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Rob
20th July 2010, 20:01
Felipe Massa is confidently talking about the upcoming race in Germany, underlining that "the balance sheet of the season so far does not match the expectations. But I'm convinced that I'll have a very competitive second half of the Championship". http://www.ferrari.com/English/Ferrari_TV/Pages/FerrariTVPlayer.aspx?c=Video&serverId=18472

Rob
20th July 2010, 20:03
With the Grand Prix on the Hockenheim in front of him, Fernando Alonso says he's "optimistic for the Championship, because our single-seater is competitive and the next races will be held on tracks, which favour our cars. We're still in the race for the title". http://www.ferrari.com/English/Ferrari_TV/Pages/FerrariTVPlayer.aspx?serverId=18471&c=Video&cat=13

www.ferrari.com

Rob
21st July 2010, 18:46
“Hoping for a normal race” July 21, 2010 · Posted by Felipe Massa

Tomorrow I fly to Germany for the start of what will be a very busy period, with two Grands Prix on consecutive Sundays. It might seem an unusual thing for a race driver to wish for, but my greatest hope is that I can have a normal race. If I think back to everything that happened to me in the last three races, sometimes I still find it hard to believe that I had so much bad luck: in Montreal and Silverstone I was involved in collisions on the opening lap and in Valencia, the Safety Car came at just the wrong time for me and ruined my race. In all three of those races, our Friday and Saturday performance had proved we had a competitive car, but I never managed to translate that potential into points on the Sunday. So, my main aim is to have a trouble-free weekend from start to finish: of course I wouldn’t be a racing driver if I did not have thoughts of winning the race, even if we know that, at the moment, Ferrari is up against some very strong opposition, but really, if there are no unusual incidents on Sunday and we can race to our full potential, then I will be satisfied, because if we manage to do that, then I am sure a good result is waiting for us.

It’s true you cannot do much about luck, good or bad, but in terms of being as well prepared as possible for this weekend, everyone at the factory has been working very hard since the last race and I have been to Maranello twice to have meetings with our engineers, to fully understand the new developments and then last Monday, I spent the day driving the Hockenheim track on our simulator, as well as taking part in more meetings. I have always enjoyed driving at this circuit and this year we will have the novelty of using slick tyres here for the first time, as last year’s race was held at the Nurburgring. The last time we came here, in 2008, I finished third and in 2006, I was second behind Michael (Schumacher) and in fact, I have always finished in the points here since I have been driving for Ferrari. In a way, I regret that I never got the chance to drive on the famous old Hockenheim layout, with its long straights through the forests, so this new version is the only one I know. I think the track characteristics should suit our car quite well and I hope we will be competitive there. We are pressing forward with the car development, even if it seemed much improved in the last few races and here we will have a new diffuser, which we will evaluate during Friday’s free practice. I am sure other teams will also be moving forward on the technical front, but we must just concentrate on our own job and not concern ourselves with that.

I have not done much else since the last race, because with two trips to Maranello and my usual physical training work, there has been plenty to keep me busy. To drive from my home in Monaco to the factory can take around four hours, sometimes more if there is traffic and although it can occasionally be a pleasant drive, especially in a Ferrari, I sometimes prefer to fly, in order to save time. Here in Monaco, it is very hot at the moment, which means it is perfect for endurance training outdoors and also for spending time relaxing with the family. There won’t be much time for that now until after the Hungarian Grand Prix, as we prepare to tackle two races that will be very important in terms of the final outcome of the championship.

Rob
21st July 2010, 18:48
“I remain confident because the car has improved”July 21, 2010 · Posted by Fernando Alonso

We’re about to begin a very important period for our season: in the next two races, in Germany and Hungary, it will be crucial to pick up a lot of points to stay in the race for the title. There’s no point in looking back and crying about it: we know that we will have to get everything right. Then we will bring home the results that we want, I have no doubt about that.

Last week I spent several days at Maranello. It was important to be close to the team in such a unique moment and we were also able to prepare for these two race weekends down to the smallest detail. I also took part in some events for the company and our main partners of Philip Morris – including the chance to drive a three-seater Formula 1 car, a really enjoyable experience.

Returning to the championship, I want to stress that my continued confidence isn’t unfounded but it’s based on fact. Our car has noticeably improved in recent weeks, as we even showed at Silverstone, a track that should have theoretically been hard for us. This year’s points system increases the value of the gaps but, at the same time, it allows you to make important gains: it’s clear that you have to get results. I assure you that I’ve sensed a great determination among the people who work at Maranello: we all want the same thing, which is to return to winning ways as soon as possible.

At Hockenheim we will have more new parts on the F10, in particular a new version of the diffuser. In Friday free practice we’ll see if it brings the effects we hope for. But I’m very confident, given that all the new parts we’ve introduced recently have worked as expected. The German track is one of the shortest in the calendar, which means that the gaps in qualifying will be smaller than elsewhere. So we will have to avoid even the slightest error on Saturday because two tenths more or less can be worth two rows on the starting grid.

www.ferrari.com

Rob
21st July 2010, 18:53
Felipe and Fernando both very positive, cannt wait see the new diffuser and see what gain we get from it. Forza Ferrari.

