Massa's Blog: Yet another step forward in performance terms

I have had a busy few days since the Turkish Grand Prix, so time has gone by quickly and now I’m heading off to Barcelona for the fifth race of the season, which I hope will show more signs of the progress we had clearly made in Turkey. After a couple of days at home in Monaco, I headed for Rome where I attended a function for our partner Shell, after which I stayed in Italy spending three days at Maranello.

I had the usual race preparation meetings with the engineers, although much of the time was in the simulator, with it set up to replicate the Catalunya circuit where we will be racing this weekend. To be honest, from a driver’s point of view, the simulator is most valuable when you are using it to learn a new circuit, like we did last year for Korea and will do again for India, this year’s new venue. The work I was involved in this week was more for the benefit of the car, the 150° Italia, as I was testing the new updates we plan to use starting from Friday.

A session in the simulator is very much like a normal test at a race track: we start running at 9 in the morning until around 1, when we have a break for lunch, which we take in the simulator area itself and then we start again running from around 2.30 to 5 in the afternoon. After that, just like at the racetrack, I have a debrief with my engineers. Usually with the simulator, you start doing a run just to get acclimatised to it and then you start doing runs that last five or six timed laps. You can immediately see the results of what you are doing so, based on that, you decide what changes to make to the car and go out again. In one day in the simulator, you can try many more things than you could do at the track, because in the “virtual” environment, it is much quicker changing things on the car than at the track. Also, you don’t waste time in the simulator with “in” laps and “out” laps: for example at the Catalunya track on the simulator, you start the lap coming out of Turn 11 and then you can immediately begin your timed lap. When you press the button to finish, it’s like being back in the garage again. You talk to the engineers and anything you want changing on the car they can do almost immediately, or they can configure the car to test new updates or experiment with set-ups. The simulator is therefore much more time saving than testing for real.

Physically, a simulator session is much less tiring than driving the real car, because the G forces are less, but you are still driving, moving and working hard, but the physical effort required is far less. The best thing about the simulator? When you crash, nothing happens, absolutely nothing! Okay, you can feel something through the steering wheel but then the platform just stops and it’s over. When you first start using a simulator, you can find yourself going off line and even crashing but there is no harm done to you or the car.

Back in the real world, we have new parts we plan to use on the car in Spain and we are expecting to make yet another step forward in performance terms. We know how tough a time we had in the early part of the season, but hard work has seen us reduce the gap to the quickest cars and we plan to continue that way, especially in qualifying trim. If we make the car better for Saturday, we should also end up with an even more competitive car in the race on Sunday. I hope we are on the right road, because we now have Spain and Monaco just a few days apart and after that, we will have already completed six Grands Prix, or almost one third of the season. So it is a very important time for us and I have every confidence in the team that we can have a good Spanish weekend. The Spanish Grand Prix will be another interesting test of the effect of the new rules, with KERS and the DRS, although overtaking might not be quite as straightforward as in Turkey, as the main straight in Barcelona is not as long as the one at the Istanbul track. Of course, we have seen that tyre performance is possibly an even bigger feature than the KERS and DRS and from a driver’s point of view, it makes the racing quite interesting psychologically, as you have to deal with having a car that is really competitive for some laps and then finding your lap times dropping off and you are struggling to fight off the cars behind you. Then you fit new tyres and the whole situation changes again. It’s interesting for us and more importantly, very exciting for the race fans. Obviously, my team-mate will be the focus of most of the attention for his home race in Spain and Fernando’s arrival at Ferrari has made the Scuderia very popular with the Spanish race fans, so I hope we can both deliver a good result for them on Sunday.

