Sleepless Domenicali considered quitting Ferrari

Stefano Domenicali has admitted he considered quitting after Ferrari dramatically lost the 2010 title with a bungled race strategy in Abu Dhabi.

The Italian said during an interview with La Repubblica newspaper that if F1 was football, he would probably now be looking for a new job.

"I know that people see me as the coach of Ferrari," he said. "But a team principal is something different. This is a business and I have to manage all the different aspects, not just the sporting ones.

"I take care of everything, so I delegate a lot, but saying that, you have to be ready for anything especially if there have not been the results you want for two years.

"But thank god it’s not football!" said the 45-year-old.

"To rebuild in F1 is takes months and years and from that point of view I have always felt a great support from the president and the shareholders," continued Domenicali.

Although he did not fear Ferrari’s wrath after the ill-fated Abu Dhabi finale, the Italian admits he didn’t sleep for two days and spent that time contemplating resigning.

"After Abu Dhabi I raised the issue personally. I wondered if it was the right thing or not to stay.

"I take it as a duty and I am not attached to my chair. But I came to the conclusion that stopping would be a mistake. I know the team and I think I’m the right person to capitalise on all that we have sown in recent months.

"From a methodological point of view, we have changed almost everything at Maranello and I am sure we will soon see the results of our hard work."

And he denied that severing other heads for the strategy mistake would be an appropriate response.

"The mistake had a devastating effect," said Domenicali. "But in a normal race it was a normal error. So you can’t jettison everything - even the good things - because of it."

It is rumoured that one major change for 2011 is a more prominent role for former McLaren designer Pat Fry.

"We will officially announce something in the coming hours and make sure that those who are making decisions in the crucial moments have all the tools to do not repeat the mistakes," said Domenicali.

He also denied that Felipe Massa’s poor season was due to the Brazilian’s serious head injuries sustained in 2009.

"We made all the checks; as a driver and a man Felipe is perfectly intact," he insisted, arguing that as well as the technical explanations, Massa struggled psychologically at times in 2010.

"I am sure we will see a great Massa in 2011. He knows that he can’t afford another season like that," added Domenicali.

And as for the car at Massa and teammate Fernando Alonso’s disposal, he explained: "The car of 2010 we had to start from scratch (after 2009).

"Now we have a good starting point and a regulation change, so we have to make maximum use of our imagination for extreme solutions," said the Italian.

Source: NextgenAuto

Alonso calls for calm from fans after Petrov incident

Fernando Alonso has called on his fans to respect his fellow drivers after Vitaly Petrov revealed the Spaniard's fans had defaced his official Facebook page with insults and abuse.

Alonso gesticulated wildly to Petrov after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix because he felt the Renault driver had held him up as he was battling to get past and catch the leaders to keep his title hopes alive.

Petrov subsequently denounced Alonso's reaction as 'bad manners', leading to the abuse he received.

"Probably my fans didn't like some of his statements after Abu Dhabi," Alonso told Spanish radio Onda Cero. "We all have to think about what we say after a race, but I say to my fans to stay calm because we have lived together a spectacular year."

Alonso added that he was pleasantly surprised to have enjoyed such a margin of superiority over team-mate Felipe Massa in 2010.

"I think there was never such a difference between myself and my team-mate. This makes me happy, given the results I have had. My level of driving I think is at its best and I hope to continue like this next year."

Source: ESPNF1

Opening ceremony at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. Montezemolo: “A dream becomes reality”

Yas Marina, 30 November – The official opening took place tonight of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the first theme parked dedicated to the history and identity of the Maranello marque.

The ceremony took place in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, along with over two thousand guests: among them, Italy’s Foreign Minister Franco Frattini. Representing the Maranello company were President Luca di Montezemolo, Vice-president Piero Ferrari, Managing Director Amedeo Felisa and Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Team Principal Stefano Domenicali, along with the drivers, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.

The show, entitled “Power meets Elegance” took its inspiration from the history of Abu Dhabi and Ferrari and ended with an amazing firework display, which lit up the sky over the 200,000 square metre roof of the Park.