Suzie
22nd July 2010, 17:42
http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formula1/News/Interview/Pages/100722_F1_German_GP_Massa.aspx

Felipe Massa rushed from the team motorhome to the media motorhome to avoid the pouring rain, as he went for his usual Thursday appointment with the press. He was asked to sum up the first half of the season. “We have not had the results we expected and in particular, the last three races were the worst,” began the Brazilian. “What makes them really the worst is that we had all the potential to pick up a big number of points. But looking at the positive side, over the last two races, we saw an improvement in terms of car performance that will be useful of course for the second part of the championship. I hope we have a better time from now to the end of the season. Yes, there has been some bad luck and I believe in good and bad luck – what else would you call what happened to me at the final corner of the 2008 championship? But luck only plays a secondary part. In terms of my own difficulties on track, I have found it tough racing on the hard tyres, although much easier on the soft ones and I have tried to adapt my driving style accordingly. I prefer to drive a car with a lot of front grip, so even if I find a car with a lot of oversteer, but the front end is working properly, then I can work with the engineers to improve the rear end of the car. That is how I have always driven and this year’s narrow tyres have not helped my driving style.”

Even though this German GP weekend has not even started in terms of track action, the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver was asked what it would mean to him, returning to Hungary in one week’s time, to the scene of the accident that ended his 2009 season. “It will be something special, because of what happened to me last year, so I am really looking forward to going back to Hungary,” said Felipe. “It will be important on a personal level also, as I plan to go back to the hospital in Budapest, where they looked after me immediately after the accident. They took good care of me and I want to say hello to everyone and enjoy a conversation with them. If that sounds emotional, it is, because what happened to me last year was a significant moment in my life, a big thing and in one way very special from a human point of view.”

Suzie
22nd July 2010, 17:43
http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formula1/News/Interview/Pages/100722_F1_German_GP_alonso.aspx

Hockenheim, 22 July – Hot and sunny in Silverstone two weeks ago, cool and wet here in Hockenheim: the world of Formula 1 is full of surprises, but no surprise that, as usual, Fernando Alonso met the press at the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Media motorhome this afternoon in the Hockenheimring paddock. “I think it is always the right time to do it, to get the good results, not just here at this point in the season,” said the Spaniard when asked if scoring a lot of points here was vital for the championship. “It is not too late and will not be too late until the last two or three races, as there are still nine races to go with plenty of points on the table, so we must try and score points more regularly, as the zero score in Valencia and Silverstone was not very realistic; it did not represent what we can do and Ferrari is in a better position than it looks in the classification.”

If anyone was expecting to find a beaten man in Alonso, after a string of difficult weekends, they were wrong. “There have been some frustrating moments in the last two races, because we were having a very good weekend in Valencia, but came away with hardly any points, then the same at Silverstone, zero points after finally putting the Red Bulls under pressure,” he admitted. “But as I said I am very happy with the car now and still very motivated. Now we can fight for the championship and I am actually more confident about that than I was before, because even if the points gap is bigger, our car is improving race by race and so there is a possibility of being on the podium regularly. I think we can be very strong for the coming races. We cannot make up the gap in just one weekend but hopefully soon we can fight and close the gap. This weekend, the weather could play a role, as can the tyres, as we have the very hard and the supersoft compounds, which might make it harder to balance the car on both types of rubber. So there are many factors that we have to manage perfectly, if we are to win this weekend.

We just need to produce consistent races as we have four guys in front of us. If we do well, they cannot win all of them and if we just concentrate on our job and capitalise on our work on Sunday afternoons, we will be in a strong position again soon.”

Greig
22nd July 2010, 17:47
http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formula1/News/Interview/Pages/100722_F1_German_GP_Massa.aspx

Even though this German GP weekend has not even started in terms of track action, the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver was asked what it would mean to him, returning to Hungary in one week’s time, to the scene of the accident that ended his 2009 season. “It will be something special, because of what happened to me last year, so I am really looking forward to going back to Hungary,” said Felipe. “It will be important on a personal level also, as I plan to go back to the hospital in Budapest, where they looked after me immediately after the accident. They took good care of me and I want to say hello to everyone and enjoy a conversation with them. If that sounds emotional, it is, because what happened to me last year was a significant moment in my life, a big thing and in one way very special from a human point of view.”

:thumb

Tifosi
22nd July 2010, 17:59
:thumb

Suzie
22nd July 2010, 18:53
I'm looking forward to my imminent nervous breakdown when the photos of that no doubt emerge next weekend ;-)

F1ferrarifanUSA
22nd July 2010, 19:03
Tired of not seeing the red drivers on the podium. One two finish in Germany would make my day.

vcs316
23rd July 2010, 10:58
German GP - A rainy start

Hockenheim, 23 July – The first free practice session for the eleventh round of the Formula 1 World Championship, the German Grand Prix, has just ended under cloudy skies, having started in the rain, at the Hockenheim circuit. The rain eased off towards the second half and, come the end, Felipe Massa was second for Ferrari in 1.26.850, behind the Force India of Adrian Sutil (1.25.701) and ahead of Jenson Button in the McLaren (1.26.936.) Fernando Alonso set the nineteenth time, (1.29.684) having completed just fifteen laps in the other F10, opting to save his tyres for the afternoon, confident that the track conditions will be more settled. Both Ferrari men started on full wets, before switching to intermediates halfway through and then trying some practice starts at the end.