Source: Ferrari.com

Alonso's Blog: No predictions for Istanbul

I arrived in Istanbul this evening along with the team on the usual charter flight that we use for European races. I was in Maranello from Monday night onwards: we had programmed some work in the simulator to prepare for these first few races of the European part of the season and so it was the perfect opportunity to meet up with the engineers to discuss how development is coming on with the 150° Italia. Already in Turkey, we will have a few new aerodynamic components, but further updates are due to arrive in the following races. We know we have to take a significant step forward in terms of performance if we want to get back to fighting for the top places, especially in qualifying. I’m not expecting a major change in Istanbul: on Friday we will see if the new parts work the way we are expecting, but we are well aware that the others have not been twiddling their thumbs these past few weeks, so it’s impossible to say today where we are compared to our main rivals.

We’ve had a slightly longer break than usual and it was useful to pause for breath after the first run of races outside Europe. I made the most of it to spend time with my family, but also to concentrate on upping my training level, working mainly on the bike.

The Istanbul circuit is very technical, with many different types of corner, some serious ups and downs and a couple of places where overtaking was possible in the past: this year that should be even more the case thanks to the moveable rear wing. This element has proved to play an important part in making overtaking easier, but the factor that has the biggest effect on whether one driver can pass another is the difference in tyre performance, as we clearly saw in China. When you end up in trouble with the tyres, it gets very difficult to defend your position from another driver, even if his tyres are just a few laps fresher than yours. Usually, the Istanbul race is pretty demanding on tyres and so it will be very important to get an understanding of their behaviour in Friday’s free practice. At the moment, the weather forecast looks very uncertain, especially for Friday, which adds a further unknown to this weekend.

I don’t want to make any predictions about the final result: we know it will be tough for us, but the will to work hard and to do well is not lacking. I saw that these past few days in Maranello where everyone is working very hard, from Domenicali to the mechanics, so that everyone can get on top of the situation in their own area as soon as possible. It is this great desire to get the job done that makes the people at Maranello so special.

Source: Ferrari.com

Did Ferrari bend testing ban rules at Fiorano?

Felipe Massa during the recent filming at Fiorano

Ferrari is courting controversy by testing new components for its struggling 2011 car during a track day for “a promotional film” at Maranello last Friday, according to media reports.

“After so many hours in the simulator it was nice to have a break and enjoy myself on track,” Felipe Massa said after the test at Fiorano late last week.

Spain’s AS newspaper said the Ferrari 150 Italia car was featuring “improvements” that will be rolled out in Turkey this coming weekend.

Last year, the wording of the in-season testing ban was improved to explicitly rule out the testing of new components for the few filming days permitted for each team.

Omnicorse.it said the car differed from its Shanghai-specification in the diffuser and rear suspension areas. Brazil’s Globo also said the car Massa drove at Fiorano “had some differences” compared with the car used in Australia, Malaysia and China.

All the reports indicated that the car seemed “higher at the rear” than before, almost certainly to imitate the rake seen in the Red Bull to make best use of a flexible front wing.

Autosprint also reported that it is “likely” Ferrari took a “big risk” and “exploited the opportunity” of the Fiorano filming day to test the Red Bull-style upgrades.

Meanwhile Red Bull driver Mark Webber told La Stampa that he has a theory about Ferrari’s recent struggles, “In Schumacher’s days, the rules didn’t change very much for years and so the team made many small steps forward. Now the changes are big and very often.”

Source: YallaF1

Three Ferraris for Massa

Maranello, 29 April – He celebrated his thirtieth birthday four days ago and today, Felipe Massa was able to enjoy an experience that would be amazing for most people and was even unusual for him, even though he has been a frequent visitor to Maranello for the past ten years: he drove three different Ferraris at the Fiorano track all on the same day. This came about as part of a promotional film being shot for www.ferrari.com, featuring the 458 Italia, the 458 Challenge and, of course, the 150º Italia.

“It was so much fun: I’ve never driven three Ferraris one after the other like that,” said the Brazilian driver. “After so many hours in the simulator it was nice to have a break and enjoy myself on track.”

Special guests at this promotional day were India’s Ambassador to Italy, Debabrata Saha, accompanied by his wife Homai and the Consul General, S.K. Verma who, along with some friends, were guests of Tata Consulting Service, one of Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro’s partners.

