Räikkönen craves good luck in Germany

Ex-Formula One world champion Kimi Räikkönen says a lack of good fortune has held him back on the opening day of ADAC Rallye Deutschland

Räikkönen, who is eighth overnight in the ICE 1 Racing Citroën DS3 WRC he shares with co-driver Kaj Lindström, took the only stage win of his World Rally Championship career to date on the Circus Maximus stage in Germany last year. But he’s yet to enjoy the same kind of success on the Trier-based round in 2011.

“Germany has been a bit unlucky for me so far,” said Räikkönen. “It’s hard to compare it with last year, because the car and the conditions are completely different. This morning I was on the wrong tyres and then in the afternoon I had a spin. But if you take away those things then it would not have been so bad, so I hope we can get better tomorrow.”

Räikkönen lost more than a minute on the rain-hit stage two alone, but revealed that he had come very close to taking the same bold tyre choice as the factory Citroens, with a mixture of hard and soft tyres. In the end he opted for the hard tyres exclusively, leaving him struggling for grip.

“We thought about doing the same; we probably should have done it,” he added. “Sure, it would be hard to know how the car might handle like that as we never tested it, but it probably would have been OK.”

Räikkönen’s best result so far this year is sixth overall in Jordan, which he believes he stands a chance of matching in Germany. “We need to be a bit lucky with that, but the feeling with the car is very good,” he concluded.

The Finn’s only other delay occurred on stage five when he carried too much speed into a right-hand bend and slid into a wooden fence. The impact damaged his driver’s side door, which kept flying open during the stage.

Source: WRC

Kovalainen defends Räikkönen - takes a dig at Villeneuve

Heikki Kovalainen wonders over Jacques Villeneuve's statement where Kimi Räikkönen is stamped as a lucky champion.

Villeneuve won his own WDC in 1997, when his Williams-car was clearly the best car in the serie.

- I don't think it was civil text from Villeneuve. If you think about it the other way, then Villeneuve had quite a superior car when he won his WDC and after that he didn't make any results, Kovalainen said to MTV3.

- I don't know if the dig is taken out of context or if it went just like that. I don't know Villeneuve personally. Maybe it was a little stupid statement. You give a feeling of being a sore loser. A WDC is a WDC. They don't give out style-points in F1 so it's all the same how you win the WDC, it is always a tough thing, Kovalainen continues.

Kovalainen reminds that Räikkönen lost more than one championship during his McLaren-years due to his unreliable car.

- In Kimi's case he lost many championships because the car broke down. Kimi would certainly have two or three championships more by driving.

Source: MTV3
Courtesy: Nicole

Alonso has fond memories of Hamilton pairing

Fernando Alonso has some fond memories of his single season alongside Lewis Hamilton in 2007.

The duo’s championship scrap at McLaren was billed as a highly tumultuous one, but Spaniard Alonso - now at Ferrari - insists that his only argument was with the British team’s then management led by Ron Dennis.

"If we were teammates at another team it would be a much cleaner struggle, and a real one," said Alonso, who finished the season equal with Hamilton and a single point shy of Kimi Raikkonen’s title.

Recalling 2007, he explained to Spanish sports newspaper Marca: "You always learn lessons in tough times.

"That year was good overall, both Lewis and I learned many things. When you share a team with a top driver you learn to grow together.

"You improve in terms of preparing for a race and even from his driving style, because you share telemetry, so it was a great experience," added Alonso.

As for 2011, Ferrari is now switching its focus to 2012, with Alonso admitting chasing down Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel will be almost impossible.

"Ferrari can not go to races not thinking about winning, but we are realists and know how difficult it is. We need Vettel to have failures," he said.

The Spaniard is therefore much more confident about 2012.

"Of course we can catch them (Red Bull)," insisted Alonso. "The rules have changed, the blown diffusers will be forbidden, so the philosophy in the development and in the wind tunnel has to change."

He said Ferrari’s recent structural changes have already made a difference.