Heikki Kovalainen and Karun Chandhok did not take part, with Lotus’s Finn replaced by Malaysian test driver Fairuz Fauzy, while the Indian Force India driver was substituted by Japan’s Sakon Yamamoto.

The second free practice session gets underway at 14.00 this afternoon.

http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formula1/News/Headlines/Pages/100723_F1_germangp_A_rainy_start.aspx

racingbradley
23rd July 2010, 12:05
I'm looking forward to my imminent nervous breakdown when the photos of that no doubt emerge next weekend ;-)

Yip but I also expect to feel very proud of the way Felipe handles meeting all the hospital staff who saved his life. :thanks
As for the race weekend I am nervous already.;-)

vcs316
23rd July 2010, 16:08
German GP - Alonso first and Massa third in Free Practice 2

Hockenheim, July 23 – The Ferrari of Fernando Alonso set the fastest time (1.16.265) of the second session of free practice for the German Grand Prix that has just finished at Hockenheim. At the end of the 90-minute session the Spanish driver led the way, ahead of Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull (1.16.294) and his Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa (1.16.438). The session took place on a track with a dry line but that remained wet in some parts due to the morning’s rain at the German circuit.
On a first day of action that was complicated by the unstable weather conditions, the team managed to get through a good session, evaluating the performance of both tyre compounds. The Ferrari drivers carried out an important test on how the soft tyres behave with a high fuel load with an eye on the race before finishing on the harder set.

Tomorrow’s third and final session of free practice is scheduled for 11am in preparation for the decisive qualifying session.

http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formula1/News/Headlines/Pages/100723_F1_germangp_alonsofirst_massathird_in_free_ practice2.aspx

vcs316
23rd July 2010, 16:16
German GP - Dyer: "A productive day"

“It was quite a productive day. Despite the changing weather, which definitely didn’t help, we nevertheless managed to work through practically all the planned programme. We have a few new technical updates on the F10, which seem to have given us something extra in terms of car performance. We managed to evaluate both types of dry tyre and our drivers felt relatively comfortable with both the hard and the soft, and equally pleased with the car. On a track like this, the gaps are shortened, so we can expect a very close fight tomorrow in qualifying. Furthermore, today’s times have to be seen as less representative than usual given the rapid change in track conditions. Tomorrow’s forecast is for rain in the morning, while for qualifying, at least according to the latest bulletin from the middle of this afternoon, should take place in the dry, as should Sunday’s race.”

http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formula1/News/Interview/Pages/100723_f1_germangp_dyer_freepractice.aspx

Rob
23rd July 2010, 18:09
German GP - Massa: "A good start"7.23.2010

“A good start to the weekend here in Hockenheim, but it is still much too soon to say where we are compared to our main opponents. The changing weather conditions will play an important role and we must be as well prepared as possible to tackle the various possible scenarios: for example if qualifying takes place in the wet and the race in the dry. It will be important to understand the behaviour of the tyres and from what we can gather in similar conditions, the softs are pretty good, while the hards are definitely too hard for this track. The latest updates introduced on the F10 also seem to be working well, confirming the progress made on the car. I would like to take this occasion to congratulate Sauber on its forty years in racing: I started my Formula 1 career with them and I really hope they stay in this sport for a long time

Rob
23rd July 2010, 18:13
German GP - Domenicali: "Competitive behind Red Bull"7.23.2010

“Rain was the main feature of this Friday in Hockenheim. The first session was run almost entirely on a wet track, while rain threatened for much of the second one, finally arriving a few minutes after the chequered flag. The two Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro drivers completed a total of 114 laps: 50 for Fernando Alonso, who set the fastest time of the day overall and 64 for Felipe Massa, second fastest this morning in the wet. “It is always best to start a race weekend in this fashion, but we are perfectly aware that today’s results are even less meaningful than usual,” commented Stefano Domenicali. “Furthermore, at the last two races, we have seen our drivers in the top places on Friday afternoon and everyone knows how it ended up… But superstition apart, we wanted to get through our planned programme and we did so, despite the weather which was very changeable. Now we have to work towards qualifying, which I expect to be very closely contested and then the race. From what we have seen so far, the Red Bull is stll the quickest car, but we are competitive."

www.ferrari.com

Rob
23rd July 2010, 18:16
German GP – Rain ruins plans7.23.2010

Hockenheim, 23 July – This morning, the Formula 1 Circus which moved into Hockenheim yesterday for the eleventh round of the World Championship, woke up to find leaden skies and pouring rain with no break in the clouds. The bad weather, which is due to improve as from tomorrow for the rest of the weekend, looks like radically upsetting the work programme for the first free practice sessions today. Certainly this morning, there will be no chance to run a comparison test on the two types of tyre brought to the German track by Bridgestone: because of the unusual qualities of the track, the Japanese company has brought tyres from either end of its range, namely the super soft and the hard. All the crews can do is hope track conditions improve so that practice for this important round can return to normal in the run up to Sunday’s important race.