“I wish to thank everyone involved in turning this dream into reality, especially our partners and the authorities here in Abu Dhabi,” commented President Montezemolo. “Six years ago, this park was just an idea, maybe one that was a bit too ambitious: now it has become a reality. The park represents the combination of innovative technology and tradition and is aimed not just at Ferrari fans and car enthusiasts but at the whole family. Everything to do with Ferrari is here: our exclusive Grand Touring cars and our race machinery, our tradition and our culture. Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is a symbol, echoing what Italy represents in the world and especially at this time we have a duty to push even harder to help keep our country’s image at a high level. We will try and do our part, as do so many people, not just entrepreneurs but also the military, researchers and those from the world of culture.

“Today is an important day because the name of Italy is joined to the biggest theme park in the world linked with the automobile and only Ferrari could pull off something like this. I hope that this structure can in some small way play a part in strengthening the links between two cultures,” concluded Montezemolo.

Already, over ten thousand people have visited the Park, where eighty six thousand square metres (out of a total of two hundred thousand) are under cover, since it opened back on the 4th November.

Source: Ferrari.com

Opening ceremony at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi

Source: ferrariworld

Ferrari: We got it wrong

Ferrari technical director Aldo Costa said Fernando Alonso lost the World Championship in Abu Dhabi because the team decided to play it safe with their strategy

Alonso headed into the final race of the season with an eight-point lead in the Drivers' standings but eventually lost out to Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.

While the German led from the front at the Yas Marina circuit to eventually claim victory and also become F1's youngest ever Champion, Ferrari decided to follow Red Bull's lead in pitting Alonso's nearest challenger, Vettel's team-mate Mark Webber, early.

Webber and Alonso stopped for tyres at the start of laps 12 and 16 respectively but the tactic backfired when both became stuck behind cars that had stopped even earlier behind the safety car.

Alonso and Webber tried and failed to pass Renault's Vitaly Petrov for 40 laps and eventually finished seventh and eighth respectively.

The Spaniard, who needed to finish fourth in the race, ultimately lost the crown to Vettel by just four points.

Costa told Italy's La Repubblica: "We got it wrong. We didn't approach the race to do our best but to obtain an average result that would have been sufficient.

"And when you do that a little thing, a 'Petrov', a safety car, comes along and everything falls apart.

"Never again," he added.

Costa said the mood in the Ferrari garage when they realised their title hopes had gone was bleak.

"When Fernando crossed the line we were all frozen. For five or 10 minutes we stared at the monitor," he said.

"No one budged, no one took off their helmets. No one spoke. No one wanted to accept the reality."

Costa admitted that Ferrari "made impulsive and erroneous decisions" in deciding to pit Alonso early but also criticised the relationship between Red Bull and sister team Toro Rosso.

Both are backed by the Austrian energy drink brand, with Webber easily getting past Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari after his stop before getting stuck behind Alonso and Petrov.

In conclusion, Costa insisted that responsibilty for Ferrari's failure in Abu Dhabi should not fall on the shoulders of one team member alone.

"Let's be clear, we didn't lose the Championship because of our strategy in Abu Dhabi, but because our car was too slow," he added.

Source: Planet-F1

In pictures: Pirelli tyre testing at Yas Marina Final Day

Test F1 - Abu Dhabi / Pirelli - 20/11

Source: NextgenAuto

The Vettel Diaries: 'Abu Dhabi has special place in my heart'

Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel shares his first impressions of the sport’s new tyres and reveals his plans for the immediate future

Hi!

It really feels great to be back in Abu Dhabi. I know for sure that this place from now on will always have a very special place in my heart. Today we had the first opportunity to test the new tyres for the next season and I have to admit that it went better than I thought it would. They worked pretty well and made a good first impression.

Of course we are used to last season's tyres but I think that we really need to get involved with them. But I already got the feeling that the front tyre is a bit stronger than the back tyre. Before we can finally say which tyre was the best we really need to adapt our car to them and see how it works once it's done.

Despite the busy day, it was really nice to be back in the car and I look forward to tomorrow's test. It's the final time that we can collect data for the winter.

Just like last year, I will also compete in this year's "Race of Champions" and try to defend the nation cup and get better in the individual results. After all that we did in the last weeks, it will be a nice alternation and fun for sure.

But despite that, I really look forward to my time after Abu Dhabi, because I am finally able to fly home to Heppenheim. I can't tell you how much I look forward to see all these people who already gave me an unforgettable day as we drove through town with our show car. I hope that this Sunday will be as great as that day. Let's wait and see.

Talk to you soon!