"I have noticed more desire and general optimism, more speed in decision-making, more courage in the development. Yes, we have improved the structure and how we work."

Source: Nextgen

Räikkönen tips friend Vettel to keep title lead

Kimi Räikkönen has tipped his friend Sebastian Vettel to pip F1’s class of 2011 to become world champion for the second time.

In 2007, former Ferrari driver Räikkönen came from a long way behind to beat the feuding McLaren duo Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso to the championship at the final race of the season.

Now as a F1 spectator and world rally driver, the Finn was asked by Turun Sanomat newspaper about German Vettel’s 85 point lead with just 8 races to go.

"Quite often the situation levels off by the end if someone has pulled out early in the season," Räikkönen said.

"(But) Vettel probably doesn’t even have to win any more races in order to stay in front until the end."

Räikkönen, meanwhile, will turn 32 in October but he is not yet making any plans for 2012 — nor ruling out a shock return to formula one.

"I don’t know," he answered after a series of probing questions.

"Even if you ask the same thing a hundred different ways, the answer stays the same. If I don’t know then nobody else does either."

Räikkönen, like his contemporary Jacques Villeneuve, admitted to being not so keen on the 2011 formula, including the DRS overtaking rear wing system.

"It doesn’t have anything to do with real overtaking," he insisted. "All you do is move close and push a button and the guy in front can’t do anything about it.

"I guess they are trying to push it in the right direction, maybe it’s good for the TV, but for the drivers it’s not so good."

Source: NextgenAuto

Kimi's Column: Challenging in a tricky way

Kimi Rally Germany preview in Finnish

This Germany is a quite tricky rally. Lets see how it takes off. I have good vibes from last year and lets hope that it goes better the second time, in this year's way.

The more in the top you would get to start, the more easier it would be. If you have to go on the route from very behind, then the more all kind of trash there is on the road.

Now we are on tarmac for the first time after gravel rallies. We had a test after Jyskälä. We could have used a bit more testing since we were left with things we have to try out during this rally week. Soon we'll see how we got things in place.

All and all it's easier when we know what to expect. They haven't changed more than a couple of stages. They took about 10 km off the super long SS on beton. Now we have about 35 kilometers of that banging.

Last year we went well until the last day. I made a few blunders in the crossroads and we lost our position.

Now we try to improve. Not do any blunders and try to get time-wise as close as we already got in Jyskälä.

Lets hope now that the weather stays good. It would be much nicer since we haven't drove even one test during rain with this car. This route gets very slippery if water starts falling down on it.

They talk about tarmac, although I think we are driving more on beton in this rally. There is a decent road somewhere there but usually it's something completely different from a clean tarmac surface.

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM
Courtesy: Nicole

Räikkönen is not going to Australia

Although Kimi Räikkönen was going to go to Rally Australia in September, he has decided to skip it.

– I won't drive there. I was going to but we aren't going. It's so far away that I'm not interested in travelling there, Räikkönen confirmed to Turun Sanomat.

Germany is Räikkönen's 6th WRC-rally this season. Since he leaves Australia out of the program he still has France, Catalynia and Great-Britain.

Turun Sanomat, Trier

HEIKKI KULTA

Courtesy: Nicole

Free Mr. Räikkönen is open to all offers

Kimi Räikkönen is known for not living in the past - still the 31-year old racer hasn't yet grabbed his future either.

At the eve of Germany rally Räikkönen managed to walk around every pitfall when interviewed by Turun Sanomat.

Räikkönen says he is satisfied with his development during the second year in WRC. He has five rallies behind him and five positions on WC-points.

– It has been a little more easier than it was before. We have lost a few positions when we had the tyre puncture in Jordan and crashed into a fence in Jyväskylä. The best is that we have progressed in time from last year, Räikkönen estimates.

How will the development proceed if Räikkönen drives WRC-rallies for the third season?

– Time will tell, he says.

Then how open is Räikkönen's next year?

– There are no plans.

Then is there something that you at least have ruled out of your options?

– Useless to ask, Räikkönen grins.