Rob
23rd July 2010, 18:18
German GP - An encouraging start7.23.2010

Hockenheim, 23 July – The rain that arrived yesterday in the Baden Wuerttenberg region that is home to the Hockenheimring was still with us at the track today, mainly in the morning, when the first ninety minutes of practice was held either in the rain or at least on a damp track. The second free practice session was held under ominous clouds, but apart from a few drops, it held off long enough for teams to carry out a proper evaluation of the dry specification Bridgestone tyres.

The Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro cars seemed competitive in all track conditions, as Felipe Massa was second fastest in the morning and third fastest in the afternoon, when his team-mate Fernando Alonso topped the time sheet, followed by the ever present Red Bull threat in the shape of Sebastian Vettel. Winner of the last round at Silverstone, Mark Webber, was fourth fastest in the other Red Bull, with Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher in their Mercedes finishing fifth and sixth to ensure there were three German drivers in the top six for their home race.

Needless to say, the changing weather made for a very busy, but somewhat erratic practice, but the Scuderia concentrated on its programme, which included evaluating some components on the F10, as part of the policy of introducing updates at every race. Despite today’s good showing, the Scuderia is keeping its feet firmly on the ground, as the changing track conditions made it even harder than usual to understand what all the teams were doing and timing runs dependent on the weather made a big difference to lap times. At the moment, there is no reason to believe that Red Bull will not be the dominant force in tomorrow’s grid-deciding qualifying session, but it is equally clear the Fernando and Felipe should definitely put up a good fight.

With the generally stormy weather affecting the area, accurate predictions are hard to come by, but the current status is that the rain tyres could be required in tomorrow morning’s final free practice session, but for the rest of the weekend, they can stay at the back of the garage. Either way, the fact the Hockenheim lap is quite short – Fernando’s quickest one today only took 1.16.265 – means that the whole field will be very closely matched, so that everything will have to work perfectly for qualifying as the slightest slip-up can mean the difference between a place on the front row or something much further down the order

www.ferrari.com

Rob
23rd July 2010, 18:19
I'm looking forward to my imminent nervous breakdown when the photos of that no doubt emerge next weekend ;-)

same here. Be very emotional next weekend.

Suzie
23rd July 2010, 18:22
same here. Be very emotional next weekend.

I'll think I'm going to boycott Q2 next weekend, will go and do the dishes or something. Don't really want to remember those moments from last year :-??

Rob
23rd July 2010, 18:31
I'll think I'm going to boycott Q2 next weekend, will go and do the dishes or something. Don't really want to remember those moments from last year :-??

;-) i know what you saying!! be hard to watch. He will do fine, (i know a week away but...)be great for podium and see him up there at Hungeroring. FANTASTIC!!! Looks as if we may be on for good weekend this weekend, well said this past few weeks. Im sure we be challenging RBR. Car looks great. Fernando is on it straight away and Felipe!!!

Rob
23rd July 2010, 18:32
Alonso: Ferrari needs perfect weekend

By Jonathan Noble and Pablo Elizalde Friday, July 23rd 2010, 14:54 GMT www.autosport.com

Fernando Alonso says he is hoping for a perfect German Grand Prix weekend to bounce back from the disappointment of the previous two races.

"The target is to finally have a perfect weekend," said Alonso, who has scored just four points in Valencia and Silverstone, after practice.

"We have done some good Fridays before, but we need to do a perfect Saturday and a perfect Sunday.

"If it is behind the Red Bull and we are not quick enough to challenge them then okay, but if we can be in front of them then even better," added the Spaniard, who finished on top of the times in Friday's second practice session.

Despite his quickest time, and despite Red Bull rivals saying Ferrari is looking very strong, Alonso downplayed his performance.

"Friday is not very representative of the times, and perhaps this Friday was even more strange because of the track conditions, which changed constantly," he told Spanish reporters.

"But we tested everything we wanted to test. Now we have to analyse all the data we have, but it was a positive Friday.

"But we won't know how competitive we are until tomorrow and the grid will not have changed radically from Silverstone to here and so McLaren, Red Bull and us will be up there."

Alonso is currently 47 points behind championship leader Lewis Hamilton, and the Spaniard says the main goal right now is to finish ahead of the Briton.

"You have to try to finish ahead of the leader so the gap doesn't increase," he said. "Right now it's a McLaren so we have to try to finish ahead of them to be less than 47 points away in the next race.

"If in the next race it's a Red Bull, then we'll have to try to finish ahead of that Red Bull and so on.

"Especially we need to have a better second half of the season, with more podiums."

Anni
23rd July 2010, 18:35
I'll think I'm going to boycott Q2 next weekend, will go and do the dishes or something. Don't really want to remember those moments from last year :-??

We will all be happy when Hungary is over. I keep telling myself is´s more then unlikely there will something happen again, but I can´t stop to think about Ralf Schumacher´s accident in Indianapolis 2004 and the accident in exactly the same corner one year later.
If we fans don´t like to see Hungary coming, how bad must Felipe´s family feel about it.

On sunday it will be exactly one year I am a Felipe Massa fan now!