Sebastian

Source: Red Bull

Alonso ends Pirelli test on top

Fernando Alonso was the man to beat as the second and final day of the Pirelli test reached its conclusion in Abu Dhabi on Saturday

The Spaniard ventured to the top of the timesheets during the morning session with a 1:40.529, which proved to unbeatable. Alonso also amassed the most laps, 105, which is the equivalant of two race distances at the Yas Marina circuit.

Michael Schumacher put in a late charge to take second place with just 15 minutes remaining in the session. The Mercedes GP driver finished 0.156s adrift of Alonso.

Schumacher's rise saw Sebastian Vettel drop to third place, as like Alonso he failed to better his time from the morning. Vettel, the new F1 World Champ, completed just 66 laps.

Red Bull's head of race engineering Ian Morgan said: "It's been interesting to work with different tyres here and it was good to have the opportunity to get information using a car we know well - the RB6 - before starting to work with the new car next year.

"Overall we have done everything we planned to and we're looking forward to working with Pirelli in the future.

"It's sad that this is the last day of running for the RB6 - it's a car that we have enjoyed a great deal of success with this year - but we're looking forward to 2011."

Rubens Barrichello finished in fourth place ahead of Robert Kubica, Gary Paffett and Oliver Turvey.

Paul di Resta, who was responsible for the first red flag when he broke down an hour before lunch, completed the top eight.

The only other stoppage on Saturday belonged to Pastor Maldonado, who was in action for Hispania Racing. He spun and stalled during the final hour of running.

Times
01. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:40.529 105 laps
02. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1:40.685 74 laps
03. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1:40.825 66 laps
04. Rubens Barrichello Williams 1:41.294 100 laps
05. Robert Kubica Renault 1:41.614 91 laps
06. Gary Paffett McLaren 1:41.622 46 laps
07. Oliver Turvey McLaren 1:41.740 30 laps
08. Paul di Resta Force India 1:41.869 35 laps
09. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber 1:42.110 43 laps
10. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso 1:42.145 97 laps
11. Tonio Liuzzi Force India 1:42.416 46 laps
12. Sergio Perez Sauber 1:42.777 46 laps
13. Jarno Trulli Lotus 1:44.521 83 laps
14. Pastor Maldonado Hispania 1:44.768 65 laps
15. Timo Glock Virgin 1:44.783 82 laps

Source: Planet-F1

Alonso tops the morning session

Fernando Alonso took over from Felipe Massa at the Yas Marina circuit on Saturday, topping the timesheets at lunch on Day Two of the Pirelli test

With the Formula One teams getting their first taste of the new Pirelli rubber in Abu Dhabi over a two-day period, Ferrari opted to run both Massa and Alonso, giving them each a day's working.

Massa was in action on Friday, setting the pace with a 1:40.170, before handing over to Alonso on Saturday morning. The Spaniard continued Ferrari's fun, clocking a 1:40.529 to beat Sebastian Vettel to the P1 slot by 0.296s.

However, Vettel's run was reportedly cut short when the new World Champ suffered another tyre failure, the cause of which is believed to be debris on the circuit. He completed just 13 laps.

Rubens Barrichello was next in line for Williams, finishing ahead of Paul di Restam, whose running was kept to just 13 laps as he broke down out on track an hour before the lunch break, bringing out the red flags.

McLaren test driver Oliver Turvey and Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi were fifth and sixth while Michael Schumacher replaced Nico Rosberg, finishing 1.632s off the pace.

Robert Kubica, who covered 47 laps on Saturday morning, completed the top eight.

Times
01. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m40.529s 47 laps
02. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1m40.825s 28 laps
03. Rubens Barrichello Williams 1m41.294s 52 laps
04. Paul di Resta Force India 1m41.869s 35 laps
05. Oliver Turvey McLaren 1m42.046s 29 laps
06. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber 1m42.110s 43 laps
07. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m42.161s 30 laps
08. Robert Kubica Renault 1m42.178s 47 laps
09. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso 1m42.399s 46 laps
10. Jarno Trulli Lotus 1m44.839s 44 laps
11. Timo Glock Virgin 1m45.405s 37 laps
12. Pastor Maldonado Hispania 1m45.516s 27 laps

Source: Planet-F1

Sebastian Vettel Exclusive: I never stopped believing

He may have only been in Formula One for three full seasons, but Sebastian Vettel’s career is already record breaking. Not only is he the youngest driver to score points, clinch a pole position and win a race, Vettel is now the youngest world champion. Still youthful enough to miss watching Grands Prix on the TV, the sport’s brightest talent must now find the maturity to handle being a global superstar. We talked exclusively with the 23 year-old Red Bull driver about his historic title success…

