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Ferrari say will not block Schumacher deal

admin — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:41:17 +0000

Ferrari say will not block Schumacher deal
Ferrari will not stand in Michael Schumacher\’s way if the seven-times Formula One world champion decides to come out of retirement and race for Mercedes, president Luca di Montezemolo told Reuters on Monday.

Seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher of Germany gestures from a kart in his hometown Kerpen, near Cologne, December 13, 2009. Schumacher is close to signing a deal with Mercedes to come out of retirement and compete in Formula One next year, Germany\’s Bild newspaper reported on Saturday. [Agencies]
The 40-year-old German has worked as a consultant for the Italian team since retiring at the end of 2006 but reports say he is close to signing with Mercedes, who have taken over world champions Brawn.
The Mercedes team is run by Ross Brawn, the former Ferrari and Benetton technical director who helped Schumacher to all his titles.
Schumacher announced in September that he would work as a consultant for Ferrari for another three years. Asked if Ferrari would enforce the deal, Montezemolo said: "No, not binding."
"It\’s clear that if he decides to take another road our (consultancy) agreement will no longer be valid, that is logical. You can\’t work with a competitor and with us at the same time," Montezemolo told Reuters in an interview.
"I still haven\’t spoken to him about it. He is only a dear friend, not a team member. He is a consultant for our road cars."
Schumacher was forced to abort plans for a Formula One comeback with Ferrari because of fitness concerns in August.
NECK INJURY
He was due to replace the injured Felipe Massa but pulled out following medical checks on a neck injury sustained in a motorcycle accident earlier this year that caused him pain during testing.
Ferrari had talked about including him in their 2010 lineup as a possible third driver but those plans came to nothing with the arrival of new teams and the expansion of the starting grid from 20 to 26 cars.
Germany\’s Bild newspaper reported on Saturday that Schumacher was close to a deal with Mercedes, whose sportscar team he raced for before entering Formula One in 1991.
Mercedes GP chief executive Nick Fry said last week that a Schumacher comeback would be good for Formula One while German driver Nico Rosberg, who has signed for Mercedes for next season, said he would welcome him as a team mate.
"I hope that my team mate will be sorted out pretty soon and at the moment the rumours are very strong for Michael Schumacher," he said in a promotional video for Mercedes filmed in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
"I have no idea if it is true or not but obviously if he would join that would be an absolutely fantastic move," added the 24-year-old, who overlapped for one season with Schumacher in Formula One.
"It would be a big challenge, a great experience and so I think it would be a good thing," he said of how it would feel to race against Schumacher.

McLaren say 2010 car will be more aggressive

admin — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:40:17 +0000

McLaren say 2010 car will be more aggressive
Formula One world champion Jenson Button will start next season with a more aggressively designed McLaren than the one Lewis Hamilton struggled with for much of this year.
"It\’s still too early to be able to say with any confidence how competitive we\’ll be," engineering director Paddy Lowe said in a Q&A provided by the Mercedes-powered team on Monday.
"All we can say with any certainty is that we\’ve approached this (20010) car more aggressively than we perhaps have in the past."
Mercedes have taken over Brawn GP, who won both titles this year. Button has since moved from Brawn to McLaren, where he will partner 2008 world champion Hamilton.
"We\’ve used the knowledge we gained from heavily developing (the) MP4-24 (car during the 2009 season) to stand us in good stead with the 25," Lowe added.
"We feel we\’re making very good progress, but, equally, we know there are some very capable teams out there too. I\’d be surprised if Red Bull Racing and Ferrari don\’t come out with very strong packages and I think Mercedes GP will produce another extremely quick car."
McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale said the team were looking forward to the new pairing.
"We know that Jenson is fully capable of learning very quickly, taking things onboard and absorbing information fast," he said.
"In fact, we are looking forward to that hunger – it will be about how we prioritise his arrival in January to take best advantage of that desire to learn and improve."
Team principal Martin Whitmarsh said McLaren, who have not won a constructors\’ title since 1998 and finished third overall this year, were well-equipped to manage the pair.
"We feel confident that, as an organisation, we\’ll be able to manage the demands and expectations of our drivers," he said.
"Lewis and Jenson are both world champions, they know what it takes to win, and I\’m sure they\’ll both be very motivated to push each other to deliver even greater results.
"It\’s my job to positively harness that competitiveness for the greater benefit of the team."

