Italian GP Ferrari news& quotes

[Rob]

A very important and tricky race in MonzaSeptember 7, 2010 · Posted by Fernando Alonso

I am here in Maranello getting ready for a special event, my first Italian Grand Prix as a Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver. From a technical point of view, Monza is a very different race to all the others: its long straightsrequire a very low level of downforce and, as a consequence,unique aerodynamic elements. But clearly, this is not the only thing that makes Monza special: it is Ferrari’s home race and even if ours is a team that tackles every Grand Prix in the same way, giving it our best shot, always trying to win, there is no doubt that everyone in Maranello really wants to do well in front of our fans. You can see that on everyone’s faces, especially as, mixed in with the fans in the grandstands, many of our people will have their family and friends watching.

Even though we can no longer test on the Fiorano track, as we used to do up until a few years ago, I often spend time in Maranello in-between the races. From my very first day here, I discovered a great atmosphere in the factory: everyone is very friendly and you are soon made to feel part of the group. Apart from the work side – and there is always something to do, be it in the simulator or having meetings with the engineers – we always manage to spend a little time together as friends, maybe kicking a football around, going for a bike ride or having dinner together. And of course the food is fantastic! There is no point denying the fact this is a tricky moment of the season for us. In Monza, if we do not pick up a significant number of points and our competitors get the maximum and pull away in the lead, then the situation in the classification would become very difficult. I’m not saying it would be impossible to reach our target, because that kind of talk does not exist in Formula 1, but we are aware of the situation and we are ready to react to any eventuality.

As I said last week, in Spa the performance of the F10 did not live up to our expectations. The engineers have now carefully analysed the data from the race and from the aero test that Giancarlo Fisichella carried out down the straight at Vairano. It produced indications which led us to understand what did not work as it should have done and we have put those elements right for the next event. I am therefore confident about our chances of getting back to fighting for a place on the podium, just as we had done prior to the summer break.

[Rob]

“Busy time in the run up to Monza”September 7, 2010 · Posted by Felipe Massa

I have had a busy time in the run up to this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, which will be so important for Ferrari’s chances in the fight for the World Championship title. Last weekend I returned to Budapest and the Hungaroring, for a Ferrari event, which was very enjoyable. It is strange that, although I am Brazilian and I live in Monaco, Hungary will forever be an important part of my life ever since what happened there last year. More unusual, is the fact that I now seem to get a great welcome from the people whenever I go back, which I appreciate very much. Over the weekend, I drove some demonstration laps in last year’s F60 and also drove a Ferrari California road car and I was pleased to be able to give the doctor who looked after me in hospital there a ride in this fantastic car around the race track.

Last week, I also went to Maranello, where I met with my engineers to discuss technical matters relating to Monza and also did a session in our simulator, in preparation for this weekend. It is obvious that the fourteenth race of the year will be very important for the Scuderia, not just because of it being the home race, but also because of the current situation in the championship. In Spa, given everything that happened in the race there, finishing fourth having started sixth was a good result, but in terms of the points situation, we needed more. So, looking at the championship, there will be some pressure this weekend, although I have always felt that the spotlight that falls on Ferrari in Monza is a positive thing and I enjoy seeing all the red flags, hats and T shirts and hearing the noise of the tifosi cheering, whenever we leave the pits. From a personal point of view, Italy is definitely my second country after Brazil, as my grandfather emigrated from Italy and I even hold an Italian passport.

I have never done very well in the Italian Grand Prix and in fact my best finish is just a sixth place in a wet race in 2008. All the same, I like the track even if I have not had much luck there, like in 2007 when I was in the top three but did not finish the race. I have won in Monza, because I spent much of my early career racing there, with two victories in Formula Renault and one in Formula 3000. The track is now unique on the calendar in requiring very low downforce, so the car is very different to the rest of the year, running with very small wings, which means it needs to have good mechanical grip and work well on the kerbs. I think our car should be competitive here, or at least I hope so, because usually the F10 has gone well this season on tracks that feature hard braking at the end of straights, into slow corners, such as Bahrain and Hockenheim and even in Canada. I am looking forward to the weekend, because it is nice to end the European part of the season at such a great circuit.


www.ferrari.com

[Rob]