Alonsomaniac
23rd July 2010, 20:53
http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formula1/News/Interview/Pages/100722_F1_German_GP_Massa.aspx

It will be something special, because of what happened to me last year, so I am really looking forward to going back to Hungary,” said Felipe. “It will be important on a personal level also, as I plan to go back to the hospital in Budapest, where they looked after me immediately after the accident. They took good care of me and I want to say hello to everyone and enjoy a conversation with them. If that sounds emotional, it is, because what happened to me last year was a significant moment in my life, a big thing and in one way very special from a human point of view.”

That's why I, being an Alonsofan, also like Felipe very much. He is just a great person - and also a very good driver of course.

vcs316
24th July 2010, 08:09
Ferrari testing Red Bull-like constant gas concept

One of Ferrari's developments for the F10 car this weekend is the Red Bull-like constant exhaust-gas pressure concept.

It emerged recently that Red Bull's dominance of the Q3 qualifying segment this year was due to a system that keeps exhaust gases flowing through the blown diffuser even when the driver is not on the throttle in slow corners.

Diario Sport claims that Ferrari's version was tested for the first time in Hockenheim practice.

Another Spanish newspaper, AS, said Ferrari, Renault and McLaren are known to be experimenting in the area of constant exhaust pressure.

Fernando Alonso topped the afternoon timesheet in Germany on Friday, but revealed that he still expects Red Bull to be setting the pace in qualifying.

"We know that Red Bull are the ones to beat on a Saturday," he said. "We hope that on this Saturday we can make it harder for them."

Maranello based Ferrari is still pushing ahead with developments for the 2010 car, but two pundits believe the Italian team is now out of the fight for the title.

"The world title for them is gone," Niki Lauda told Blick newspaper, and Eddie Jordan is quoted by Germany's Die Welt: "I think Ferrari have no chance of winning the championship."

Rob
24th July 2010, 11:30
German GP – Rain still rules7.24.2010

Hockenheim, 24 July – The second day of practice for the eleventh round of the Formula 1 World Championship looks set to take place in similar conditions to yesterdays, as rain clouds are still hanging menacingly over the Hockenheim circuit.

It looks as though the third and final free practice session, which starts at 11 o’clock will yet again see drivers coping with a damp track.

It means the last hour of running prior to the grid deciding qualifying session will not be very productive in terms of assessing track conditions, given that the low temperatures mean the track is unlikely to have dried after heavy overnight rain

Rob
24th July 2010, 11:31
German GP - Ferrari very competitive7.24.2010

Hockenheim, 24 July – Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull set the fastest time in the third and final free practice session for the German Grand Prix, the eleventh round of the Formula 1 World Championship. The Hockenheim track was still damp from a heavy shower just at the start of the session, although it dried later, allowing the German to set a time of 1.15.103. Second was Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari (1.15.387) and the other Red Bull of Mark Webber (1.15.708.) Felipe Massa was fourth in the other F10 in 1.15.854. The Ferrari men ran different programmes: Fernando did a first run on the intermediate tyres before switching to the soft dry tyres, while Felipe started on the hards, followed by another run on softs.

Both Scuderia Ferrari drivers were happy with how things went, despite the poor conditions on the track, which took a while to dry in the cooler temperatures prevalent throughout the sixty minutes. The all important qualifying session gets underway at 14.00.

www.ferrari.com

Suzie
24th July 2010, 16:05
http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formula1/News/Interview/Pages/100724_f1_germangp_Massa_qualifying_session.aspx

German GP - Massa: "Pleased with third place"
7.24.2010

“I am pleased with this third place, as it means I am in a good position for the start of the race. It gives us a chance to score a lot of points for the team and that is our objective for tomorrow, as we have lost too many in recent races! Therefore, we hope that the negative run that dates back to Canada will end here in Germany. The gap between my time and that of the first two is due mainly to the fact that I never managed to produce a perfect lap on my last run. Tomorrow, we will do our best: yesterday, we saw that our race pace is competitive and we will try to make the most of that. On this track, with so many slow corners and where it is important to have a car that is good under braking, the F10 seems to be working very well.”

Suzie
24th July 2010, 16:07
http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formula1/News/Interview/Pages/100724_f1_germangp_Alonso_qualifying_session.aspx

German GP - Alonso: "Great to be back on the front row"
7.24.2010

“I am happy to be back on the front row after such a long time! We have been competitive all weekend, so this result is not a surprise: although perhaps the small gap to the Red Bull is, given that so far, even when we were close in free practice, or in Q1 and Q2, then in Q3, they always seemed to have that little bit extra. For a few races now, the F10 has improved a lot and that has finally led to us being in the fight for pole position. We have had a good Saturday, but now we have to do the same again on Sunday, as the points are only given out tomorrow. I am happy that Felipe is also in a good position as that means we can defend ourselves, particularly from the McLarens on the opening lap, because with their top speed they could pose a real threat. Tyres could be a significant unknown factor tomorrow: the track has improved so much over the past two days and we are using them much more than yesterday, so we could expect some surprises on the strategy front. The start? At Silverstone, the theoretically slower dirty side was actually cleaner and I hope the same will be true here! We will give it our all in trying to win, because looking at the classification, we need to bring home as many points as possible.”

vcs316
24th July 2010, 17:13
German GP - Domenicali: "Now we hope for a normal race"

