Schumacher wins Massa's kartrace

On Sunday Felipe Massa organised a go-kart race at the Ingleses Kart Track in Florianopolis, Brazil. A total of 23 drivers joined Felipe Massa for the two races. Michael Schumacher won the first race, while Lucas di Grassi won the second race.

Schumacher shone in both races and made the crowd go crazy. In a Monza style madness, hundredths of people invaded the track to join the podium ceremony. Schumacher's presence is guaranteed for next year. Asked if he was surprised with the victory in his first race at the circuit, he answered: "I told Felipe I was worried of getting the last place", he said.

Ferrari to shakedown F2008 in January

The Ferrari Formula 1 team will complete its first laps with the team's 2008 contender on January 14 at Jerez. The news was confirmed by Ferrari's head engineer Luca Baldisserri.

In an interview with Italian newspaper La Stampa Baldisserri confirmed the team will bring two new F2008 chassis' to the test in the South of Spain. "The new car is an improved F2007 so you shouldn't expect a revolutionary design. We are building on our current championship winning car."

Schumacher to test again for Ferrari

Michael Schumacher will test again for Ferrari at Jerez, at the beginning of next month. The retired seven-time world champion returned to Formula 1 last week, at Circuit de Catalunya, and immediately was the fastest man on track.

A Ferrari spokesperson confirmed that Schumacher would test for another two days, but the final programme had not yet been confirmed.

Schumacher fastest as he returns to F1

Michael Schumacher is back. The seven-time world champion returned to Formula 1 and immidiatly showed he still knows how to do it. He was the fastest man on track on Tuesday at Circuit de Catalunya, just ahead of his team-mate, Ferrari tester Luca Badoer.

All eyes were on seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher. The German returned after one year off and immediately showed he is still on the pace. He completed the fastest time of the day, just ahead of Ferrari's test driver Luca Badoer.

He was fastest as well on Wednesday.

Changes at Ferrari

The Ferrari Formula 1 team has announced that Stefano Domenicali will become the team's Director of Gestione Sportiva, a position currently held on an interim basis by Jean Todt.

Domenical will enter his new position as of January 1st 2008. Ferrari furthermore announced that Mario Amondo will become the team's operations director, Aldo Costa as the team's Technical Director and Gilles Simon was announced as the team's engine director.

Where Todt will fit into the F1 outfit next year remains to be seen, as does whether he will move over to the automotive side of the Ferrari business. The team is expected to clarify those matters before the end of the year.

The joy continues for Kimi !

For Kimi Raikkonen it's finally holiday time, the first holidays as a World Champion. But before he flew off, the last weekend was dedicated to celebrating with the Ferrari World Finals at the Autodromo del Mugello.

"These were joyful days with many celebrations. It seems I can't stop smiling," said Kimi. "Wherever I go there are people who congratulate me. It seems that everybody in Italy is as happy as I am! Wednesday in Maranello was wonderful, when we celebrated the wins of the two Championships with everybody from the Scuderia. But I have to say that yesterday in Mugello was even better. In front of thousands of fans and numerous Ferrari clients."

"When I was going to the race track in Tuscany I remembered the first time I drove a race car, back when I was driving in the Formula Renault and then my first race in Formula One with Peter Sauber. I remember these feelings, but it is really something else driving the car, with which I just won the Championship, here at Mugello: it was like a second triumph. I was really happy and very proud being part of the Ferrari family when I saw all the fans celebrating. Thank you all so much, with all my heart!"

"There was a great surprise waiting for me after the celebrations at Mugello. I should have gone back to Switzerland but Jenni and my friends had planned something else. We went to Helsinki and celebrated the win with people who have always been close to me. This was a great way of coming back home for the first time as a World Champion. Now I'm on holiday. I'll try to chill out as much as I can and charge up my batteries. I drove almost every week during the last season and now is the time to think of something else than four wheels. I'll try to forget Formula One a bit, but that will be difficult. This year was really special to me. I can say that I fell in love again with this sport. I won't go to the tests in November in Barcelona, but I might be back on the track in December. It will be great to start my second year with Ferrari now that I won the title.

It will be a new challenge, even more exciting, because I want to feel this joy again, one more time!"