You aren't planning on stopping your driving career, are you?

– I don't know. It's useless for you to ask. Even though you would ask me in a hundred different ways, the reply won't change. When you don't know it yourself, then there aren't many others who know either, Räikkönen insists.

Then what would you still want to do - Le Mans 24 hours or perhaps the Dakar-rally?

– It could be really cool to drive Le Mans. But if you are going to drive it, then you also have to drive a few races as a test and the schedules can become tricky. If I would go for example with Peugeot to Le Mans, then I would have to drive at least three test races.

– I haven't even thought of something like Dakar. It could also be a cool experience but I don't have any urge to go there. I'm sure it would be very different, although I don't know since I haven't been there.

Lets go back to rally.

A year ago in Germany Räikkönen achieved his first rally merit when being the fastest on the last SS. This year that same 4,37 kilometer long Trier's Circus Maximus SS will give power stage points to the three fastest.

Räikkönen has been driving with his own Citroen DN3 WRC -car only a day on tarmac when testing. He doesn't start specifying his expectations.

– There could have been a little more testing. Now we more or less try out things here. We'll see soon how the rally takes off. There is a small bit of real tarmac too, although the surfaces are mostly somekind of beton.

A track driver's experience doesn't help in tarmac rallies.

– There is nothing similar in them. The normal roads are never like a real track, the car is jumping and flying here and there.

It's easy to determine that Räikkönen would take a F1-challenge if he would be given the right offer.

How much do you follow F1-races?

– Everytime when I'm at home.

What do you think about the multiplied overtakings in GP-races?

– Apparently it's easier in some races than in others. It depends upon how they decide about where the back wing can be opened. But it has nothing to do with the actual overtakings anymore. All you have to do is move beside and press a button and the one in front of you can't do a thing.

– I guess they have been trying to take it into the right direction. Maybe it looks more cooler in television but it's not any real racing.

– The tyre department again is a completely different thing. Those races where the tyre consumption have been decisive, they have been the best competitions, Räikkönen thinks.

Doesn't it tingle at all to get there and start overtaking?

– It doesn't change my attitude at all if they overtake there or not. It is always cool when you get to race. That's all it takes.

Räikkönen is not surprised that Sebastian Vettel's superiority has evened out a bit during the season.

– Often the situation always evens out every year if someone has been clearly leading in the beginning. And Vettel probably doesn't even have to win races in order to stay in the lead up until the end.

– That was the best in those Nascar-races. To just drive alone in a circle was boring but especially in the truck-race the feeling was great. It's great to race when you have cars all around you. It's racing all the time. The Nationwide-car didn't turn anywhere. That's why it wasn't as cool as the truck-race was.

Are we going to see Räikkönen in Nascar-races in the future?

– I don't know. Let's see. I could go there if I wanted to but like I said I haven't thought about next year at all.

Räikkönen was expected to go to the States again last weekend for the Watkins Glen's Nascar-race. Actually they tried to lure the him there very much after one Sprint Cup -driver was injured and his car was offered to Räikkönen.

– I just didn't want to go there. Besides the race was postponed by a day and I wouldn't have got here in Germany for recce then, Räikkönen said.

Turun Sanomat, Trier

HEIKKI KULTA

Courtesy: Nicole

LEWIS HAMILTON’S REVVING ’N’ READY

Lewis Hamilton's craving for a second Formula One world title has filled him with fighting talk

And he can’t wait to quit his holiday and start racing again.

The four-week break couldn’t have come at a worse time for 2008 champion Hammy.

McLaren have enjoyed back-to-back wins via Hamilton and Jenson Button.

The next round is in Belgium on August 28 and Hamilton said: “I am 88 points behind but it is not an impossible task.

“It’s a shame we didn’t have another race straight away but there’s nothing we could do about that. There are 200 points up for grabs and I will enter all the races believing I can win them.

“It is going to be an exciting run-down to the last race in Brazil and I can’t wait for the next round in Belgium.