Q: Sebastian, what have you been up to since winning the title?
Sebastian Vettel: After the immediate celebration on Sunday in Abu Dhabi, we jumped on a plane without sleeping to Austria, where a huge reception - and lots of questions - were waiting for the victorious team. Then the evening closed with a small party. Next day the UK was on the schedule with a similar programme to the one in Salzburg. But it was really special because we were with the whole team again, including all the guys in the factory - the folks who made that incredible success happen. On Wednesday evening I touched down again in Abu Dhabi. At some points over the past few days, when I was snoozing away on the plane and waking up again, I wasn’t sure where I was. It was tough, but on the other hand I feel that we’ve made a lot of people happy in a short time.

Q: You’ve spent all that time with team mate Mark Webber. Have you had a chance to talk about your issues during the season?
SV: Immediately after the race we had a long conversation. He came over to congratulate me and we took the chance to speak. There have been some things that annoyed me over the course of the year and vice versa. We’ve had the chance to set the record straight. I would not say that we have become fond of each other after that conversation, because there have been reasons why we collided, but we respect each other and that is a good basis.

Q: You keep breaking records for being the youngest to win, take the title etc. How do you do it?
SV: In reality it’s not important to me. What counts much more is what was achieved - the wins and the championship. Who knows what is still in the wings for me? But for now I am very happy about what I’ve achieved. I know that I’m not the oldest driver on the grid. Whether things become harder the older you get, I (understandably) cannot know that now.

Q: The young drivers who tested this week might be depressed that you have achieved so much, so young…
SV: Obviously you don’t feel these things. They must look a lot different from the outside. Of course when you take a look from a distance, my career looks like it’s progressing very fast, but for me I take one step at a time. In that way you approach every single task separately and lift the throttle only for moments to identify your position. Of course if you take into account what Formula One means - the top of motorsport - then everything looks quite irrational. A few days ago I thought about how long it is since I’ve watched an F1 race on TV, but how could I lately? I’m part of Formula One. Not so long ago watching F1 races was a light-bulb experience for me, and now I am the champion. Unbelievable!

Q: On your in-lap after the Abu Dhabi race you talked about your time in karting on the team radio, when you and your dad were the underdogs…
SV: Well, I was happy to be able to think at all in that moment. The emotions that start to roll over you are almost impossible to describe. That is the moment when pictures of the past start to cross your mind and you dearly hope that nobody is going to wake you up from your dream.

Q: You have reached an incredible goal. What now?
SV: I will take the time to enjoy the success and then I will celebrate with family and friends. And a bit later on I will start to focus on next season - and the defence of my title.

Q: There is no one single character trait that makes a champion. What do you have?
SV: That I never give up is clearly a very strong candidate for my best character trait. I have led this championship exactly once, at the end, which is what really counted. I remember that a certain James Hunt did it in the same style in 1976. I think that there are a number of drivers in Formula One right now who perform on a very high level, but in the end only one can win. And pure speed is only one factor. In the end to succeed needs a combination of many factors. Over the course of a long season it is sometimes tempting to slacken the reins, so you have to be able to shake yourself up at times and do your thing the way you think is right. But the most important thing is to never give up the belief in yourself. And the team always gave me the feeling that they too believed in me and have never stopped doing so, regardless of how it looked.

Q: Would you back the idea that it was in Monza that you turned everything back in your favour?
SV: Yes, because in Spa I admit I made a mistake. In my opinion, it wasn’t a grave one because I just tried to get past somebody and it didn’t work out. After that I was massively criticized, including by the media. That was a real lesson for me - probably the most important of the whole season. Before that I was a kind of favourite and had to learn to live with the situation, learn to only listen to a small circle of people and invest my energy only in those few, because you know you will get some of that energy back. Monza was next and that persistence was rewarded with P4. It was a very special race in terms of my attitude. From that race on I was able to let loose. I still strongly believed I could win the title, and could do so without clenching up.

Q: Have you had chance to watch the Abu Dhabi race back?
SV: Only parts of it. I watched the last 15 laps with my engineers and mechanics on Sunday evening. That was a quite strange feeling because at that stage of the race I had no idea that I would win the title. To see the tense faces of my crew and the jiggling feet of my team principal Christian Horner was quite something. In the end we’ve done everything right this season and have let nobody irritate us. What the others did was not in our hands and that is how we went into that race. Now I am sure there are many who will say that I was just lucky. But looking at the whole season there were many negative moments where I was asking myself, why me? In the end we seized our chance and the others didn’t. It’s that simple!