Monza, a special place for a special race9.8.2010

This weekend’s fourteenth round of the Formula 1 World Championship takes place in the historic Royal Park in Monza, one of the most beautiful and charismatic venues on the calendar. The Italian Grand Prix will be making its sixtieth visit to the famous track, although it is the sixty first running of the race, which moved to the Imola circuit just once, back in 1980. Scuderia Ferrari last won in Monza back in 2006 courtesy of Michael Schumacher, although the Prancing Horse has been first past the post here a total of seventeen times. Among the many notable victories, perhaps the most emotional came in 1988: in a season when one team won all the other races, the Monza fans witnessed Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto take a memorable one-two, shortly after the death of company founder, Enzo Ferrari. Phil Hill’s 1960 victory for the Scuderia was also significant on the technical front as it was the last time that a front-engined Formula 1 car was first past the chequered flag.

Naturally, as the home race, this weekend has a special significance for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro and its “tifosi”, but national pride aside there are more prosaic reasons why this is an important moment in the season: with only six races to go, the Scuderia needs to return to the top form it demonstrated in the races leading up to the summer break if it is to have a realistic chance of aiming for the championship titles.

Monza has played a significant role in the history of motor sport, but if there is one thing it is famous for above all, it is its high speed nature, with the 2003 Italian Grand Prix holding the record for the fastest ever average race speed, at 247.585 km/h, while the 1971 event boasted the closest ever finish in the history of Formula 1, when Peter Gethin beat Ronnie Peterson by just one hundredth of a second. Back then the track layout was extremely simple, with five corners linked by fast straights. Today, safety concerns mean that chicanes have reduced top speeds, putting a premium on a car’s brakes as much as its engine power, although the cars still run with minimum aero downforce, the most obvious example of which are the small wings that make their only appearance of the year here. With these unique characteristics in mind, everyone at the Gestione Sportiva has been working flat out to optimise the “Monza specification” of the F10. The starting point was to analyse the precise reasons for the performance drop-off noticed in Spa-Francorchamps a fortnight ago and the engineers now understand what caused the hiatus in the good form shown in the races just prior to the summer break. Furthermore, the team’s third driver, Giancarlo Fisichella spent a day carrying out straight line aero testing at the Vairano facility last week, to validate the engineers’ conclusions and to evaluate elements specifically aimed at Monza. Meanwhile, race drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa spent time at the factory, in meetings and on the simulator.

Inevitably, in a season as closely contested as this one, it will be difficult to evaluate just how successful has been the work carried out prior to Friday’s free practice sessions: even more so given the cars run in a different configuration to that seen at any other venue on the calendar. However, past showings this year at circuits that share some of Monza’s characteristics – Montreal and Sakhir for example, with the need for stability under hard braking at the end of long straights and the ability to ride the kerbs – would indicate that the F10 should return to top form this weekend. Doing well this weekend is uppermost in the Scuderia’s thoughts, given that the vast majority of the crowd in the grandstands will be cheering for the Prancing Horse and many of the Gestione staff and their families will be in the crowd. But in the harsh reality of modern motor sport, there is pressing need for Felipe and Fernando to bring home as many points as possible, because with five races remaining after this
weekend, failure to do so will seriously jeopardise any hopes of lifting a championship trophy on Sunday night in Abu Dhabi in mid-November.

www.ferrari.com

[Rob]

Alonso: Ferrari has solved Spa issues :clap:thumb

By Rob Schatten Wednesday, September 8th 2010, 10:54 GMT

Fernando Alonso is confident that his Ferrari team will have a better weekend at Monza than it did at Spa, having identified the issues that held it back in the Belgian Grand Prix.

In the latest blog for the Ferrari website, Alonso suggests that the team has ironed out "what did not work" at Spa.

Ferrari reserve driver Giancarlo Fisichella ran aero tests on a straight-line run earlier this week as the team tried to work out where it had lost performance in Belgium.

"[The test] produced indications which led us to understand what did not work as it should have done and we have put those elements right for the next event," Alonso wrote. "I am therefore confident about our chances of getting back to fighting for a place on the podium."

The Spaniard described the preparations for Monza as "getting ready for a special event", adding that "everyone in Maranello really wants to do well in front of our fans... many of our people will have their family and friends watching [in the grandstands]."