“Our car’s pace is there right now as we have shown with our wins, mine in Germany with the fastest lap and Jenson’s in Hungary.

“The car’s on song because of our excellent qualifying pace at both.”

Source: Daily Star

Speed combined the friends

Singer Arttu Wiskari's quick rise to fame has brought a lot of good things. Like for example friendship with Kimi Räikkönen

Those who have an accurate eye, may already have noticed that Kimi Räikkönen is on Arttu Wiskari's latest video 'sorateiden sankarit' (heroes on gravel roads).

- I knew Kimi's former karting mechanic from his karting-times, the singer reveals.

Wiskari organised a private gig for Räikkönen. There he sang all the songs.

- Kimi is a damn nice guy.

Räikkönen made his debut on 'Sorateiden Sankarit' -music video that was shot in Nuuksio for 4-5 hours.

- Kimi delivered it home. Kimi is used to let loose, it didn't demand much practice for that, Arttu laughs.

It's been almost two months since Wiskari's debut cd was published. He ran straight away to the shops to see if it would even sell somewhere.

- It wasn't yet on the shelfs in Anttila. I went later to Prisma. The feeling was unbelievable, I just looked at it. I didn't buy it.

Wiskari had the same evening his debut gig in restaurant Le Bonk, which was packed with people. In the concert people sang along with the songs - some tears even flooded during the son Tuntematon potilas (Unknown patient).

At the moment Tuntematon potilas is the most played song on the radio lists and the cd sold gold within two weeks from when it was released. So far it has sold 15.000 albums.

- We have been tweaking this for many years and you can never be sure of what will touch. Due to this song many have found a mutual touching ground, the singer thinks.

Originally the song is about Wiskari's grandfather, who died of dementia. Many have been able to deal with the feelings of letting go through the song.

Despite the success of the song Tuntematon potilas, Mökkitie (cottage road) is still Wiskari's favorite song, because it was made without any aids.

- There's been a lot of luck involved in this, the stars were in the right position.

Wiskari's life has changed a lot during the last two months.

Earlier nobody recognised him, now many do. Also they have more gigs and the man has had time to be in his real job as iron-salesman only for four days. All weekends are booked for the rest of the year and they are also planning on releasing a new album in the end of year 2012.

In the midst of success Arttu keeps Grandma's words as his guideline:

- Grandma always said that 'keep your voice and your head to yourself'.

Here is the video with Kimi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXemDBfP4Js

Source: Ilta-Sanomat, paper edition
Courtesy: Nicole

Villeneuve: Räikkönen a champion by sheer luck

The 1997 F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve made a controversial comment on Kimi Räikkönen: the Canadian states Räikkönen did not deserve his title. Felipe Massa, Villeneuve suggests, did, however.

- If Kimi won the championship, it was by luck, he certainly didn't deserve it, Villeneuve told the Brazilian website TotalRace.

- Felipe was a lot more deserving. He was always more capable than Kimi and it was easy to beat him, he continued.

"I don't get people who criticise Massa"

Villeneuve came down hard on Räikkönen, while having Massa's critics have it.

- He has won races and almost a title, perhaps two. He's a great driver. At the moment he is driving strongly for Ferrari. I don't get people who criticise him, he concluded.

Source: RacingFlashNews

Räikkönen, Oliveira confirmed for Rally Australia

Following speculation to the contrary, Kimi Räikkönen has now confirmed his presence on next month's Rally Australia - where he will be joined by Daniel Oliveira and the Brazil World Rally Team

Former F1 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen and the Brazil World Rally Team have both confirmed their presence on next month's Rally Australia – an event that has been billed as the 'Ultimate Dust-Up Down Under'.

There had been speculation that Raikkonen and his ICE 1 Racing Team-prepared Citroën DS3 WRC would not make the trip out to New South Wales' Coffs Coast to participate in the tenth leg of the 2011 World Rally Championship from 8-11 September in its new venue. The Finn has not competed in the country since the 2009 Australian Grand Prix around Melbourne's Albert Park, a race he failed to finish after suffering differential failure.