For the first time since the Bahrain Grand Prix, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro has got one of its cars onto the front row of the grid: in Sakhir, it was Felipe Massa who was second fastest in Q3 and today it was Fernando Alonso’s turn. Unlike the last time however, pole position seemed very close today, as the gap separating Fernando from Vettel is just two thousandths of a second. To complete an excellent day for the Scuderia, Felipe took third place, confirming that the F10 is competitive at this track. “We are very pleased with this result, even if there’s just a hint of regret that pole escaped us by a whisker,” said Stefano Domenicali. “This result is down to the whole team, both at the track and at the factory, which over the past weeks, has put in an incredible effort to improve the performance of our car. Already, for the past three races, we could see we were getting better but, for various reasons and events, we did not pick up the results that were within our grasp. Now we have to remain focussed and prepare for tomorrow, down to the smallest detail. Above all, we hope we can finally have a normal race. The time has come to reap the rewards of all the work we have done so far.”

vcs316
24th July 2010, 17:15
German GP - That’s better!

Hockenheim, 24 July – If sceptics were unconvinced at Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro’s claims that the F10 has been a much improved car over the last few races, then they were given clear proof in this afternoon’s qualifying for tomorrow’s German Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa will start the eleventh round of the World Championship from second and third places on the grid and, although pole is pole, whatever the margin, Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel only took the coveted number one slot by a mere two thousandths of a second. Today’s excellent showing, during a very exciting battle in Q3, puts the Scuderia duo in a very strong position to fight for the win or, at the very least, to bring home a big number of points. In the past few races, the F10’s race pace has been excellent, but poor qualifying performances or unusual race situations have prevented the Prancing Horses from galloping at top speed. It seems the time has come for that to change tomorrow.

Mark Webber finished fourth in the second Red Bull, while fifth place went to Jenson Button, who pipped his McLaren team-mate and championship leader, Lewis Hamilton. At only slightly over four and a half kilometres in length, it takes no less than 67 laps of the Hockenheimring to make a race distance, so tomorrow afternoon’s event will be a tough one, where two key elements could play a vital role: the first is not one that even this high-tech sport can influence, namely the weather, which has been so unpredictable this weekend, while the second will be the tyre strategy in terms of how best manage to switch from the super soft to the hard tyre. With the rain affecting much of practice, the track surface is finally producing much more grip, which means predicting tyre behaviour is more complex than usual.

vcs316
24th July 2010, 17:16
Mark Webber: “I said put some money on Alonso…”

Mark Webber admits that a mistake on his final qualifying lap not only cost him a shot at pole in Hockenheim, but also dumped him to fourth behind Felipe Massa.

Webber went off at the start of his last lap, and thus had to settle for the time he’d set earlier on his first run.

“Today I lost my last run, so that was a mistake from my side,” said Webber. “It was a pretty tight qualy until then. I would like to of course had my last attempt, because that’s when you need to do it. But I got Turn One wrong, and I paid the price obviously to have a chance of maybe going for the front row, but it definitely lost third place. First time I’ve been off the front row for a long time, but looking forward to the race tomorrow.

“I was just looking to get the nice clean line in, but I must have got a little bit on the kerb on the outside. I didn’t even get into the apex. So, totally my fault.”

Webber says that from fourth place it won’t be impossible to make progress: “Yeah, you can pass. I haven’t seen the top speeds yet, but it’s not Barcelona. It should be pretty interesting to see how the race unfolds in that sense.”

He insists that he’s not been surprised by Ferrari’s pace this weekend.

“Not really. They were very, very quick in Silverstone to be honest, but they had a poor first lap with Fernando. I went to my pub during the week, and the guy said any tips on who I should put my money on, because all the odds are very short. I said put some money on Alonso to win Budapest. So maybe I’m wrong, maybe he wins tomorrow!”

vcs316
24th July 2010, 17:18
Alonso: Ferrari have Germany chance

Ferrari have a real chance of winning Sunday's German Grand Prix after taking a "massive step" forward, double world champion Fernando Alonso said.

The Spaniard qualified on the front row of the Formula One grid for the first time this season at Hockenheim after lapping a mere two thousandths of a second slower than Red Bull's pole setter Sebastian Vettel.

Alonso won the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, where Brazilian Felipe Massa qualified second, but Ferrari have suffered repeated setbacks since then and two weeks ago in Britain failed to score points for the first time this year.

Massa, on the eve of the anniversary of the big crash in Hungary last year that ended his season, qualified third at Hockenheim.

"In the last two or three grands prix (there has been a) massive step forward for the Ferrari team. Now (we are) both here in the top three so this is the way we have to continue and keep improving," Alonso told a news conference.

The Spaniard had warned after setting the pace in Friday's practice that the Red Bulls would find something extra for qualifying and he was surprised to find himself so close to Vettel.

If a first pole since 2008 eluded the team, who are now third overall and 113 points behind leaders McLaren, they were closer than ever.

"I was expecting a very strong reaction in Q3 (the third part of qualifying) from Red Bull and very tough competition and we are in a way surprised to be that close and finally fighting for a pole position after 10 races," said Alonso.

"It took a little bit long but now we are very close.