Alonso had a dreadful weekend at Spa, where he was caught out by the weather in qualifying and broadsided by an out-of-control Rubens Barrichello on lap one of the race. Running the older-spec Ferrari rear wing, Alonso's downforce settings were suited for the rain - but, having been slower than team-mate Felipe Massa in the dry, Alonso ran wide at Malmedy in the damp and pirouetted into the wall.

www.autosport.com

[Ferrari Man]

Alonso: Ferrari has solved Spa issues :clap:thumb

By Rob Schatten Wednesday, September 8th 2010, 10:54 GMT

Fernando Alonso is confident that his Ferrari team will have a better weekend at Monza than it did at Spa, having identified the issues that held it back in the Belgian Grand Prix.

In the latest blog for the Ferrari website, Alonso suggests that the team has ironed out "what did not work" at Spa.

Ferrari reserve driver Giancarlo Fisichella ran aero tests on a straight-line run earlier this week as the team tried to work out where it had lost performance in Belgium.

"[The test] produced indications which led us to understand what did not work as it should have done and we have put those elements right for the next event," Alonso wrote. "I am therefore confident about our chances of getting back to fighting for a place on the podium.

www.autosport.com


I seriously hope Alonso is right by saying this.. Im praying the engineers have solved our loss in pace. Fighting for a place on the podium at this stage has to be fighting for the top step.. Second or Third won't do to win the championship. I m sick reading on various sites that this is gonna be another win for ramilton and the McCheaters.. This is Ferrari's home race so come on Ferrari and pull out all the stops and win.. We are all behind you..... :-):-)

[Rob]

Italian GP - Massa: “Monza? we cannot be sure what to expect”9.9.2010

Monza, 9 September – Felipe Massa arrived in the Monza paddock for what he describes as his “second home race” and tackled the Thursday ritual of meeting the press. Tying up a loose end, which had never come to light in Spa a fortnight ago, the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver explained how he came to position his car on the grid a short distance ahead of the actual line. “Usually I think I am one of the drivers who sits lowest in the cockpit and the front of our car is quite high, so I definitely did not see the line on the grid very well, which is why I was a bit over it,” he explained. “To be honest I was lucky that this was not noticed during the race!”

Even if the season goes on to mid-November, all the talk is already about the championship situation. “We are approaching the final stages of the championship and we have not had a perfect season so far, definitely not the one we were expecting, in that we have fewer points than our main rivals, so we really need to score the maximum points possible from now on,” commented the Brazilian. “The current situation is not simple, but unless we do well from now on, it will become impossible in terms of the title.” As for this weekend, Felipe was not prepared to make any solid predictions. “This is yet another track where we cannot be sure what to expect: if you look at the season so far, the Red Bull has been quickest at almost every race. Then there have been times we have come to a circuit with high expectations but failed to deliver, while on other occasions we expected others, McLaren for example, to be very strong and we were actually stronger than they were. So it is impossible to know what to expect, until we have all been out on track on Friday. Nevertheless, we are confident and feel our car could be competitive enough to fight for the win here.”

The special aero requirements of this high speed track means the use of the F-Duct here is something the teams have all been studying, as Felipe explained: “If you have an F Duct working well, then it can give you a speed advantage on the straights, but the characteristics of this track and the low downforce configuration of the car mean it is not certain that it would be a benefit here. We will try it tomorrow and then decide which way to go for the rest of the weekend, because even if we had a straight line test last week, it is never the same when you come to a real race track.” And on the subject of testing, the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver was asked how useful were the sessions he spends in the track simulator. “It is a useful part of preparation, but you have to remember it is not reality, it is simulation and so it can never be as effective as driving the track. However, so many times this year, we have tried things out in the simulator and have then been able to use them at a race weekend with a good understanding of the situation, so in general, the simulator is very useful.”

Yesterday, the FIA released an F1 calendar for 2011, which includes twenty races and runs from mid-March to the end of November. Felipe was in favour of the new look. “I am pleased to have more races next year. It means more work, but that is my job and I enjoy it. I like discovering new circuits like India, or this year Korea for example and I think it is important for the sport of F1 to be as global as possible. There has to be a limit, but one more race next year is nice and the fact the last race is in Brazil is definitely a good thing as I can spend some time at home immediately after it!”