Meanwhile, the privateer Brazil World Rally Team will fly the flag for the iconic MINI brand on the event, with Daniel Oliveira behind the wheel of the MINI John Cooper Works WRC as part of his three-year driver development programme alongside Portuguese navigator Carlos Magalhaes.

The official Prodrive-run MINI effort is limiting itself to European rounds for its debut WRC campaign, but the David Richards-led operation will nonetheless provide operational and technical support for the Brazil World Rally Team. Rally Australia general manager Michael Masi contends that it will be an event not to be missed.

“The WRC is a dazzling spectacle played out in 13 locations around the globe,” he enthused. “This will be the 21st Rally Australia, but the first time people will be able to see it in this beautiful part of New South Wales. It will be an opportunity for spectators of all kinds to witness the skills of these spectacular drivers and experience all the exciting atmosphere of a world championship contest.

“They're the gravel masters, riding their turbocharged machines from rest to 100km/h in three seconds, racing through the forests at more than 160km/h, jumping and sliding at impossible speeds. Spectators won't have seen anything like it – it's a stunning, unforgettable experience.”

Source: Crash.net

Director behind Lauda film revealed

Ron Howard to direct movie about Niki Lauda and James Hunt's title fight

The director planning a film about the 1976 F1 title fight between Niki Lauda and eventual champion James Hunt has been revealed as Ron Howard – the man best known for playing Richie Cunningham in the hit TV show Happy Days and for winning an Oscar as director of A Beautiful Mind.

A new script has been written by Peter Morgan following the events of the 1976 campaign, which featured Lauda's horrific accident at the Nordschleife and saw Hunt take the title after a rain-hit finale at Fuji – which Lauda pulled out of over safety concerns as heavy rain fell.

Howard is now set to start work on the film, which has been given a working title of Rush, with the focus being on the relationship between rivals Lauda and Hunt as the title fight developed.

"I got sent the script by Peter and I liked it very much - it blew me away, in fact,” Howard was quited by The National. “It's a great story, it's a remarkable story and, as all F1 fans know, it nearly ended tragically when Niki Lauda crashed into the barriers while travelling real fast and his car burst into flames.

"Amazingly, he survived but he was clearly in a bad way, but even more amazingly he missed just two races and returned for the Grand Prix in Italy.

"It's a European film and so the budget's going to be set accordingly. But I think it will still work with American audiences. Even though Nascar is king in the States, a lot of people love F1 and even more people like a good story and this is just that."

Source: Crash.net

Hamilton to end long distance relationship

McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton and his pop star partner Nicole Scherzinger have endured a long distance (trans-Atlantic) relationship over the past few years but are on course to change by settling together in Europe.

Speaking to Bild am Sonntag, Hamilton revealed, “Nicole and I are currently busy with our careers. It is still not the right time in our relationship to get married. Just as it is now, we are happy.”

However the 2008 Formula 1 world champion confirmed, “A long distance relationship is hard. The time zones, the miserable long flights. But now we are planning that Nicole moves in with me and we want to build a house together.”

Hamilton says that Scherzinger, now a solo performer after being part of the Pussycat Dolls until 2010, will be based in Europe “There are good recording studios here. Her last album was recorded in Nice [France]” Hamilton said.

Source: YallaF1

Kimi Räikkönen made German reporter angry

Kimi Räikkönen was able to make a German reporter angry during his testing journey in Germany. The reporter wrote about his feeling in a local newspaper. Kimi spend last weekend at the Baumholder military area testing his WRC car for the next week's rally at Germany.

Reporter of the local Rhein-Zeitung newspaper tried to get comments from the Finnish star, but Iceman's mouth was shut because of his timetable problems.

- Kimi Räikkönen behaved again like his nickname Iceman. He confirmed his nickname by behaving very cold towards the media, the reporter of the Rhein-Zeitung wrote.

Instead of interview: a cup of coffee and excuses

The German reporter tells there was no possibility to get even a small talk with Räikkönen.

