyer who got sacked by Ferrari defends his actions in the season's last race last year.

Dyer worked as Ferrari's strategist in Abu Dhabi GP where Fernando Alonso's pit strategy failed because he came in too early for his pitstop.

Dyer focused on keeping Alonso ahead of Mark Webber but he didn't count on Alonso getting stuck on the track behind Renault's Vitali Petrov. Hence Alonso lost the WDC to Sebastian Vettel.

Dyer returned to the F1-paddock in Monza.

- We are a team and make decisions as a team. In the end the boss is always responsible, Dyer told Spanish Marca-paper.

- We are not stupid, we don't make decisions just for fun. At that moment the decision in question felt right. We believed it would offer best possibilites for the result we wanted, Dyer said.

Dyer sees that it's possible he will be seen on the F1-paddock next season.

- I have got many job offers but I can't sign any contract until only at the end of the year, Dyer said.

Source: MTV3
Courtesy: Nicole