[Rob]

Italian GP - Alonso: “I am a super-happy man!”9.9.2010

Monza, 9 September – You cannot have an official Thursday press conference at the Italian Grand Prix without a Ferrari driver and today, that duty fell to Fernando Alonso. With only six races to go, the Spaniard’s chances in the championship chase was the number one topic. “Before Spa, we were all very close, but after Belgium the gap between me and the leader has grown,” admitted the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver. “But we have seen how, with this new points system, the situation can change quickly from race to race and whereas in the past, you had maybe two or three drivers fighting for the title, now we have five or six. It’s true that the fewer races there are, the harder my situation becomes, but I still believe that if I can finish all six events on the podium and win some, then I can be a possible contender at the final race. However, it is true that if do not get a good result here, or if I had a DNF or a problem, then Singapore is my last chance to stay in the fight. Otherwise it could be “bye bye” to the title. Everyone in the team is remaining calm about it.”

The Ferrari man was asked if he felt this season would be a failure if he was not champion. “No, that is the wrong word,” he maintained. “At the start of every season, your aim is to be world champion and if you do not achieve that, then you and the team are disappointed, but we know we are in a very competitive sport, fighting tough opponents. My first season with Ferrari has been incredible, the best in my life and I am a super-happy man!”

Looking more specifically at this weekend, Fernando feels the F10 should be competitive. “Spa did not go as expected, but we understood what happened there, we made changes and so we have a better package here.” This is the Spaniard’s first Monza appearance in the saddle of a Prancing Horse car and already he has seen signs of enthusiastic support. “I came to the circuit in a Fiat 500 and people were chasing us through the streets,” he revealed with a smile. “Although we give our maximum at every race, you can tell from the atmosphere in the garage that all the guys really want to do well here, for us and for our fans.”

www.ferrari.com

[Rob]

yeeees really looking forward to this weekends race. Got half day tomorrow, be home in time to catch FFP2.

[siberianlady]

Lets just hope Fernando, Felipe and the team get it perfectly right this weekend and do not give our commentators here an excuse to call them the "Scuderia Chaotica" again...........pinkies, toes and everything else crossed!
Lets go for it!

[racingbradley]

Let's hope the team score max this weekend. Forza Ferrari :-)

[vcs316]

Italian GP - Starting on tiptoe

Monza, 10 September – The first free practice session for the fourteenth round of the Formula 1 World Championship, the Italian Grand Prix has just ended here at the Monza circuit. Quickest was Jenson Button in the McLaren in 1.23.693, ahead of Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull (1.23.790) and the other McLaren of Lewis Hamilton (1.23.967.) Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa were eighth (1.24.543) and ninth (1.24.648) respectively, completing three runs each, carrying out the usual Friday procedures, without looking to set quick times. Part of the programme for both cars related to evaluating the performance benefits of running the blown rear wing.

The second free practice gets underway this afternoon at 14.00 as usual.

http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formula1/News/Headlines/Pages/100910_f1_italiangp_freepractice1.aspx

[vcs316]

Ferrari pleased with competitiveness at Monza

Ferrari’s weekend got off to a busy start with a packed work schedule, on track and in the garage. Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso completed a total of almost a hundred laps at the wheel of their F10s, the Spaniard doing 56 and the Brazilian reaching 42, before having to miss out on the last run planned, because of damage sustained after he went off at the Parabolica.

“My heart missed a beat when Felipe ended up in the gravel,” commented Stefano Domenicali. “It was lucky he did not end up in the barrier, as his car was going pretty quickly at the time. It was a shame, as he was improving his lap time, even if we know that Friday times count for little or nothing. The important thing is that we acquired a substantial amount of data which we will now use to prepare our cars as well as possible. This is an important event for us, both because it is our home race and because we are all aware of the situation in both championships. We will try and do the maximum, for ourselves and for our fans, although we know we are up against stiff opposition.”