- Instead of an interview, he prefered to relax and drink coffee.

The reporter lost his temper when Kimi packed his stuff and was leaving to the Frankfurt-Hahn airport, where his private jet was waiting.

- He thought for a pretty long time for excuses to say 'no' to a small interview, and then he just relaxed waved his hand and said: 'I must get to the plain'.

- Actually, private jets never start and leave without the passenger. Not even the private jet of the Iceman Kimi Räikkönen, the text ends.

Source: RacingNewsFlash

Kimi's Column: The last day's speed the best

Kimi Rally Finland review in Finnish 2011

That was my third Jyskälä. I got 9th position and first WC-points from my home race. The weekend was okay, but once again it became clear that it's a difficult rally, seriously, it's one of the most difficult rallies.

We had a tricky start. We took it a bit too carefully. I couldn't find the rythm, no matter what. Then at the last day it started to go well. In the morning the times were probably the best we have got the whole year. I'm sure that the pace was more or less the pace we have at this point.

Then the racing stopped on the second Leustu SS.

There was a rock in the track. The wing's bottom hit there. The car jumped a bit, we spinned and there was somekind of a fence. First we thought it had only touched, but that's where it halted. The rear touched and the front hit the fence.

After that we didn't have a wing anymore, and when there's no wing the air goes straight under the car. Since the front bumper didn't work, there was nothing we could do in the corners because the front is taking off all the time, in every direction. All air goes underneath and and twists the rear tyre.

Without this fuss we would probably had been a few positions better in the endresults. We would have gone past Henning Solberg. But it's nothing. This time it just went like this.

I'm totally satisfied with the last day, we tried to even drive. It felt at once that we are in ok speed.

Now we have done five rallies this year and finished and scored points each time. You get good vibes when you feel that every rally has gone better than last year.

Now we go from gravel to tarmac. We test a couple of days in Germany and are better prepared for Germany's rally in a few weeks.

We haven't drove at all on tarmac with this car. In testing we will see how it goes, but usually these Citroens have been quite good on tarmac roads.

Source: KIMIRAIKKONEN.COM
Courtesy: Nicole

Photos: Fernando Alonso at Wrooom Summer 2011

Fernando Alonso speaks to the media during his day at the Wrooom Summer retreat

Fernando Alonso’s day in the Dolomites finished with a visit to the falls at Mezzo di Vallesinella, a jewel tucked away a few kilometres from the area of the Trentino mountain. From there it was just a short mountain bike dash to the hotel which hosts the journalists and event staff.

“The bicycle is one of my great passions and in this two week break, I will not miss the opportunity for some training on two wheels,” said Fernando, who is quite capable of racking up a hundred kilometres a day when his training is reaching its peak. “Now I need to unwind a bit: the same goes for me as for the whole team, because July was really a very stressful month. We will need to have our batteries fully charged, because from Spa onwards, we can expect three months of doing everything in one go, with the last two races in Europe and then the final run, which will take us back and forth from one side of the world to the other.”

Fernando’s target is very simple: “We must try and win as many races as possible. We are realistic and the championship situation is what it is, but we have seen so often that there can be sudden reversals. And after all, we are Ferrari and we have a moral obligation, especially for the millions of fans spread around the world, to always think of the maximum goal. We can’t ever say we will tackle eight races without having the championship in the back of our mind: we will always have an eye on the title, at least until there is no longer the slightest chance. Of course we must start winning and we have to hope that Vettel makes a few mistakes or has some problems.”

Chatting with the journalists, Fernando managed to find a good reason to win every race still to go. “In Spa I have never won in Formula 1 and it would be nice to do that, then comes Monza which is special and I would like to feel again the amazing feeling I got from it last year,” said the Ferrari man.

“As for Singapore, I have already won twice and I got on the podium a third time: a magic race for me. Winning at Suzuka is great because of the nature of the track and I’ve already managed it in Korea, so doing the double would be welcome, just as it would be to write my name on the first line of the winners’ list for the Indian Grand Prix. Abu Dhabi? Well, you all know I would love to cancel out the horrible memories linked to that track… And Brazil is where I won both my world titles!” recalled the Spaniard.