Renault echoes Ferrari pullout threat

admin — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:39:17 +0000

Renault echoes Ferrari pullout threat
Former champion Renault followed Ferrari\’s lead yesterday and threatened to quit Formula One at the end of the season unless the governing body rewrites the 2010 rules.

"If the decisions announced by the (FIA) World Council on the 29th of April 2009 are not revised, we have no choice but to withdraw from the FIA Formula One World Championship at the end of 2009," team boss Flavio Briatore said in a statement.

Champion Ferrari, Formula One\’s glamour team which has competed in every championship since 1950, issued a similar threat on Tuesday in response to the introduction of an optional 40 million pound (US$60.68 million) budget cap.

Toyota and the two Red Bull-owned teams have also said they cannot enter what would amount to a two-tier championship, meaning that half of the sport\’s 10 existing teams have now threatened to leave.

The teams\’ stance has raised the stakes considerably in a war of words with the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA), led by Max Mosley.

Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo and the teams are scheduled to meet the Briton and Formula One\’s commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone at a hotel near London\’s Heathrow Airport tomorrow.

"I hope common sense will prevail because the last thing we want to do is lose any of the manufacturers or teams currently in Formula One," Ecclestone, who has said Formula One and Ferrari need each other, told the Times newspaper.

Under the 2010 regulations, those teams accepting the cap would have far greater technical freedom than those continuing with unlimited budgets in order to level the playing field and encourage new entrants.

Teams can opt out of the budget cap but must adhere to the current regulations. Those teams agreeing to the cap will be allowed a more powerful engine and aerodynamic aids, both of which should considerably boost performance.

Renault, champion with Spaniard Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006, said it had been forced to reconsider because of the risk of a two-tier series.

The French manufacturer also expressed frustration that the FIA had "completely ignored" the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA)\’s own cost-saving proposals.

"Our aim is to reduce costs while maintaining the high standards that make Formula One one of the most prestigious brands on the market," said Briatore.

"We want to achieve this in a coordinated manner with the regulatory and commercial bodies, and we refuse to accept unilateral governance handed out by the FIA."

Renault Team President Bernard Rey added that the manufacturer remained committed to the sport but could not be involved "in a championship operating with different sets of rules.

"If such rules are put into effect, we will be forced to pull out at the end of this season," he added.

Ferrari has won the constructors\’ championship eight of the last 10 seasons, with Renault winning the other two.

Renault, which won the constructors\’ championship in 2005 and 2006, is second to newcomer Brawn GP, formerly Honda, after five races this season.

Massa aims to return for Brazilian GP

admin — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:38:17 +0000

Massa aims to return for Brazilian GP
Ferrari driver Felipe Massa planned on returning to action in October\’s Brazilian Grand Prix following his life-threatening injuries in Fomula One\’s Hungary stop.
The Brazilian told local media Globo TV late Sunday that he plans to be back in action for the October 18 race if his weekly test results are good.
Massa said his left eye had not yet fully healed.
The 28-year-old crashed into the tyre wall and sustained multiple skull fractures at the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 25 that left him hospitalized for nine days.
He is resting in Brazil after released from hospital and undergoes weekly tests to monitor the progress of his injuries.
Before the crash, Massa was seventh in the drivers\’ standings with 22 points. His best result had been a third-place finish at the German GP on July 12.

Mallya expects to score points at Valencia GP

admin — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:38:17 +0000

Mallya expects to score points at Valencia GP
Force India is making significant changes to its car in its quest for a first point in Formula One this weekend.

Team principal Vijay Mallya said aerodynamic developments for Sunday\’s European Grand Prix in Valencia included a new floor, bargeboard area and front wing.

"We should definitely be Q2 (the second stage of qualifying), maybe even the top of Q2 in Valencia and beyond," the Indian drinks and aviation tycoon said in a preview for the race in Spain.

"I\’m quite optimistic as we\’re also working on more upgrades for the final races of the season so fingers crossed we should be able to maintain our momentum.

"There\’s more to come for Singapore as well in the latter part of the year so if we continue on our trajectory now we\’re looking quite good, on target with the goals we set at the start of the year."