Ferrari Finali Mondiali 2007

Ferrari team boss Jean Todt told reporters at Ferrari's weekend celebrations at Mugello that he wouldn't have bet on Kimi Raikkonen becoming world champion earlier in the season.

"To be honest, I wouldn't have bet on Kimi winning the drivers' title in his first season as a Ferrari driver," Todt said. "To win it is a demonstration of our approach of never giving up and to believe in it as long as it is possible."

"The last race was incredible," he added. "We knew that we had to finish first and second and Kimi had to finish before Felipe in order to keep Alonso back and Hamilton had to be in the best hypothesis 6th. And this is what happened. All these factors had to come together and this is what happened in the end; our capacity to reach an extraordinary double-win."

Ferrari celebrates unexpected title in Brazil!

Kimi Raikkonen won the Brazilian Grand Prix to take the Drivers' World Championship title, the first of his career and the fifteenth for Ferrari in Formula 1. This was win number 201 from 758 Grands Prix entered by Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, the fifteenth from 122 race starts for Kimi. The Scuderia's number of wins in this race is now nine.

"A dream that it seemed would be impossible to come true was transformed into reality at the end of a race which the drivers and the team managed superbly, which is self evident from looking at the details of the race," said team boss Jean Todt. "We had to get a one-two and then see what our main competitors could do. We needed a "helping hand" from others, both those in the running for the title as well as those out of the running to bring home both titles. And yes, because not only have we taken the Drivers' title with Kimi, but we also numerically confirmed the Constructors' title that we acquired after the decision of the FIA World Council back on 13 September. Two titles, nine wins, four one-two finishes, nine pole positions, twelve fastest race laps: these are exceptional figures in a season which included some difficult moments, but in which we never gave up the fight. Today was our reward for all this work. I wish to congratulate Kimi and thank Felipe, who again today demonstrated his loyalty to Ferrari: without his help, we would have not reached this result."

Ferrari celebrates 200th win in China

Kimi Raikkonen secured Ferrari's two hundredth victory from 757 Grand Prix entered in the Formula 1 World Championship. It is Kimi's fifth win with the team, his fourteenth from 121 races. It is Ferrari's eighth victory of the season and its third in four runnings of the Chinese Grand Prix.

"It is great to be able to celebrate Ferrari's two hundredth victory in Formula 1, here in Shanghai, at the end of a difficult race, further complicated by the unpredictability of the changes in the weather," said team boss Jean Todt. "Kimi brings his total tally of the season to five and this is the team's eighth. He drove an extraordinary race, without committing the slightest error. Felipe had a good race, helping us to see how the dry weather tyres were working at a critical moment. Unfortunately, the rain returned for a brief period, which affected his race. All the team had taken badly what happened at a difficult weekend in Fuji which we left with much less than we deserved. I also wish to congratulate our friends at Toro Rosso, who picked up some important points: it is great to see four Ferrari engines in the top eight. We know our aim of bringing home the Drivers' title will still be very difficult to achieve, but we will give it our all, right up to the last lap of the last race!"

Kimi 3rd in Japan, Massa 6th

Ferrari had hoped for more from the Japanese Grand Prix after Kimi Raikkonen managed to recover to third and Felipe Massa finished the day down in sixth place.

"In light of the weather forecast we had obtained, we chose to start on standard wet tyres but, after a few laps, we were informed of a decision of the stewards that demanded the use of extreme wets," explained team boss Jean Todt. "The team had not been informed and only after the race, did we find that an e-mail had been sent to Stefano Domenicali which arrived after the start of the race. We were amazed and had to immediately call in the drivers to the pits to change tyres. From then on, our target was to make up for lost ground in a manner that was somewhat perplexing. After a strong climb up the order both drivers managed to get back into the points, with Kimi ending up on the podium in third place. Clearly, given the result, the situation in the Drivers' Championship is now compromised with only Kimi still in the hunt. It will need a miracle, but what is certain is that we will do our utmost to win the final two races of the season."

Ferrari are the 2007 Constructor's Champions

Ferrari has clinched the 2007 constructors’ title following McLaren’s decision not to appeal the penalty imposed on it in the espionage case.

The FIA World Motor Sport Council threw the British team out of the constructors’ contest in its September 13 ruling, a sentence which McLaren has now accepted.

Ferrari has acknowledged the decision and vowed to focus all its efforts on winning the drivers’ title.

“Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro has won the 2007 Formula 1 constructors’ world championship, taking its tally in this competition to 15, seven of them in the last nine years,” the Italian squad said in a statement.

“Ferrari will now invest all its efforts over the final three races of this championship in trying to also win the drivers’ world title.”

Ferrari has only an outside chance of achieving a title double.

Kimi Raikkonen currently trails McLaren’s championship leader Lewis Hamilton by 13 points with thee races remaining and 30 points still up for grabs.

Felipe Massa is a further seven points adrift.

Spa - Ferrari 1-2 !!!

Kimi Raikkonen has won the Belgian Grand Prix. The Finn dominated the race at Spa-Francorchamps from pole position to the finish line. His team mate Felipe Massa finished right behind him in second while McLaren drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton finished in third and fourth.

Monza - Kimi gives the tifosi something to cheer about

Ferrari did not have the best race this weekend with mclaren getting a 1-2 finish and Kimi getting 3rd spot in Ferrari's backyard of Monza. Felipe Massa retired early in the race with a mechanical failure.

Ferrari say truth will come out in spy hearing

Ferrari say they are confident the "truth will come out" after the FIA said it had found new evidence in the espionage case involving the Italian squad and McLaren.

The governing body announced on Wednesday that it had reconvened its World Motor Sport Council for a hearing in Paris on September 13 to consider the development.

The Italian squad responded to the announcement on Thursday, saying they will attend the new hearing.

"Ferrari notes the FIA's decision to call an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council to examine new evidence that has emerged with regards to the accusation that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has violated article 151c of the International Sporting Code," said Ferrari in a statement.

"Ferrari will be present at the Council meeting on the 13th September in Paris and wishes to reaffirm its own strong wish that all the elements in this case are brought to light. Ferrari is confident that the truth will out."


The Monza paddock has been full of intrigue about the nature of the new evidence that has led to the calling of the FIA hearing, with world champion Fernando Alonso not commenting on Thursday at suggestions that he has been involved in providing new evidence.

Paddock sources have suggested that the matter revolves around an email exchange between Alonso and McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa about setting up of this year's car.

Autosport.com understands that the FIA became aware of new evidence last week and wrote to all F1 teams, as well as Alonso, de la Rosa and Hamilton, on Friday to make it clear that it was their duty to provide the FIA with any information regarding that matter.

It is also believed that the letter to the drivers promised them an 'amnesty' from any punishment if they fully cooperated with the ongoing investigation.

If it is proven true that Alonso is the informer of the new evidence, I salute Mario C for bringing this idea up when this whole spy scandal affair started, maybe Alonso wants to be a member of the official tifosi, or even drive for Ferrari in the future!

F430 Scuderia Unveiled

The F430 scuderia was unveiled to a private crowd in Maranello yesterday, the car has been developed with the help of Michael Schumacher.

It's of little surprise given the nature of the F430 Scuderia that there are a few more ponies in the paddock. Peak power from this quad-cam 4.3-liter V8 rises from 483 horsepower to 503 hp at 8,500 rpm, an increase that has much to do with a revised intake system made from carbon fiber, new pistons that deliver a taller compression ratio (11.75:1 instead of 11.3:1) and a lightweight, free-flowing exhaust system.

The V8's torque curve is also a beneficiary of these changes, and a quick peek at Corradi's internal Ferrari engineering document reveals that it is substantially fattened up between 3,000 and 4,000 rpm, then peaks slightly higher than the F430 at 347 pound-feet at 5,250 rpm and keeps its advantage all the way to the tachometer's 8,600-rpm redline.

Another important engine enhancement relates to the engine's electronics. An ion-sensing knock detection system that's integrated with the spark plug in every cylinder can track the early onset of detonation, so the engine can run with the maximum amount of ignition advance. As a result, the engine can take better advantage of its taller compression ratio for improved power output.

Already you can sense what a full-on project the Scuderia has been, but there's more. The F1's automated sequential manual transmission with its shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel has been upgraded. The time it takes to nip between ratios has been cut from 150 milliseconds to just 60 — providing you have at least 5,000 rpm on the tach and the throttle pressed more than halfway down (which, let's face it, will probably be most of the time). For comparison, the Enzo-evolution FXX bangs through its shifts in 80 milliseconds, while Ferrari's F1 cars have got it down to between 30 and 40 milliseconds.