Alonso did not want to make any promises he might not be able to keep, especially for the fans. “Formula 1 is too complicated a sport to make declarations. It requires everyone to give their all in order to win and the genius of an individual is not enough. If you look at Adrian Newey, it’s not a case of him turning up at Red Bull and at a stroke, creating a winning car with a magic wand. It took years for all the team to reach the level it is at now. It takes great people, structures and, clearly a little pinch of genius. I am convinced we too have that genius.”

Source: YallaF1

Domenicali: I'd Still Want To Sign Lewis

Stefano Domenicali claims Lewis Hamilton's at times erratic performances this season have not put him off the McLaren driver

Domenicali has in the past made it known that he would welcome Hamilton at Ferrari, partnering the Brit with his former team-mate Fernando Alonso.

However, some could argue that Hamilton has not exactly made himself a welcome prospect to rivals teams with his topsy-turvy campaign.

While the 2008 World Champ has put in some fantastic drives this season, he has also caused a great deal of controversy by crashing into others, visiting the stewards and making one rather ill-advised comment.

But despite his woes, Domenicali says he would still be interested in signing Hamilton.

"Not at all," he told the Daily Telegraph when asked if he 'had been at all put off by Hamilton's erratic behaviour this year.'

"I always state that in my view the top three drivers in the Championship are Fernando, Lewis and Sebastian. And from that point of view my attitude has not changed one bit. But I'm concentrating on my drivers at the moment.

"I can understand the criticism he has received because I know how this sport works, not only with Lewis but also with our drivers. It is part of the game.

"And when a driver has such great potential you hope to see him behave a different way in certain situations but that is the nature of different drivers."

The team bosses added that he in fact admires Hamilton's do-or-die attitude.

"As far as I can see from the outside Lewis is always in attack mode. It's funny sometimes behind a Safety Car you hear all the drivers saying 'No way, I cannot see anything'.

"And then you get Lewis and he is saying 'No, no. Let's go for it'. And for a driver to have this attitude is a great thing."

However, in a separate interview on Ferrari's website, he conceded the unlikelihood of Hamilton ever racing for the Italian stable.

"I am pleased he said never say never on the subject of Ferrari, in fact it is logical that everyone aspires to come to Maranello sooner or later, given what we represent in the history of this sport.

"Having said that, I don't think the question will arise, neither in the short nor in the long term.

"For the Ferrari of the future, I believe the right combination is to have one well established driver with great experience, alongside a talented youngster on the way up. I do not think that, with the pressure we are under, we can consider having two youngsters in the team at the same time."

The team boss also revealed that Ferrari will soon switch their entire focus to next year's car in order to ensure they avoid another "difficult" start to a campaign.

"Our target at the moment is really to stop in September and move to the new project. And okay, if you have to do some fine-tuning you can do it, but otherwise you will lose a lot of time on development of the new car.

The more time we can spend on the wind tunnel the better. Because for sure what I really want to avoid is another difficult winter like the last two years.

"Last year for instance we had a fantastic second half of the season - incredible - and could have won the World Championship. But this year we did not start so well. So this year our priority is to have a much better winter."

Source: Planet-F1

Video: Wrooom Summer 2011 - Interviews with Stefano Domenicali and Fernando Alonso

The interviews with Stefano Domenicali and Fernando Alonso on the occasion of the event organised in Madonna di Campiglio in collaboration with Philip Morris International with the participation of the Italian and international press



source: ferrariworld

Vettel focused on winning races despite big lead

Championship leader Sebastian Vettel wants to get back to winning races so he can wrap up his second straight world title in style instead of cautiously picking up points when Formula One returns from a break in late August

The German extended his lead to 85 points over Red Bull team mate Mark Webber thanks to his second place finish at Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix behind McLaren's Jenson Button.