Before being taken for a lap of the track in a 458 Italia, driven by test driver Dario Benuzzi, the Indian delegation visited the Ferrari factory where they were able to admire the new FF car.

Source: Ferrari.com

Alonso: Ferrari legend better than I expected

Fernando Alonso has revealed he is more than happy with life at Ferrari in his tenth grand prix season in Formula 1 and the start of his second year with the Maranello squad.

“I expected a team of legend and magic and it has been a pleasant surprise, even better than I expected,” the 29-year-old told the Spanish sports daily Marca on the tenth anniversary of his F1 debut at the Australian GP on 4 March 2001.

Asked how long he might stay in F1 and with Ferrari, Alonso answered: “I am in no hurry to go; here, I even enjoy finishing second, eighth and twenty third.”

It has been suggested in the past, however, that Alonso does not completely enjoy F1 overall because it is not a pure sport.

“It’s not just racing; F1 is also very much business and with other interests,” he agrees.

“It’s not a competition, pure and simple. Cars are not equal, the rules are not equal for all. But we know this and accept it because this is perhaps some of the charm of formula one,” added Alonso.

Asked about the cars he has driven since debuting in 2001, he said the 2009 Renault was “the worst but I managed a podium in Singapore”.

And with the same team, he said 2004 and 2005 were the most enjoyable cars.

“There was the war with the Bridgestone and Michelin tyres that made us a couple of seconds faster, already with 900 horse power,” he explained.

“Even with the inferior aerodynamics that we had six years ago compared to today, in Cheste (Valencia) we were doing 1m08, compared to 1m14 now — six seconds different. Those cars are hard to beat,” said the Ferrari driver.

Alonso revealed that when his F1 career began with Minardi ten years ago, he also had the option of going to Ferrari-powered Prost.

“The offer was to go there (Prost) and then maybe be a Ferrari tester, or maybe not and I’ll have to return to F3000,” he explained.

“It did not guarantee anything, while Renault were giving me a better opportunity,” added Alonso, who indeed became Renault’s test driver in 2002 before racing with the team in 2003.

Alonso also reinforced his view that he is in F1 only to win.

“I’m not racing to make friends but to achieve many titles. Let’s see if I win enough to be remembered. If not, I will also retire very happy, proud of the experience,” he added.

Source: YallaF1

Video: All about the Ferrari F150

Source: NextgenAuto

Two million hits from 149 countries for the F150 on the Ferrari site

As usual, the launch of Ferrari’s new F1 car has created a lot of interest, especially on the internet, where web surfers were able to follow the presentation of the F150, linking up to Maranello through live streaming on the Ferrari.com site.

Two million people from 149 countries followed the event. Fans logged on not just from traditional F1 strongholds such as Spain, Brazil, the USA and the UK, but also from countries in the Far East (Japan, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan,) with many clicking on from India, as well as countries such as Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, not forgetting the African continent, in the shape of Namibia, Botswana and the Congo to name but a few. There were plenty of web surfers from the Middle East too, including the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, home to the Yas Island, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi theme park dedicated to the Maranello marque, where visitors were able to watch the presentation ceremony.

Source: Ferrari.com

Ferrari’s new Formula 1 car to be called F150

F150: that’s the name of the new car which will compete in this year’s Formula 1 World Championship and which Ferrari will unveil this coming Friday at Maranello, as part of an event which will be broadcast live on RAI 2 and on Ferrari.com.

The choice of name stems from Ferrari’s desire to pay tribute to this year’s one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the Unification of Italy. The placement of the “Tricolore” Italian flag as part of the car livery will therefore have even more significance in 2011.

“Ferrari is an expression of Italian excellence, talent and creativity,” declared President Luca di Montezemolo. “All the men and women who put so much effort and passion into their work at Maranello share the pride and responsibility of representing our country around the world and it is in this spirit that we chose to dedicate this car to an event that is so important for the whole of Italy.”