Force India has the same Mercedes engines as championship leaders Brawn GP and McLaren, winners in Hungary last month with world champion Lewis Hamilton, but has struggled to get close to the points.

Italian Giancarlo Fisichella finished ninth in Monaco while Germany\’s Adrian Sutil qualified seventh for last month\’s German Grand Prix and ran as high as second before colliding with Ferrari\’s Kimi Raikkonen.

"Every upgrade we\’ve introduced so far this year has really made a difference so I have a lot of confidence that this will move us forward as well," said Sutil.

"The car is getting better and better to drive and with another upgrade I hope we will really be in the midfield now and in the hunt for points."

Brown: Mercedes Station Bahrain GP still below the peak of the newly upgraded _

admin — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:18:17 +0000

NEW YORK, March 1 report: This year all the F1 pre-season testing has ended, Mercedes GP team leader Ross Brawn at the Barcelona circuit on-site interview, the team estimates the current strength, he considered that Mercedes is close to the level of GP holds many lessons for top teams, but not a temporary stop to the top. Over the past few weeks, the team has completed four F1 pre-season test in Barcelona at the just-concluded F1 group test, the Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher\’s four-day comprehensive lap top the eighth and ninth, respectively. Brown, summing up the Barcelona test, said: "I think we have a good result for the location of a stroke near enough, but we have not yet in the last year (won) the advantages of position. I think that others have not reached these levels. " "In the beginning of the test phase, Ferrari seems to be dominant, but now you have to admit that test scores from the point of view, the team is quite different from the small." Brown MGP W01 car upgrades are confident that the follow-up He felt that these upgrades can help its two drivers in the new season opener – Bahrain F1 Grand Prix, rushed in front. "We are still away from the location you want a certain distance, but I think this distance is not great, or can be achieved. We have prepared for the Bahrain Grand Prix brand new upgrade kit, and I hope it makes the situation of the game some changes. "Brown, the last added. (This article Source: NEW YORK Author: Oli)

Schumacher recovered to win the first battle Moxi statement: In fact, we set the

admin — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:18:17 +0000

NEW YORK, February 28 reports: 6 week old Schumacher Michael Schumacher Although there is no measuring MGP W01 playing pro racing, but he also did not idle, he was next to try to speculate on the track with the situation in this year\’s championship. When a reporter asked him this year, who will be the favorites when the Ferrari of Michael Schumacher himself out and then old rival Fernando Alonso\’s name. "I think Felipe (Massa) and Fernando (Alonso) is now take aim, the (competition for the season championship) goal." Schumacher said, "Their work was very good, the situation also looks very promising. I understand that teams (Ferrari), so I know that they are now reasonably happy. In this regard, I did not feel surprised. " Looking back in 2005 and 2006 season, Alonso was twice the effectiveness of the track to beat Ferrari\’s Michael Schumacher, grab the F1 championship trophy. 2006 end of the season, Schumacher will bid farewell to F1. But this year, Schumacher Youyi Mercedes GP driver to return to the top-level event status. But even if there are seven championship trophies, 91 race wins in the hands of Michael Schumacher, but also had admitted that he could not control the situation on the F1 track. "I do not know which people are already playing all the cards, but now there are several teams looked very competitive." Schumacher Friday due to the completion of testing after the said, "Mercedes is almost no hope of winning in Bahrain GP champion" However, Saturday Rosberg suddenly broke out a game for the fastest lap, on-site reporters have repeated the phrase so many of Michael Schumacher fans incessantly depressed the "prophecy" To this, Schumacher is explained, it seems There go back on. "Yesterday I am a little too pessimistic, but I also do not know the specific data ah. It was just an initial feeling of nothing. But it looks like this situation – our fuel load seems to be more than the opponent some, so we are not before the lap out of color. from the just received the results and data point of view, we are not bad, the situation is good. " (This article Source: NEW YORK Author: Oli)