Fernando Alonso:
“We are pleased with what we achieved in these two free practice sessions. We tried different aerodynamic configurations and now we must study the data carefully to make the right choices for tomorrow and Sunday. This track requires a low level of aerodynamic downforce, but you need to find the right compromise, especially so as not to prejudice stability under braking: it’s true that top speed is important, but it is not everything. Between the two sessions, we made some changes on the car which seem to have moved us in the right direction, but we must keep in mind that we ran with various difference fuel levels. We have seen before that Friday’s results are very often turned on their head on Saturday, therefore I definitely don’t want to make any predictions. We have to focus on ourselves and do our utmost in qualifying and especially on Sunday, in the race. It will not be easy, because once again, Red Bull is proving to be very competitive and McLaren seems to be as strong as predicted.”

Felipe Massa:
“At the end of the second session, I tried to copy Kimi and do a bit of rallying…Joking apart, I was really lucky when I went off the track. I was heading for my best time, when I found myself in Michael’s wake at the Parabolica and went off: I kept the accelerator pressed down in the hope I would manage to avoid hitting the barrier and I managed it, so I came straight back to the pits. Unfortunately, the car was slightly damaged, so I had to miss out on the final part of our programme. However, overall, it has been a good day in which we constantly improved. We had a lot of work to get through and at the start we struggled a bit, but then we found a good set-up and in the end I was reasonably happy with my car. We learned a lot about the handling of the F10 and now we have plenty of data to analyse to prepare as well as possible for what is such an important event, this being the Scuderia’s home race.”

Chris Dyer:
“We are reasonably pleased with how things went for this first day of the Italian Grand Prix. We had established a very intensive work schedule and we completed the bulk of it, but for Felipe’s last run, when he went off the track. Fortunately, Fernando managed to complete that part of the work with no trouble, so we will be able to use the data he acquired when we tackle the analysis which awaits us this afternoon and evening. We tested various aerodynamic configurations, albeit always using the blown rear wing. Studying the times, we don’t look that bad, but we have to evaluate these results, taking into account the usual unknown factors and keeping in mind that some teams might not have shown all their cards: we will not know the truth until tomorrow afternoon at three o’clock, when qualifying is over.”

[vcs316]

Italian GP - Lots of work at home

Monza, 10 September – The Italian Grand Prix race organisers will have been happy with the result of today’s free practice session, because it is a popular belief that strong showings from the Prancing Horse always boost the Monza crowd figures on the following day. And today, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa ended the second session of free practice in second and third places respectively, with our Spanish driver and fastest man today, Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull being the only two to break the 1m 23 second barrier. Fourth and fifth on the time sheet were the two McLarens, Lewis Hamilton ahead of Jenson Button, with Mark Webber in the other Red Bull completing the top six.

However, as always, Friday’s times can not be given too much importance, as teams are free to do what they like in terms of when they use which type of tyre and what amount of fuel they run in the car. Even though the Scuderia carried out a straight-line test at Italy’s Vairano facility after the Belgian Grand Prix, testing is still very limited and the days of spending the week before the Italian Grand Prix actually at Monza, fine tuning the cars for the special demands of the high speed track are long gone. Therefore, today’s three hours were very busy for the entire team, with several changes of set-up and the use of different aerodynamic components, not to mention the usual Friday job of running different fuel loads and evaluating the two types of tyre available. Not only do the drivers have to be really attentive to the slightest change of feeling from the cockpit when these changes are made, but behind the scenes in the Scuderia’s garage, the mechanics have to work flat out to get everything ready. And tonight, it is the engineers who will spend hours analysing all the data to find the right way to move forward for the rest of the weekend. The key to this type of work is to spend as much time as possible on the track and while the plan worked out for Fernando, Felipe was a bit less fortunate, as he lost downforce following Michael Schumacher’s car through the high speed Parabolica corner that leads onto the main straight and ran wide into the gravel. Given the speed through this corner, it is not the ideal place to go “rallying” as Felipe jokingly described it. Fortunately, he avoided the barriers and brought the car back to the pits, but he lost his final run as the car had sustained some damage.

[Rob]

Italian GP - Alonso second and Massa third on Friday at Monza9.10.2010

Monza, 10 September – The F10s of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa ended with the second and third fastest times of Friday’s second session of free practice for the Italian Grand Prix, just behind the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel (1.22.839). The Spaniard completed 32 laps with a best time of 1.22.915. The Brazilian was restricted to just 20 laps with a best of 1.23.061 after he was forced to find his way back to the pit lane after an off at Parabolica. That came at the cost of damage to the car with just under half an hour remaining. A lot of work lies ahead for the team in search of the right compromise on different levels of fuel and downforce on both Ferraris.