The news was announced in advance this afternoon, to the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, who expressed his appreciation of the initiative. He also took the opportunity to wish the Scuderia the best of luck for the forthcoming season.

Source: Nextgen

Two days of work at Maranello for Massa

Maranello, 18 January – Felipe Massa has been very busy working at Maranello for the past two days.

On Monday, the Brazilian was tackling a session in the simulator, also meeting Aldo Costa and Nikolas Tombazis, who brought him right up to date with the latest developments on the new car.

This afternoon, Felipe was in the Assembly Area, to work with engineers and mechanics on his seating in the cockpit, after which he had a long discussion with his race engineer, Rob Smedley.

Source: Ferrari.com

Cockpit test for Alonso

Maranello, 15 January – Fernando Alonso ended the “Wrooom” festivities with a nice double win in karts and Fiat 500 and following straight on from that, today it was time to slip into the cockpit of the car in which he will tackle the 2011 championship.

The Spanish driver was in Maranello this afternoon to try the seat for the new car, arriving shortly after three in the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Car Assembly area. This was thus Fernando’s first opportunity to get his hands on the 288 chassis, which will be used for the pre-season test sessions. There with him was Technical Director Aldo Costa, chief designer Nikolas Tombazis and his race engineer, Andrea Stella and after the fitting, they were able to discuss the latest developments on the car.

The assembly is going to plan and next Monday it will be Felipe Massa’s turn to come to the factory for his seat fitting.

Source: Ferrari.com

Ferrari reveals new car launch date

The car which Ferrari will race in this year’s Formula 1 World Championship will be officially unveiled in Maranello on Friday 28 January.

This news was announced by Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team principal, Stefano Domenicali at a press meeting held today at the Italian ski resort, which is hosting Wrooom 2011, the event organised by Philip Morris International, to kick off the Formula 1 and Moto GP seasons.

Source: Nextgen

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

Ferrari opens the doors for employees’ families over 13,000 visitors

More than 13,000 visitors - friends and families of the almost 3,000 Ferrari employees - passed the gates today at Ferrari, because it’s family day, an occasion for the men and women from Ferrari to present the departments of the Prancing Horse and the areas where the road cars - including the one in Modena – and the Formula 1 single-seaters are produced.

Numerous children populated the main street at the Ferrari Works, named after the company’s founder Enzo, but also the many other streets, bearing the names of World Champions from the past, while at the different production areas some employees explained to the visitors the different steps necessary to build a Ferrari.

Chairman Luca di Montezemolo had to pose for many photos, shake numerous hands and sign plenty autographs, while visiting the production areas. “This is a wonderful day to celebrate,” the Chairman told some journalists. “It’s the day of our people. I always underline that behind our products there are exceptional men and women. With them we have to approach challenges and share joyful moments. That’s why we wanted the bonus when the three-year business plan expires, in case we reach our economic objectives we’ll set. It’s something beyond the salary set in the contract, the supplementary benefits, such as free visits to specialist doctors, special interest loans, free school books and summer camps for our employees’ children, scholarships and much more.”

To a question regarding the Formula 1 Championship the Chairman replied: “We’ll give it our all to win it, I’m proud of the work done by the Team, we missed out on some occasion at the beginning of the season, but now there’s great concentration, we’re giving it our all, let’s hope that in the end it works out.”



Source: Ferrari.com

Waking up to rain again

It was raining when Fernando Alonso arrived in Singapore last Wednesday and it greeted him again this afternoon, as he boarded his flight home. In between came some very busy times for the Spaniard, culminating in yesterday night’s fantastic win which has propelled him into second place in the Drivers’ championship, eleven points off the leader, Mark Webber.