"All the steps that we made in the last three races were very important," continued the 28-year-old, who was quickest in the first two phases of qualifying.

"Some of them improved the car in high speed corners, some of them in the slower speed parts. Everything is helping now to make the car much better, much more competitive, so I'm happy to finally be closer to Red Bull."

Alonso has had his last two races compromised by the deployment of the safety car but he told his team after Silverstone that, with half the season to come, all was not lost and they could still win the championship.

"I think we need to win the race, that's the best thing for the championship, and I think we really have the possibility here to win the race because we are competitive," he said on Saturday.

Ferrari introduced a 'blown' rear diffuser in Valencia last month that has helped close the gap on Red Bull, who pioneered the system.

They also now have an 'F-duct', which stalls the rear wing for added straight line speed, of the kind that McLaren were first to introduce.

"We had the possibility in Bahrain, we took it. I think we had the possibility in Canada. We didn't manage to do it and tomorrow maybe we have another opportunity so hopefully tomorrow we can do it," said Alonso.
Reuters

Rob
24th July 2010, 17:47
German GP - Dyer: "Confirmation that the F10 has improved"7.24.2010

“A great result which confirms what a good job the team has done in improving the F10. I think everyone now realises that. Clearly, missing out on pole by just two thousandths is a slight disappointment, but that is far outweighed by the satisfaction of getting one car onto the first row and the other on the second, something we have not managed for quite some time. For several races now we have seen signs of progress, but we did not manage to turn it into points, but now the time has come to do so.”

Rob
24th July 2010, 17:48
German GP - Alonso congratulates Contador7.24.2010

Hockenheim, 24 July – As Alberto Contador today took the decisive step towards being crowned winner of the Tour de France cycle race, Fernando Alonso had this to say on the subject: “I would like to offer my most sincere congratulations to Contador, a fellow Spaniard for taking victory in such an important event as the Tour de France. Alberto has demonstrated that he is a great champion, winning it for a third time and I also extend my congratulations to Samuel Sanchez, who has finished fourth. I am a big fan of cycling: it has been a very exciting Tour with just a few seconds splitting the front runners, with the thrills lasting all the way to the end. I am really happy for both of them.”

www.ferrrai.com

Rob
24th July 2010, 17:54
German GP - Pole escapes us by two thousandths!7.24.2010

Hockenheim, 24 July – There has not been a Ferrari on the front row since Bahrain, but today, unlike the situation at the opening race, pole escaped us really by just a whisper! A mere two thousandths of a second separate Fernando Alonso’s lap time from that of Sebastian Vettel who was quickest in Q3. Behind the Spaniard comes his team-mate Felipe Massa, which confirms that the F10 is really competitive at this track. A great session for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, but now the task is to bring home a big points haul.

www.ferrari.com

Greig
25th July 2010, 19:30
Stefano Domenicali: “First and foremost, I want to congratulate the team on this fantastic result, which is down to all the work undertaken with so much effort, ability and passion by everyone, both at the track and in Maranello, day after day. Already, over the past few races, we have seen that the performance level of our car has improved and finally today, we reaped the rewards. As for the Stewards’ decision, given after the race, in the interests of the sport, we have decided not to go through a procedure of appealing against it, confident that the World Council will know how to evaluate the overall facts correctly. The congratulations mentioned earlier should also extend to our drivers who drove a great race. Both Felipe and Fernando got very good starts, with the Spaniard squeezed in a very decisive fashion by Vettel and the Brazilian making the most of the space that created ahead of him. Then came a long three way fight to the chequered flag, with Felipe very quick on the softer tyres while he struggled a bit on the hards, which meant that Fernando was at first able to close right up on him and then take the lead when his team-mate decided it was best not to create a risky situation, given that right behind them, Vettel was fighting back. The situation in both championships is still complicated, but this result is further motivation for the coming races: we firmly believe in our chances of reaching the targets we had at the start of the season.”

Fernando Alonso: “This is a very important win, which comes on the back of weeks of hard work from the team, who pushed to make up the ground that separates us from our main rivals. Race after race, the improvements applied to the F10 have proved to be effective, thus making the car more competitive. I am very happy, because winning with Ferrari is a very special feeling. At the start I was pushed right up against the wall by Vettel, whose only thought was to close me down, while Felipe made the most of it to go past both of us. Then, I tried to stay close all the time to my team-mate and when he had some difficulties, I got past: I am sure that Felipe was thinking above all of the good of the team and that it was pointless to take risks when we had Vettel catching us up. There is no point in doing the sums for the championship now. We have shown what our package can do in a normal race and we must simply continue to work, trying to always pick up the maximum number of points. As I have always said, the final tally will come in Abu Dhabi.

Felipe Massa: “A driver always wants to win, so I cannot be completely happy with second place. I know that this year, the team has lost too many points in previous races and today it was important to do the maximum. We drivers have to first of all think of the interests of the team and that is what I showed again today. In my opinion this was not a case of team orders: my engineer kept me constantly informed on what was going on behind me, especially when I was struggling a bit on the hard tyres: so I decided to do the best thing for the team, and a one-two finish is the best possible result, isn’t it? I got a great start, the best of the season. At the start, on the soft tyres I was going very quickly but then, with the hards, I was unable to run at an ideal pace. I think today I proved that when everything is in order, I am a winning driver. It would have been nice to stand on a higher step on the podium but all the same, I want to dedicate this result to Fernando Marins, a relation of mine, who passed away at the start of this week.”