Massa leads Ferrari one-two

Felipe Massa took a dominant fifth career win in the Turkish Grand Prix as he led home a Ferrari one-two with Kimi Raikkonen second. Fernando Alonso recovered from a poor start to take third place while a puncture relegated championship leader Lewis Hamilton to fifth.

Back on Track!

Holidays are over and F1 racing is back this weekend for the Grand Prix of Turkey. Friday morning we have second practice at 7am, qualifying on Saturday at 7am and the race is on Sunday at 8am. Forza Ferrari!

Briatore slams Mclaren

Flavio Briatore has suggested that McLaren was only able to keep up with Ferrari this year because of the spy scandal.

The Renault boss, who respectively beat McLaren and Ferrari for the world championships in 2005 and 2006, said he does not believe his counterpart Ron Dennis that no-one except Mike Coughlan at McLaren knew about the 780-page dossier of Ferrari secrets.

Briatore said the biggest disadvantage compared to Ferrari this year was its rivals' lack of knowledge of the Bridgestone tyres.

"Had I only known Ferrari's weight distribution, or how big their tank is, if I had a bit of those documents, then we surely wouldn't be in this situation today," the Italian told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Briatore charged: "Dennis says he's immaculate, but it's hard to believe him. No, I don't believe in his good faith. In a team everyone knows everything."

He also criticised Dennis for not yet sacking Coughlan, while Ferrari has on the other hand dismissed alleged McLaren informer Nigel Stepney.

"It's an extremely serious thing that he hasn't yet been fired," Briatore said, referring to Coughlan.

Hungarian GP - 2nd place for Kimi

Jean Todt:
"A second and thirteenth place are a meagre reward for this weekend. There is a slight bitter taste at seeing how competitive we were in the race with Kimi, as it showed yet again that starting from the front is vital, especially at a track like the Hungaroring where overtaking is almost impossible. Of course, Felipe was even more heavily penalized because of the negative outcome of qualifying, given that he was constantly stuck in traffic. We knew this track would not suit us that well. Now we need to try and get both our drivers on the podium all the time to try and make up the gaps in both championships for the remaining third of the season. We have all we need - the team, the car and drivers - but we have not always been able to put them all together to the best effect. If we don't manage it, the championships will not be won."

Kimi Raikkonen:
"My main aim today was to make up points on my three closest rivals for the title. I didn't manage it and so I cannot be completely happy. We knew we could count on a very good car in terms of race pace and so it was, as was clear to see on the few occasions when I could drive with a clear track ahead of me, but it was not enough to win. When you find yourself very close to a car with similar speed, unless it makes a mistake, it is very difficult to overtake, especially on a track like this one. I fought to the very end to try and win but I never had a real chance to pass Hamilton. We came in together for our first pit stop and at that point, the choice of fuel levels determined the final outcome. But bit by bit as the track rubbered in and got more grip, my performance improved. Clearly, on some tracks, we suffer a lot in qualifying and we have to understand why. I think that in the coming races the situation should definitely be better, starting in Istanbul."

Felipe Massa:
"It was a horrible race; there are no other words to describe it. At the start, I managed to pass some cars but at the exit to Turn 1, I lost position again. Then, at the next corner, I tried to pass Wurz but I ran wide and Sato also got past me. At that point, any hopes I had just evaporated. I had a very heavy car and lost downforce every time I tried to close on other cars. It's been a weekend to forget but I have not lost confidence. We know we have a good car and we must return to winning as soon as possible, starting in Turkey. We must not give up."

Ron Dennis - Take this !!!

Ron Dennis kept his drivers away from the press conferences in Hungary on Thursday. Maybe they were afraid of a question like this:

Journalist: "Fernando, your boss, Mr. Dennis, claims that Ferrari won the Australian GP with an illegal car, because subsequent to the race, a rule change was enacted that affected the use of a certain feature of the car. Now, it is well known that a rule change was made last year which affected the use of a certain feature on your car and as you had this feature on your car over two seasons (your two WDC seasons), do you agree that you won 2 championships with an illegal car?"

Fernando: "Let me get back to you on that..."

Courtesy Of Mario C.