Indeed, the only rain-free day was Sunday, which definitely added to the spectacle on track. Given that the track surface at Marina Bay takes a long time to dry, the slightest shower in the three hours leading up to the start of the race would have had a significant effect, at least in the early stages. In the end, up until this morning, the weather was fine, although the rain then reappeared until sunset on Monday. This was also good news for all the men and women who worked until dawn, packing away all the equipment in the paddock; the garage equipment, the cars themselves, the pit stop kit and everything used in the hospitality area, which will now be heading for Suzuka, the next stop on this round the world tour that ends in eight weeks time with a test session in Abu Dhabi, the week after the final round of the 2010 season.

Tonight, the team members take a direct flight to Milan Malpensa, landing tomorrow morning. Then, it will be straight back to work to prepare for the Japanese Grand Prix: tomorrow afternoon will see the usual debriefing session, while the first part of the crew leaves for Suzuka on Sunday 3 October: there is definitely no time to draw breath, both at the track and in Maranello!

Source: Ferrari.com

Alonso: “On holiday, but without switching off completely”

Just like everyone else at Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, Fernando Alonso is also on holiday as from tomorrow. Having spent Monday to Thursday at Maranello, to work alongside the team, both in preparing for the final part of the 2010 season and in defining the guidelines for the design of the 2011 car, the Spanish driver also wanted to be in Madonna di Campiglio today for the presentation of Ercole Colombo’s book on Wrooom’s twentieth anniversary.

“It won’t be possible to switch off my mind completely over these two weeks: I will try and relax and do a bit of sport, but at least once a day, maybe just for ten minutes, I will inevitably think about the next race in Belgium,” said Fernando. “I think it will be the same for everyone and the timing of the break, does not make any difference. After a few unlucky races, which went badly for various reasons, we are now on the right road. The car is much improved and so that makes me more optimistic and has seen the whole team grow in confidence. In Spa, we will have a few more things and we hope they help us progress still more: the others will do the same, which means we will have to be better than them and quicker in terms of development work.”

As for the situation in the Drivers’ classification, Fernando was very open: “It only took us two normal races to be fully back in contention for the title. It’s true we are still behind in the classification and it is always better to be in front, but I am convinced that in the final sprint, by which I mean the last two or three races, we will be closer to the top than we are now. The important thing is to remain calm and concentrated and to do our job well. It’s hard to say who is my strongest rival: we are all almost equal. Maybe, Hamilton, Button and myself, who have already won a title, will tackle the final rush in a calmer way, having already experienced something similar. Percentage chance? I’d say 50%, which is the normal state of affairs…”

Fernando was asked how his relationship with Ferrari has changed over his first seven months: “It has not changed much since January. I immediately felt at ease, as if in a family. Wrooom was a great help in forging a team with my new colleagues and with my team-mate, with whom I always have a great relationship. There is an amazing atmosphere among us, one which I think is better than in any other team: I would really love to come back here next January with even more great feelings!”

Inevitably, there was a reference to the forthcoming FIA World Council meeting, where the German Grand Prix situation will be discussed. “We have to await the decision with confidence, hoping for a positive outcome,” said Fernando. “We drivers and the engineers have the task of staying focussed on the car and on our work, trying to get the results on track.”

Source: Ferrari.com

Alonso's Blog: Continuity is the cornerstone to winning

I am in Maranello for a few days to be as well prepared as possible for the final part of the season and specifically, the Belgian Grand Prix, the first round on the calendar after the summer break.

We have moved into the final third of the season, so it’s time to sum it up so far. I think we can be pleased with what we have done to date. We are still in the fight for the championship, which is the most important thing. It’s true that some races have gone better than others, just as there were some lucky breaks and times when bad luck seemed to follow us around, but I believe these things tend to balance out. Over the last two races, we have considerably reduced the gap to the championship leader. There are five of us all within twenty points, so it’s as if we are starting from square one: from now to the end of the championship we can expect seven finals. We must have a lot of respect for everyone. McLaren has been very strong, especially Hamilton and Red Bull has shown it always has a competitive car. This is a time to stay cool, without succumbing to the tension that will grow with every passing race, on the track and away from it. We will need to be clever to manage this situation, staying calm at all times.