The protagonists will next take to the track for the third and final practice session tomorrow at 11am, in preparation for the 14th round of the F1 world championship.

[vcs316]

Italy Saturday quotes: Ferrari

Fernando Alonso - 1st: "Pole position at last! And it's come at the best possible place, here in front of all the Ferrari fans! We managed to save two sets of new soft tyres for Q3 and so we were able to post a time immediately, before giving it absolutely everything on the second run. In fact, the time on the first run was good enough. The team and I have been without a pole for too long and two Ferraris in the top three is a fantastic result. At this track, the car really gets a hard time so we must try and keep all the parameters under control. We must make the most of this opportunity to bring home a lot of points: we will try and get a good start and tackle the first chicane as cleanly as possible, which is always difficult on the first lap. We needed this result: coming off the back of a weekend like Spa, which had raised some doubts about the car, but here it has improved a lot day after day. It would be nice to get a one-two tomorrow in front of our fantastic fans: I feel at home here, just like in Spain."

Felipe Massa - 3rd: "Today I could have taken pole, but maybe in Q3, we did not adopt the best strategy. In Q2, my time on the soft tyres came on the third lap, so for the next part, we opted to do a series of three laps, but things did not go as we had wanted. Then on my second run, I did not manage to improve enough to take pole. All the same, it was a good qualifying and I am pleased with the performance of the car, which improved yet again today. We changed various things compared to yesterday morning which saw us become more competitive. I have never been very lucky at Monza, but tomorrow I will be starting from a good grid position. It is very motivating, especially when you see how happy are our fans, and it gives you a little bit extra. It would be nice to reward them for it..."

Luca di Montezemolo: "I am very happy about this result, which I found so exciting that I was jumping for joy on the pit wall. Having both our cars on the front two rows in front of all our fans is very nice. It goes without saying, this track has always delivered strong emotions for me. The team did a great job and never gave up trying. Now we must concentrate fully because the hardest part is still to come tomorrow."

Stefano Domenicali: "A really great and important result. Fernando and Felipe did a fantastic job and the team delivered them a very competitive car. It's nice to have that feeling again which comes from having a car on pole, after such a long time, but we must not forget that what really counts is the race, because that is when the points are given out. Therefore we must all remain totally focussed on preparing for tomorrow's race, bearing in mind how tough the Monza circuit can be in terms of reliability, which is still the crucial element in all races. It is very pleasing that this long-awaited pole has come at Monza and on a day when our President Luca di Montezemolo and his opposite number at Fiat, John Elkann were both here to witness it. Tomorrow we hope to be able to give them and all our fans something special."

Chris Dyer: "A fantastic result, for the team, the drivers and for our championship chances. Both Felipe and Fernando were pleased with the handling of their car and we had no problems of any sort today. Both of them did a great job, setting a time at the right moment and being first and third is a just reward. It has been such a long wait to see one of our cars on pole and there could be no better place to do it than here at our home race. We know that usually, one of the F10's strongest attributes is its race pace, therefore tomorrow we must try and consolidate today's achievement. From what we have seen yesterday and today, there are no particular problems in terms of tyre life: maybe the hards struggle a bit more to get up to temperature, but we don't expect to see anything different to usual in terms of strategy."

[Rob]

Italian GP - Alonso the King of Monza9.12.2010

Monza, 12 September – Fernando Alonso triumphed in the eighty first Italian Grand Prix, presenting Ferrari with a Monza victory that had eluded the team since 2006. On the fastest circuit of the Formula 1 season, the Spanish driver managed to pass Jenson Button at the pit stop, getting the better of the Englishman in his McLaren, while Felipe Massa came home third.

A great result for Ferrari with both drivers on the podium in the home race and a sack full of points which keep the championship fight alive, as it heads for round fifteen, at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore, over the weekend of 26 September

www.ferrari.com

[Rob]

Italian GP - Domenicali: “A team victory”9.12.2010

Third victory of the season for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, once again courtesy of Fernando Alonso, with Felipe Massa bringing home an absolutely brilliant third place. The drivers stood on the podium in the same positions from which they had left the starting grid, but in between there was plenty of excitement and a very close contest throughout the race. This is win number 213 from 807 Grand Prix participations for the Scuderia, the eighteenth in the Italian Grand Prix. For Fernando, it was win number twenty four in Formula 1, his second at the Monza circuit. Thanks to the 25 points he collected today, the Spaniard finds himself third in the Drivers’ classification, 21 points down on the leader, while Felipe, making his fourth podium appearance this season, consolidates his sixth place. The Scuderia is still third in the Constructors’ classification, 60 points off the leader.