Chris Dyer: “A great result for the team. Going home with the maximum number of points after all that has happened in the races immediately leading up to this one is enormously pleasing. This one-two is down to all the people who have done an extraordinary job over the last two months, to improve the performance of our car. I think we now have a very competitive package and we will continue to push as hard as possible on the development of the car to be even stronger in the forthcoming races.”

Rob
25th July 2010, 20:47
Hockenheim, 25 July – Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro rebooted its challenge for the title with a commanding one-two finish in today’s 67 lap German Grand Prix. Although it is still third in the Constructors’ Championship, it has closed the gap to second placed Red Bull Racing from 84 to 64 points. Fernando Alonso stood on the top step of the podium for the first time since the opening round in Bahrain, and Felipe Massa finished second, also reprising his position at the Sakhir circuit. Joining them on the podium was the Red Bull of pole man Sebastian Vettel.

When the red lights went out, Fernando edged alongside Vettel and as the German tried to defend his position, Felipe, having started behind him in third place, managed to get the best line into the first corner to go into the lead, followed by his team-mate and Vettel. They were followed by Hamilton, Webber, Button, Kubica, Schumacher, Rosberg, with Kobayashi tenth. The majority of the field had started on the softer tyre, so the one planned pit stop came early on, with Button staying out longest to lead for a while. Fernando changed to the hard tyre on lap 13 and Felipe pitted one lap later. However, the run of pit stops did little to change the order, and the two Ferrari men had a great fight, nearly touching when the Spaniard tried to pass the Brazilian on lap 21, one lap before Button finally pitted to hand the lead back to Felipe. The two Ferrari men traded fastest laps, with the gap fluctuating around the one second mark, with Vettel always in close attendance.

As has often been the case this season, Felipe had been very quick on the soft tyres but was struggling a bit on the hard ones and, clearly faster, Fernando passed his team-mate on lap 45. From then on, the two Ferrari men controlled the pace, even if Vettel was closing on Felipe rapidly, setting the fastest race lap on the very last lap. Helping maintain their lead in both championships, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button came home in fourth and fifth places. The rest of the points places down to tenth went to Webber, Kubica, Rosberg, Schumacher and Petrov. Now the circus moves to Hungary for the next race in just seven days time, where the much improved level of performance of the F10 means that Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro will once again be hoping to challenge for the top places.

Rob
26th July 2010, 19:37
At last, a new flag at the Gestione Sportiva. Domenicali: “Let’s continue like this”7.26.2010

Maranello, 26 July – As of this morning, a second Ferrari flag is flying over the entrance to the Gestione Sportiva. It is a tradition that, following every win, a banner is raised with the black Prancing Horse on a yellow background and finally today, it was possible to add one alongside that which followed the Sakhir victory in the first race of the season.

Obviously, everyone at Maranello is very pleased with this result that has taken so long, too long, to arrive. The entire team realised that the work injected into the F10 had delivered the right performance level, but there was also frustration that the points were slow in coming. At Hockenheim, everything worked out well and along came the second one-two finish of the season. The 43 points picked up in Germany definitely reboots the team’s ambitions in both championships, as there are still eight races to go and anything can happen. Clearly, there is no real margin for error, so the team must continue down this path, as Stefano Domenicali repeated in his message to the squad. “Yesterday’s one-two is the best reward possible for everything you managed to achieve in recent weeks,” said the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Team Principal. “It’s been a while that we deserved to achieve something worthwhile and finally yesterday we did it. You have been exceptional in reacting quickly to improve the car until it was competitive at the highest level. Now we just have to remain focussed on our own work and continue down this path, starting in Budapest.”

The Hungarian Grand Prix is just around the corner and indeed the two F10s that triumphed in Hockenheim have almost arrived already in the Hungarian capital, along with the first group of mechanics. The last round of the championship prior to the summer break another crucial step for the Scuderia: the fightback calls for another good result on Hungarian soil.

Ant Raikkonen
27th July 2010, 10:43
At last, a new flag at the Gestione Sportiva. Domenicali: “Let’s continue like this”7.26.2010

Maranello, 26 July – As of this morning, a second Ferrari flag is flying over the entrance to the Gestione Sportiva. It is a tradition that, following every win, a banner is raised with the black Prancing Horse on a yellow background and finally today, it was possible to add one alongside that which followed the Sakhir victory in the first race of the season.


I never knew they did that!....and i've got the audicity to proclaim myself "a tifosi in progress" :-D
I rather like those colour of flags (as seen beneath podium on Sunday, of course).

Rob
27th July 2010, 17:57
i made order for mine just now!!! whoooop.

Ant Raikkonen
28th July 2010, 10:29
Nice one Rob :thumb i don't know if i prefer them to my existing flag (chequered on the left). :love
Mind you, now i know the significance of the yellow one i may just purchase :-)
Rob, how come you changed your username, if you don't mind me asking?
I've been thinking about dropping the "Ant" from mine, as i just can't let go.....:lol