Source: Formula1.com

Massa ends first Pirelli outing on top

Felipe Massa had an impressive run in Pirelli's first official F1 test, beating his qualifying time from weekend's Abu Dhabi GP

The F1 teams were given special dispensation to hold a two-day test at the Yas Marina circuit as they prepare for the swap from Bridgestone to Pirelli tyres for next year's Championship.

The morning session saw newly-crowned F1 World Champ Sebastian Vettel set the pace ahead of Massa, but despite shaving tenths off his time during the afternoon session, the Red Bull racer was eventually pipped to the post by Massa.

The Ferrari driver clocked a 1:40.170 to set the pace on Friday. But perhaps more importantly was the fact that his Pirelli time was quicker than his qualifying time at the same circuit last Saturday on Bridgestone tyres.

Vettel finished the day in second place ahead of McLaren test driver Gary Paffett, who earlier stated that the Pirelli rubber was "not too different from Bridgestone."

Fourth place went to Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi, who edged out Robert Kubica, who had a few problems that kept him down to 39 laps throughout the course of the day.

Renault's chief engineer Alan Permane said his first impression of the Pirelli rubber, having used both the medium and soft on Friday, was positve.

"We had our first taste of Pirelli tyres today and were able to run both the medium and soft compounds," said Permane.

"The morning went well and Robert was reasonably happy with the car balance, although we made a few changes during the day to improve it.

"Our initial impression of the tyres has been positive: they were working well with good grip and no warm-up issues.

"Unfortunately we had to stop early because we had a mechanical issue with the car and we preferred to save the tyres for tomorrow when we've rectified the problem."

Rubens Barrichello, Nico Rosberg and Jaime Alguersuari were next in line.

The only other major incident during the day belonged to Adrian Sutil. The Force India driver's VJM broke down out on track during the morning session, keeping him down to just 20 laps.

However, it also affected Force India test driver Paul di Resta, who spent the bulk of the afternoon session waiting for the team to get back out on track. The Scot completed only 15 laps and finished at the back of the timesheets.

Testing will continue at the Yas Marina circuit on Saturday.

Times
01. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m40.170s 94 laps
02. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1m40.500s 77 laps
03. Gary Paffett McLaren 1m40.874s 94 laps
04. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber 1m40.950s 83 laps
05. Robert Kubica Renault 1m41.032s 39 laps
06. Rubens Barrichello Williams 1m41.425s 91 laps
07. Paul di Resta Force India 1m41.615s 20 laps
08. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m41.778s 81 laps
09. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso 1m42.019s 71 laps
10. Adrian Sutil Force India 1m42.859s 20 laps
11. Timo Glock Virgin 1m44.124s 78 laps
12. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus 1m44.686s 88 laps
13. Pastor Maldonado Hispania 1m45.728s 83 laps

Source: Planet-F1

Alonso gestures showed 'bad education' - Petrov

Fernando Alonso's reaction to losing the 2010 world championship demonstrated his lack of education.

That is the claim of Vitaly Petrov, the driver whose Renault car proved impossible for Alonso to pass last Sunday in Abu Dhabi.

After the cars crossed the chequered flag, Spaniard Alonso pulled his Ferrari alongside Petrov and gesticulated angrily at the Russian.

"The gesturing only showed his bad education," Petrov said in an interview with Spanish sports newspaper Marca.

"I always follow the rule that if you are sad or disappointed, keep it to yourself. I did my race and he did his. This is a job and I want to do my best," he explained.

Source: Motorsport

Briatore shocked over Ferrari's mistake

Fernando Alonso's former manager Flavio Briatore rumbled on behalf of his protégé in the La Repubblica newspaper. According to Briatore Ferrari made the biggest mistake in the easiest race in Abu Dhabi.

- Ferrari miscalculated. Fernando should have been able to drive a completely different race. Ferrari shouldn't even have thought of Mark Webber because Fernando was so fast.

How was a mistake like that then possible?

- It's hard to say. Maybe they just interpreted Webber's early pitstop the wrong way. Mark didn't come to the pits because of some revolutionary strategy, he came because he had hit the wall. They didn't notice that at Ferrari, instead they started following men and fell into a trap, Briatore acknowledged.