We always aim for the win, but there was no chance of that in Budapest, which I was definitely not pleased about. However, we know some tracks suit our car more and others are more suited to our competitors: we must try and win the races where our car is strong and finish second in the others, as was the case in Budapest. Continuity will be the cornerstone to this title fight. It was surprising to see how the relative performance between us and Red Bull changed in the space of a week! I reckon that actually our performance is pretty similar, especially in comparison to McLaren, Mercedes and Renault and that maybe in Germany, the Red Bull car was not so competitive, while it was at its maximum in Hungary on a track that was a perfect match for its characteristics.

The break comes at the right time. July was very busy with three races in four weeks: drivers, mechanics, the whole team, we all need a rest after this rush. We set ourselves the target of reducing the points gap and we did it. Now is the time to ensure we have the right spirit in which to tackle the final seven races.

I won’t be doing anything special over the next few weeks. After leaving Maranello, I will stay with my family, partly in Switzerland and partly in Spain: no travelling, no airports, just relaxing! In my career, I have been in the fight for the title three times, from 2005 to 2007. Twice I was in the role of the hare, so I can appreciate the different situations that arise, even if does not mean much. When you are in the lead, it is very stressful if you lose points, but when you are trying to catch up you are aware that you cannot afford to make any mistakes, even if it is a nice feeling in a team when you know you are starting to fight back. As I said earlier, for us the most important thing from now to Abu Dhabi is to try and always finish on the podium: it won’t be vital to win at all costs, but whoever gets six or seven podiums will be champion.

In a few weeks, we will be at Spa, definitely the most enjoyable circuit to drive. It is a very long track, with every type of corner and climbs and drops and it gives you a fantastic feeling. There are tracks as nice as Spa, for example, I like Malaysia a lot and Monaco has a special atmosphere, but all the same, the Ardennes track is unique.

Source: Alonso's Blog - Ferrari.com

Briatore's Ferrari visit triggers rumours

Flavio Briatore made a visit to Ferrari's Maranello headquarters last week.

The news, revealed by Italian sources including Autosprint and La Gazzetta dello Sport, has unleashed a flood of rumours about the reason for the disgraced former Renault boss' visit.
Briatore reportedly met with team boss Stefano Domenicali as well as Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo.

The 60-year-old is banned from having a direct operational role in Formula One until 2013, but he remains Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso's manager.

He also manages Mark Webber, rekindling suggestions that the disgruntled Australian driver might be eyeing a move to Ferrari, even though both he and Felipe Massa are under contract for 2011.

A sporting and commercial consultancy role with Ferrari is also rumoured, but more likely is a link with Briatore's reported closeness to a role alongside F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.
Also possible is that Briatore is sitting on the other side of the fence, having last year so stridently argued for leading teams to abandon Ecclestone and the FIA and set up a breakaway championship.

It is also possible that he was representing Ecclestone as talks for the 2013 Concorde Agreement commence, or that he was invited by Ferrari for his insight on the plans of the F1 supremo.
Autosprint also claims that Briatore is looking for a house in Bologna, less than an hour's drive from Maranello.

Amid Ecclestone's burgeoning stance against the FOTA group, talks with F1's most influential and famous team would therefore be a good place for Briatore to re-commence his campaign.

Source: Motorsport.com

Schumacher still 'serious competitor' for 2010 title - Alonso

Fernando Alonso on Wednesday said he expects Michael Schumacher to be back up to full speed before long.

With the seven time world champion outpaced so far by his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg and 26 points behind the 24-year-old, some have written off Schumacher's ability to impress on his return to the sport.

But Alonso, who now drives for Ferrari, having beaten the 41-year-old to the last two championships of his original career in 2005 and 2006, is sure the German is still as competitive as before.

"He is still the Michael Schumacher that we know," the Spaniard told Germany's Sport Bild magazine, published on Wednesday.