Nico Rosberg: Mercedes-Benz made rapid progress in race simulation comparable to

admin — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:17:17 +0000

NEW YORK, February 28 reports: Week 6, despite the de Catalunya Circuit over the poor weather conditions, but the Mercedes-GP driver Nico Rosberg is still early to have made Barcelona the third day of F1 pre-season testing of the fastest lap, so that the masses opponent far behind. At this point, Rosberg also completed the 2010 season opener – Bahrain Grand Prix all the pre-season tests before the task Sunday will be replaced with his teammate Michael Schumacher to play. Nico Rosberg was mainly carried out the morning practice simulation, and has done some race car set-up work related to the afternoon before he started the race simulation. Although many of the intermittent rain to the team\’s test plan have been affected, but Rosberg is still driving a car MGP W01 completed 128 laps, testing mileage is about 600 km. He made the dry ground in the morning is also a full-parameter measurement results in the fastest drivers. Nico Rosberg summed up the day of testing their own situation: "We have run very smoothly, in the chassis set-up has made significant progress. In the past few days, we\’re not able to play out of the car full potential. However, we Today, in the right direction, a major step forward. morning we did a lot of step by step, great changes have felt progress. " "This afternoon a very interesting long-distance test, since the other car was also carried out a similar test items, we have mastered a lot of information, we also carried out some time to compare. We still have much room for growth, but in general, Our state is already very bad. "teammate Michael Schumacher to be careful with the different, the young Rosberg confident of the performance of the Mercedes car. (This article Source: NEW YORK Author: Oli)

Alonso: First day of testing though not smooth but sudden failure of progress _

admin — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:16:17 +0000

NEW YORK, February 26 reports: Week 4, the representative of Spain Fernando Alonso Ferrari took part in the 2010 season, before his final round of the F1 team measured the first day of pre-season testing. Unfortunately, until stable performance with superior mouth-watering to make a public opponent of the new Ferrari F10 was tested in the morning, when an electronic system failure, and stopped on the track. Ferrari technicians spent several hours to fix the car Alonso, Alonso back onto the track until after lunch. Barcelona, Alonso\’s first day of testing the test of time and therefore shrink a lot. But Alonso was driving conducted aerodynamic upgrade F10 done some testing tasks, including carrying a similar paragraph in the F2008 car used by the shark fin hood. Finally, Alonso completed only 74 laps, a personal best 1 minute 24 seconds behind 170 lap table No. 7. After the test in the interview Alonso summed up the day of the test situation: "Today was not successful, but we still have to help. We in the car on board a number of new components of technical changes and to collect some data, to observe how these parts work. " "Now, we have to understand how to take advantage of these components. Today the track conditions are not too good, and some dirty, the wind getting bigger. We will participate in this circuit F1 race, in which event Road driving is always very interesting, because you will be exposed to such a test of some later game to face the situation. Overall, today\’s test it too badly. "Alonso finally added. (This article Source: NEW YORK Author: Oli)

Sebastian Vettel: This year, targeting the championship I would not be the press

admin — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:15:17 +0000

NEW YORK, February 24 reports: First F1 Grand Prix 2010 season approaches more and more recently, Red Bull driver Vettel in the interview also talked about the stress. Since many people put Vettel on the overall championship in the sequence, the pressure on the shoulders of the German teenager certainly is not light. But Vettel says he is not afraid of a new season to the overwhelming pressure. This year, the strength to attack the F1 championship season, the driver a lot more than a few years before, in this echelon, in addition to Vettel in addition there is Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Fernando A Alonso, Felipe Massa, Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg. Recalling the 2009 season, Vettel is only the individual points less than the overall champion Barton 9 am, very regrettable. This year, he also obviously felt the pressure a lot, but he think that these pressures will not cause trouble for him. "Indeed, the high expectations from the outside a lot," Vettel told, "Salzburg News" interview, said, "Based on the excellent performance of the 2009 season, we have become the favorite to win this year, which is also I am very proud. " "Nevertheless, there is no time to relax. You have to every one, every day of the test both to prove their strength, last year became the world champion is my goal. This year my goal has not changed. Pressure on whether to Since the outside world, I do not care. "Vettel said. Talked about this a few weeks of pre-season testing, Vettel added: "Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and our teams are all running in front. But many people are very close to the strength. So far, Farah Lee car looks very strong. But before the start of the new season, all teams will be in the car on the upgrade, so a lot of things will happen next. " (This article Source: NEW YORK Author: Oli)