Would Alonso now be a world champion if Briatore would have managed in the Ferrari pit?

- It is not correct to ask something like that at a moment like this. We are wiser after one day after the race. The day before and on racing day it's the most difficult when the solutions have to be made in one second and there's a risk of a mistake on every lap.

- It is a stupid scandal to bring a race this crucial on a track where you cannot make one single overtake.Somewhere in Monaco it's crowded but the Abu Dhabi track is in the middle of the desert where they could have built long and wide straights., which would have been able to build a long straight and wide curves. Now nobody can overtake even if they were sitting on camel's back.

- I'm so sorry for Fernando. He is a phenomenal driver, who drove a brilliant season. It is a pity that everything is now played down.

Turun Sanomat, Rome

Courtesy: Nicole

Ferrari under fire as the dust settles

In the aftermath of Ferrari and Fernando Alonso's failure to land the drivers' championship, there is growing speculation, mainly in the Italian media, that widespread changes will result at Maranello.

"Some things will change and, sure, some heads will roll," said the authoritative Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport. While the newspaper did not name Chris Dyer - Ferrari's chief track engineer - some Spanish sources did, claiming it was the Australian's decision to "cover" Mark Webber's Abu Dhabi race strategy that stranded Alonso behind Vitaly Petrov.

A source close to Ferrari told the Guardian: "There will be changes at Ferrari for sure. What happened on Sunday was a big, heavy mistake. But they won't be changing the car, Alonso, the president or [Stefano] Domenicali. Instead there will be changes to the inefficient pit area. It may not even be a sacking. But next season some important people will no longer hold the positions they do today."

And never one to miss an opportunity for some free publicity, Roberto Calderoli of Italy's Northern League party called for Luca di Montezemolo's resignation, slamming the pit strategy in Abu Dhabi as a "demented strategy".

"We're sorry to see that there are some politicians on the outside who are ready to push for the guillotine when things go badly," di Montezemolo countered. "We don't understand anyone who revels in self-defeatism, who sinks into the culture of 'everything's gone wrong, we have to start all over again'. They are vices that are very Italian, that we must learn to shake off."

"The only thing we can do is try to take a breath, recharge the batteries and push people to do a better job next year," team boss Domenicali said. "What we should not do at the moment is let ourselves be swayed by false prophets or by those saying 'I told you so'. We have to work on areas that need improving, we need to develop and know exactly what we need to do next year.

"The good and the bad thing about Ferrari is that we are only allowed to win. Coming second is not an option, and in this context, we need to understand quite clearly where we need to invest and take the right steps to make sure we win next year.

"We had already started making some important changes this year in our organisation, introducing new methods and new people who will become effective from next year. Reliability is a good place to start and to carry on into next year."

Triple world champion Niki Lauda told the Austrian press: "There should be three days of mourning, then they all eat spaghetti again and forget the defeat."

Source: ESPNF1

Finnish fans shared Vettel's and Pärmäkoski's joy

Turun Sanomat 15.11 2010

The new Formula 1 champion Sebastien Vettel's Finnish personal trainer Tommy Pärmäkoski received immediately after the bull's eye in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as many as 120 congratulations to his cell phone - from friends and strangers.

- There is such a big bunch of congratulations that it tells F1 in Finland is still very popular, Pärmäkoski assured ouzing vitality although the Red Bull team had celebrated the title until four in the morning.

Pärmäkoski was mostly warmed by the congratulations his colleague Mark Arnall sent since he knew the trainer's feelings after helping Mika Häkkinen and Kimi Räikkönen become world champions.

- Doesn't it feel good? It is a special feeling, Arnall reminded, and Pärmäkoski admitted that it was.

Pärmäkoski will stay in Abu Dhabi for this week because Vettel drives the Pirelli tyre tests both on Friday and Saturday. After that he heads home to Kuortane for a holiday. Vettel ends the season in the traditional Race of Champions that is held in the end of November in Düsseldorf. Vettel and Mark Webber have some promotional work first on Tuesday in Salzburg and then on Wednesday in Milton Keynes factory.

* Invitation to the Castle Kimi's vocabulary *

Vettel attracted attention in Finland because of the comment he gave in Finnish to MTV3:

- It was a good day. Where is my invitation to the castle? I'm almost a Finnish man.