"I respect him in the same way I did three years ago and am sure that he will show his true qualities when the car is better," Alonso, 28, added.

"I really believe Michael will be a serious competitor for the title this year," he insisted.

But Alonso also thinks Schumacher's records, including 91 wins and seven titles, are safe.

"Because the rules are now so tight, there will be no one who is far superior to the others, as Ferrari was in the past," he said.

"If you ask me, Michael's records are safe."

Alonso also said he feels more comfortable at Ferrari than ever before in Formula One, predicting that the Maranello based team will be his last.

"It is the atmosphere in the team," said Alonso, who since 2001 has also driven for Minardi and Renault. "(At Ferrari it's) like you're among friends.

"When they say 'goodbye', it will be time to finish my Formula One career," said Alonso.

Source: Motorsport

Vettel: I'd struggle to say no to a Ferrari offer

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel admits it would be 'special' to drive for the Scuderia, as 'the Ferrari legend speaks for itself'.

Sebastian Vettel has conceded that he would love to drive for Ferrari one day - and that it would be difficult to reject the Maranello-based outfit, if they came knocking.

Vettel is currently one of F1's hottest properties, and looked set to win both the F1 2010 opener in Bahrain and the Australian Grand Prix last weekend, until mechanical gremlins intervened on both occasions.

Although the German is under contract with Red Bull Racing - having inked a new deal at the end of August last year that will see him stay with the Milton Keynes-based outfit until at least the end of 2011, he added that the allure of racing for the Prancing Horse was something few drivers could resist.

"Right now I feel super-comfortable with Red Bull," he told German news agency, SID. "[But] the Ferrari legend speaks for itself.

"I think for every driver, it would be something special to go there, but for me I still have a few years in front of me."

Vettel meanwhile was extremely frustrated at the end of Sunday's race at Albert Park: "It is massively infuriating and in my mind I'm using the 's' word," he continued in an interview with the official F1 website.

"To be honest, at this very moment I would like nothing more but to go home - but life goes on. It gives a certain satisfaction to know that from my side I couldn't have made anything different or better and I think until the moment when the trouble started we'd done a great job.

"We have a very fast car - that is a fact. We just have to make sure that we see the chequered flag [in Malaysia next weekend]. It is only the second race so there is no need to get too nervous. We just have to see that we have a good car at hand for the second half of the season."

Source: Crash.net

Happy about the success thanks to hard work during the winter

Posted by Fernando Alonso

Maranello - It’s really difficult to imagine a better start! Yesterday’s win in Sakhir, completed by Felipe’s second place, was a fantastic feeling for me. I’m so happy about this success and I think that I started to appreciate it even more last night. You know, when a race finishes it’s difficult to really get hold of the result’s value. Once back at the hotel I spoke to my family and my closest friends and I started to realise what had happened. This victory is a great way to start a long relationship like the one, which connects me to the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro. I’ve said it many times over the last months, but I want to repeat it: this will be the last team I’m racing with and I couldn’t hope for anything better to start the Championship. This is a result, which gives us a great deal of confidence.

I think the one-two win was the result of the preparative works during the winter. We were the team with the most miles on the clock during the tests and we did lots of simulation work, on the track and on the stands, and we can say that we showed up with almost 100% at the season’s first race. Naturally there’s always room for improvement, because our sport is the pinnacle of technology and innovation and anyway we have to work incessantly on the car’s development if we want to win. There wasn’t a specific area to work on, but as far as we could see in Bahrain the qualifying will be more and more important for the final result so we have to try to prepare the best possible way.

Now I’m relaxing a bit before the next race in Melbourne. I know that the team has a lot of work these days, preparing the transfer to Australia and then to Malaysia; I’m convinced that yesterday’s one-two win will make sure that the men and women know that the hard work over the last months has been repaid in the best possible way.

Source: Alonso's Blog - Ferrari.com