Stefano Domenicali: “This victory was a team effort, which came at the end of a very busy week, which culminated this afternoon. It was fantastic to be on the podium, singing the national anthem along with all our fans: it’s the sort of feeling that gives you goose bumps! It was an extremely close race from the first to the last lap, fighting against a very strong opponent. The win has come at just the right time and at the right place. It is the result of all the work from the Gestione Sportiva and our technical and commercial partners, first and foremost, Philip Morris, Santander and Shell, who always provide us with vital support. This season continues to throw up surprises: after the knock back in Spa, it might have looked as though we had had it, but we were not ready to think that way. We have always said we are not the sort to throw in the towel. Now the championship situation has opened up again, even if we are still up against very strong opposition. We will enjoy this victory for one night and from tomorrow morning we will be back at work, preparing down to the smallest detail for the next of these finals, namely the one in Singapore.”

[Rob]

Italian GP - Massa: “A special feeling”9.12.2010

“It was a great day for the team, with a super result in our home race. I got a good start and maybe I might have made up a place, but I did not have good traction coming out of the second corner. Then I felt a knock and it was Hamilton who had hit into the side of my car: fortunately no damage was done. All race long the car worked very well and I was always competitive. The pit stop was not perfect and maybe the time lost there cost me second place. All the same, it was really nice to be on the podium: seeing all the people underneath it was incredible, with the whole straight packed with fans. It was a special feeling, especially as I feel I am part Italian. I am happy for the team and for our home crowd. Now there is much work ahead of us to prepare for the coming races, starting with Singapore. It won’t be easy, but we are up for it. Personally, I will continue to fight for the wins and for the good of the team.”

[Rob]

Italian GP - Alonso: “A victory for the fans”9.12.2010

“Winning at Monza at the wheel of a Ferrari is something special, which can only stand comparison to when I won in front of my home crowd in Barcelona in 2006. Being on the podium was an incredible feeling: what a sea of people, so many flags! I was stunned by the emotion from the fans, right from the first moment they got here on Thursday. I wish to dedicate this victory to them and to the passion that characterises all Ferrari fans. I got a reasonably good start, but Jenson’s was definitely better and more effective. I tried to attack him at the first corner but I did not manage it and there were some very exciting moments, when I collided with him and with Felipe. I was worried there might be some damage, but fortunately everything was fine. I could always keep up with Jenson: we were working out what might be the best strategy, then he pitted and it was obvious then that I should do one more lap. The pit stop was super: we gained the tenths that made the difference. Today, it was the mechanics who won the race and they produced a real miracle. The whole team was fantastic as was the car. Now we have updates coming for Singapore, but it will not be easy to continue to improve, because we also need to start thinking about 2011. We have to stay focussed and do our best. We cannot allow ourselves the slightest mistake, because we are still behind, but we have definitely taken a good step forward today.”

[Rob]

Italian GP - Luca di Montezemolo: “A very special day”9.12.2010

“This is a very special day for me, and one that involves contrasting and very strong emotions. There is the delight for such a great win, which I want to dedicate to all our fans. I am proud of what the Scuderia has done, both on the track this weekend and back in the factory: it is an extraordinary job. They delivered perfectly, proving to be the sort of people who never give up. For this, I wish to thank Stefano Domenicali and all his colleagues and the drivers – Fernando was brilliant, taking pole yesterday and now the win today while Felipe got a very nice podium finish. But there is also the pain at the loss of a friend, Pietro Calabrese, a great journalist and a fan of ours, and so this victory is also dedicated to him.”