How can a German athlete be aware of the world champions getting invitations to the castle in Finland?

- I guess it has stuck on Sebastian's mind from some chats with Kimi Räikkönen when Kimi went to that party. He doesn't understand Finnish but he pulls out those phrases fluently, Pärmäkoski explains.

Vettel brought up Räikkönen when he won the title. The contact between those two F1 world champions have however been less because they each have their own schedules and because the back pains that troubled Kimi during the rally season haven't given him a chance to play badminton or tennis with Vettel.

* Something in the throat, trash in the eye *

Vettel cried of happiness on the podium.

How did Pärmäkoski control his feelings since he has shared the ups and downs this season?

- I got something in the throat. After all a real man doesn't cry but I might have got some trash in the eye at that point.

- When you repress your feelings during the entire race you just get that drowsy feeling when winning. Just like you would have got your work done. I don't even know if you understand anything else except that you have been working like a dog for this and now it's there.

Vettel praised the help of Pärmäkoski and his family during his way to the championship. The Finnish trainer also knows Vettel's family very closely.

- It's amazing how you learn to know another human being in this way when we're together 300 days a year, see places, different people and learn to know with whom Sebastian feels at peace and with whom he doesn't.

* You have to know how to read athletes *

Pärmäkoski played ice hockey as a goalkeeper. How different is it to win as a trainer?

- Very different of course when you have a different trainer and a different athlete. This is one kind of a game. You have to be able to control yourself and read the athlete. It would have been useless to encourage Sebastian very much before the final race. I just had to try and calm him down and keep him totally on the ground.

- A trainer has to have a psychological eye so that he can see the overall picture and act accordingly, Pärmäkoski says.

Turun Sanomat, Abu Dhabi

HEIKKI KULTA

Courtesy: Nicole

Alonso's Blog: In love with Ferrari

Waking up was hard after yesterday’s disappointment, I can’t deny it. It hurts to come so close to the goal and see it slip away like that, but that’s the way sport goes and we have to accept it. The closing chapter of the season must not erase all the positive things that we’ve done this year. And – I repeat – for me it’s been a top year. There have been wonderful moments, such as the Monza podium, that will stay in my memory and the bitter end will never be able to cancel them out.

Now it’s pointless to try and work out who got things wrong: a world championship that slips away by four points after 19 races can be lost on so many occasions, not just at the end. We are a team: we win and we lose all together. I’m happy to be at Ferrari – to feel, together with all the men and women who work here the pride of being a part of this family and this extraordinary history. We are a great group and we will show that – especially in this hardest of moments where this bitter taste will be felt inside every one of us. I know that at Maranello everyone will be working hard on the new car to try to be even more competitive at the start of next year. I know that here at Yas Marina the mechanics are again on track preparing for a week of testing. I can’t wait to get back involved on Friday when I’ll return to Abu Dhabi to try out the new Pirelli tyres on Saturday. This is the spirit of our people: they want to react straightaway, to work even harder to chase victory. That has made me fall in love with Ferrari even more today than ever.

Source: Ferrari.com

Vettel pulled off a 'Räikkönen'

Sebastian Vettel looked to Kimi Räikkönen for inspiration as he battled his way to becoming the youngest Formula One Champion in history

Vettel's situation was a forlorn one when his Red Bull suffered a blown engine in Korea three weeks ago, handing victory on a plate to Fernando Alonso that left the German trailing by 25 points with two races remaining.

Three years ago Räikkönen's hopes were hanging by a thinner thread as he trailed Lewis Hamilton by 17 points with only 20 up for grabs.

But the Finn went on to remarkably win the title by a point as he took the chequered flag in the last two races, whilst Hamilton suffered problems in both that left him crushed.

On this occasion Vettel, too, managed to win the final two grands prix, following up his success in Brazil with a second successive victory under the lights in Abu Dhabi.

Going into Sunday's race all Alonso needed to do was cover any potential Vettel victory with fourth place, but Ferrari's abysmal tactics saw him finish seventh, and four points adrift of the German.

"Prior to the race I was thinking about Kimi's situation," said Vettel, who takes the title at 23 years 135 days beating Hamilton's 2008 record by 166 days.

"Whether you like Kimi or not - some people do, some people don't - but I faced a little bit of a similar situation.

"Obviously we were in a stronger position in terms of how many points were missing.

"But if you know Kimi, you know the one big advantage he has is that he just does his own thing, which was my target all weekend long.