After a run of six victories in the first eight races, Vettel has not won for three grands prix but it is not for the want of trying.

"I don't think about the championship when I'm racing. I think about trying to win," he told reporters.

"There are still so many races to go so our target has to be to win races and I can tell you that we still feel very hungry, I feel very hungry -- hungry in Hungary -- to win races, full stop."

Vettel has never been so far ahead this season and the chances of anyone denying him the title are as remote as any car other than a Red Bull, McLaren or Ferrari winning the next race in Belgium on August 28.

The big three are utterly dominant with McLaren and Ferrari having caught up with Red Bull after Vettel's team stormed away in the first half of the year.

The final eight races should offer excitement on their own but the title run-in could be a damp squib like the weather in usually hot Hungary, in total contrast to the nail-biting ending last season when Vettel only triumphed in the last race.

"FAR BEHIND"

Despite wanting to seal back-to-back glory with a bang, the German still realises the importance of taking points when not in the best of form -- as he was on Sunday when twice overtaken by the McLarens while struggling in the wet.

"Looking at the championship it was a good race with a lot of people finishing behind us, except Jenson, so we will see. There's still a very long way to go and we see with the races like this especially, how quickly things can change," Vettel said.

"Still, I know it's good points today."

Race winner Button had a similar experience when he won the 2009 world championship with Brawn GP. He had streaked away at the start of the year only for the wins to dry up in the second half.

Unlike Vettel, the Briton really did have to scrap around for every point in the run-in and only just clinched the championship with a cash-strapped team as opposed to the financial power of Red Bull.

His hopes of coming anywhere near Vettel at the end of this season are over with Button fifth in the standings despite winning on his 200th Grand Prix start at the track where he first triumphed in F1 in 2006.

He enjoyed the moment anyway.

"I'm not going to look at the points, I'm so far behind," said the Briton, who now heads for a holiday in Hawaii during the mid-season break.

"But I think if we can do what we did here with the package we have we can do very well this year. But points aren't of importance at the moment, it's race results."

Source: Reuters Sport

Lewis: It was really my fault

Lewis Hamilton admits he's looking forward to getting his "head back into gear" following a "disappointing" result in Hungary

Lewis Hamilton will adopt a degree of self-reflection during a summer holiday in which he is also determined to have some fun.

It has been a rollercoaster year so far for Hamilton, encapsulated by the past two back-to-back races - triumphant one weekend, and a case of what might have been the next.

In Germany nine days ago, Hamilton's critics were left eating their words as he drove peerlessly to take the flag and reinvigorate his season.

Then in Hungary on Sunday, with victory again in his grasp, the 26-year-old spun his McLaren, sparking a chain of events that included a poor call on tyres and a drive-through penalty.

Instead, it was team-mate Jenson Button who grabbed the win to put the icing on the cake of his 200th grands prix, while Hamilton was 48 seconds down the road in fourth.

"It was a shame we didn't get a one-two, but that was really my fault. (I'm) sorry for the team we didn't," said Hamilton.

"I'm disappointed with myself, but it's holiday now and I'm going to go and have some fun.

"I'm relaxed, relieved. I'm looking forward to going away after what was a tricky race and getting my head back into gear.

"I need to have a think about what went wrong, a mistake on the track and other things, but at least the team got some good points."

Hamilton was arguably being too hard on himself as his error was simply one of those things given the conditions, rather than any case of him being aggressive.

As for the 'donut' in straightening his car, but which forced Paul di Resta off track and so led to the drive-through penalty, again that was his natural exuberance and not anything hostile.

At least Hamilton can console himself with the fact McLaren have caught up with rivals Red Bull on the track, with the team winning three of the past five races.

"The team have done a fantastic job to get us where we are," added Hamilton, who trails championship leader Sebastian Vettel by 88 points, with Button 100 down.

"For me and Jenson to both be the most competitive at the weekend I think is a fantastic way to go into the break.

"I still feel like I let the team down a little, but we'll bounce back at the next race (in Belgium on August 28)."

Source: Sportinglife