[Rob]

Chris Dyer: “A fantastic result”9.12.2010
“A fantastic result for the team. We had a difficult weekend, a fortnight ago in Belgium, but after that everyone put in 110% effort to make up for it and be as well prepared as possible for this race. Everyone gave their all, on the track and at home over the past three days, starting with the drivers. It was not easy, as we had to adopt choices that were far from obvious, especially in terms of aerodynamic downforce and the set-up of the car. Then yesterday, Fernando produced a masterpiece in qualifying, which put us in the best possible shape to go after the win. There was a tense moment at the start and on the opening lap, but after that, we knew we had to wait and stop after our rivals to make up ground. We did just that, thanks to a combination of a perfect lap from Fernando and the fact the mechanics did an exceptional job in the pit stop. Felipe also drove a great race and it was nice to see both our drivers on the podium here in Monza. We know that if we can manage a perfect performance in the next five races, then we have a chance of winning.”

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[Rob]

:clap:clap so so so happy, thankyou everyone in the team well done super day fantastic result. Had few beers celebrating whooop!!!

[Rob]

Italian GP - Prancing Horse gallops to victory on home turf9.12.2010

Monza, 12 September – Fernando Alonso produced a stunning drive to give Ferrari its first win on home turf since 2006 and to add to the delight for the thousands of tifosi who filled the grandstands opposite the podium, Felipe Massa was up there too, in third place. McLaren’s Jenson Button joined them for the obligatory champagne spraying having come home second. This great performance is not only the perfect way to end the European leg of the season, but it also reignites the Scuderia’s fight for the championship titles, as Fernando is now third in the Drivers’ table, just 21 points, or less than one race win, behind the leader, while in the Constructors’ Ferrari is still third, but the gap to the leaders has now come down to 60 points.

Although Fernando had the advantage of being on pole position and made a good start, it was not as good as Jenson Button’s, who managed to muscle past to take the lead going into the first chicane. Indeed, for a moment, even Felipe pulled alongside his team-mate, before slipping behind him down the straight. At this point, Lewis Hamilton pushed his McLaren alongside the Brazilian and the two cars touched: fortunately the F10 was able to continue, but the Englishman’s race was over due to broken suspension.

The leading trio, who appeared to be tied together with an invisible thread, then gradually pulled away from the rest of the field, with Fernando right on Button’s gearbox for much of the race and Felipe close behind, with the three men trading fastest race laps. By lap 20, Felipe’s advantage over fourth placed Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes was almost eleven seconds. With the top three men all so close, the one and only pit stop to switch from the soft to the hard tyre was evidently going to be the key moment of the race. It was the Englishman who came in first, and when Fernando came in on lap 37, the Scuderia pit crew pulled off the fastest wheel change of the day. It was a heart-stopping moment as Fernando rumbled down pit lane, as Button rushed down the main straight, but the Spaniard just had the edge, the two men almost side by side through the first chicane. Felipe came in next time round and maintained his third place.

For the rest of the 53 lap race, the lead trio again stayed in close contact, but not enough for the positions to change, while there were several good scraps lower down the order. Finishing just off the podium was Sebastian Vettel in fourth place for Red Bull, who instigated the unusual strategy of bringing him into the pits for his compulsory tyre change on the very last lap. Behind the German, the rest of the points went to Rosberg in fifth, then Webber, Hulkenberg, Kubica, Schumacher and Barrichello in tenth.

[Rob]

Already focussed on Singapore9.13.2010

Maranello, 13 September – There is never much time to celebrate in Formula 1. The races follow on, one after the other, so it is inevitable that the delight at a victory that has a special flavour all of its own, given that it came at the home Grand Prix, immediately has to make way for the need to concentrate on the next round. Nevertheless, there were plenty of relaxed and smiling faces at this morning’s usual debrief, which took place in the offices of the Gestione Sportiva. The championship is still wide open and everyone is aware that if the team can deliver perfect performances at the next five races, then a dream could become reality. However, in order to achieve that, there can be no let up, not even for a second. In fact, it requires even more energetic efforts, as President Luca di Montezemolo reaffirmed, when he took part in the engineers’ meeting. The F10 proved to be competitive at a circuit like Monza and a new update package, mainly on the aerodynamic front, is expected for the race in Singapore.

Fernando Alonso arrived in Maranello last night and he too is already concentrating on the forthcoming Grand Prix. After a well deserved morning off work, the Spanish driver then spent a few hours in the simulator, along with his group of engineers. Fernando will still be in the factory tomorrow


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