"What he achieved three years ago was very special because no one thought it was possible.

"He proved us wrong, but the circumstances were special, the same as with me."

In the immediate aftermath of his triumph, Vettel initially claimed he was "speechless", only to subsequently open his heart.

Vettel's words were certainly heartfelt as he proceeded to thank a variety of people with a speech that was Oscar-like in its depth.

Overall, there was unsurprising pride at joining the list of the all-time greats, adding: "We have one guy in the team who knows all the World Champions of every year since 1950.

"Just ask him the year and he gives you the World Champion, so to be on that list now with drivers like (Ayrton) Senna and Michael (Schumacher), those two guys, I mean...I don't know.

"I'm just happy to put my name down on the list."

Vettel now possesses every significant age record in the sport as he is also the youngest to score points; lead a race; qualify on pole; win a grand prix.

It is an astonishing compilation, and who is to say he cannot now go on to beat many of the records of seven-times Champion and 91-times grands prix winner Schumacher.

In adding the Drivers' title to the Constructors' Championship won last week in Brazil, team principal Christian Horner was naturally overwhelmed and ebullient.

"The first time Sebastian has led the Championship is at the last race of the year, but arguably it's the only time you need to lead it," said Horner.

"He's stuck with it though this year, he's had some tough times and he's had his issues with reliability here and there, but he's never lost his focus.

"He's the youngest ever World Champion and a very deserving World Champion.

"It's down to what he's done on the circuit, and the whole team is hugely proud of what he's achieved."

Source: Planet-F1

Abu Dhabi GP 2010: Rapturous scenes of celebration in Red Bull garage + Interview with Sebastian Vettel

Source: FiftyBuckss

Fernando Alonso frustrated as title slips away

Source: ririri074

Report: Vettel Wins Race And World Title

He may not have led the standings the entire season, however, Sebastian Vettel is the new World Champ after a faultless drive to victory in Abu Dhabi



Vettel, starting from pole position, pulled away off the line with Hamilton right behind as Jenson Button took third place off Alonso, who had his main title rival Webber right behind him. However, the racing was soon called off as the Safety Car came out a the result of a huge accident involving Michael Schumacher and Tonio Liuzzi. And while six drivers, including Nico Rosberg and Vitaly Petrov, pitted under the Safety Car, most did not, including the title four.



Lap 12 saw the first of the top four pitting with Webber coming in, dropping all the way down to 16th place. Four laps later, Alonso came in as Ferrari matched Red Bull's strategy and although the Spaniard got out ahead of Webber, he had to make his way through the traffic as he attempted to work his way into the points.



However, that charge came to a halt when he came across Petrov and lap after lap, unable to overtake the Renault driver, Alonso and Webber could do nothing but watch as their title hopes disipated.



Meanwhile, at at the front, Vettel and Hamilton both took their stops on lap 25 and 24 respectively, both remaining in the top five as they watched their title hopes boosted as lap after lap Alonso and Webber were trapped behind Petrov.



And as others pitted, they soon returned to the P1 and P2 slots with Vettel ahead of Hamilton. And although those pitters elevated Alonso and Webber up the order, the time spent behind Petrov meant Robert Kubica was able to get back out after his stop ahead of Alonso - and those two Renaults were the two places Alonso needed to win the World title.



The race ended with Vettel crossing the line in first place ahead of Hamilton, clinching the season finale, the Drivers' Championship title and setting a new record as F1's youngest-ever World Champ. Congratulations!



Results



01. Vettel Red Bull-Renault

02. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 10.1s

03. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 11.0s

04. Rosberg Mercedes + 30.7s

05. Kubica Renault + 39.0s

06. Petrov Renault + 43.5s

07. Alonso Ferrari + 43.7s

08. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 44.2s

09. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 50.2s

10. Massa Ferrari + 50.8s

11. Heidfeld Sauber-Ferrari + 51.5s

12. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 57.6s

13. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 58.3s

14. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 59.5s

15. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1m03.1s

16. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth + 1m04.7s

17. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth + 1 lap

18. Di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth + 2 laps

19. Senna HRT-Cosworth + 2 laps

20. Klien HRT-Cosworth + 2 laps

21. Trulli Lotus-Cosworth + 4 laps



Did Not Finish

Glock Virgin-Cosworth 44

Schumacher Mercedes 1

Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1



Source: Planet-F1