Massa's Blog: Proud of being part of Ferrari’s history

Posted by Felipe Massa

I’ve had a busy time travelling to and from Maranello since the last Grand Prix, last week to work on preparation for Istanbul on the simulator and yesterda, I went back to Italy to take part in a football match for the Telethon charity, of which Luca di Montezemolo is president. Playing with me on the Telethon team were Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella and there were lots of former professional football players, actors, singers and VIPs. Then today, I flew to Turkey for the next round of the world championship and it’s one I am really looking forward to.

Istanbul is a special track for me, as I have won three times in a row out of the five times we have raced there. I enjoy it a lot and I am looking forward to this weekend to try and do it again. Last year, when our car was not so competitive, I still managed to finish sixth, so I am hoping for something better this time, even if we have seen that the opposition is very strong at the moment. I can’t really explain why I have always been strong at Istanbul Park, but there is something about the track characteristics that seems to suit me in a similar way to Bahrain or Sao Paolo: I just click with these places and I feel very comfortable driving there. The most interesting part of the Turkish track is Turn 8, which is basically four left hand turns all taken as one, which puts quite a strain on your neck and upper body as it probably generates the highest lateral G-forces of any corner on the calendar. This year, in the early stages of the race, we will also have to tackle it with a much heavier car because of running on full tanks, which means it will be much slower than usual. But that is something we have experienced at all the races this year and while in qualifying Turn 8 is difficult but you are pretty much flat out, in the race you will have to back off the throttle. This season, in the early laps, we have seen that we can be 6 to 7 seconds slower per lap than in qualifying.

After running very competitively in Monaco on Bridgestone’s softer tyres, in Istanbul we will be back to their Medium and Hard compounds: the engineers have been pushing very hard to get to the F10 to make these tyres work better for us than they did in Barcelona for example, so I expect we will have made some progress. Also, the asphalt in Istanbul is the most abrasive we will have encountered so far this season, resulting in higher tyre degradation and that fact, combined with the higher temperatures we can expect this weekend, should see us work the tyres better.

All rounds of the championship are equally important in terms of the points on offer, but this weekend’s race has a special significance for everyone in the team and back at the factory. It will be the eight hundredth Formula 1 World Championship event in which the Scuderia has taken part, dating back to the first race of 1950 in Monaco. For me, it will be the sixty ninth time I put on the red fire suit and step into the cockpit of a Prancing Horse car and it is fantastic to be part of that history, part of the most famous racing team in the world. This is my job, but I never forget how special it is to drive for Ferrari. Although it will be nice to celebrate this milestone with the team this weekend, in Formula 1 it is the present and the future that matter, so the best way to celebrate the 800 would be to have a perfect weekend, ending with a great result on Sunday afternoon.

Source: Massa's Blog - Ferrari.com

Alonso's Blog: A good result to celebrate the 800 Grands Prix

Posted by Fernando Alonso

I arrived tonight in Istanbul having spent a few days in Maranello. With the team, we have worked hard to be as well prepared as possible for the upcoming weekend of World Championship action, an event that has a special significance for all of Ferrari. It’s here in Istanbul that the Scuderia celebrates its eight hundredth Grand Prix in Formula 1, which is an amazing achievement. My role in this exceptional story only started a few months ago and it is only six chapters long, but I can already understand how special it is to be part of the legend that is Ferrari.

Apart from the work with the team, I have also been on the simulator and, yesterday I was able to indulge in my two favourite sports; football and cycling. Yesterday afternoon, I watched a stage of the Giro d’Italia, along with Stefano Domenicali and it was a great experience. It was a time trial, from San Vigilio di Marebbe to Plan de Corones and I followed my friend Carlos Sestre every inch of the way on a support motor bike. I like cycling as part of my training programme but I also like to watch the big races. I had already been to the Tour de France and the Vuelta, but never the Giro: it was a great atmosphere with lots of support, especially for the Italian riders. I tried to give my support to Carlos and the other Spanish riders: one of them still wears the pink jersey and I was pleased to join him on the podium when he put it on again at the end of the stage.

In the evening, in Modena, I played football in the charity match between the Telethon and Nazionale Italiana Cantanti teams. Once again here there was a great crowd with the stadium filled almost to capacity: the Italians really know how to show their support and on this occasion they had good cause, namely to gather donations for medical research.

The race in Istanbul kicks off the second third of the championship and there is still everything to play for. Even if, so far, the Red Bulls have been the most competitive, the field is evenly matched, with at least five or six drivers in the hunt for the title. I hope this will be a “normal” race in that I should not find myself once again at the back of the pack after a few laps, which is what has happened for one reason or another in four of the first six races this year. We have the potential to be competitive and it would be fantastic to be able to celebrate the Scuderia’s eight hundredth Grand Prix with a great result!

Source: Alonso's Blog - Ferrari.com

Ferrari supports Telethon at the "Partita del Cuore" - 25 May, Braglia stadium, Modena

Modena, 5 May 2010

The press conference for the 2010 fund-raising "Partita del Cuore" football match with the Telethon team and the "Nazionale Cantanti" was held today. The match will be played in Modena at the Braglia stadium on 25 May at 9pm and shown live on Italy's main TV channel, Rai1. Piero Ferrari, Ferrari Vice President, Giorgio Pighi, Modena's mayor, Gianluca Pecchini, General Director of the Nazionale Cantanti (Pop stars' National team) and Francesca Pasinelli, Telethon General Director, presented the details of the project today in Modena.

Piero Ferrari recalled Enzo Ferrari's dedication to research, starting in the 1950s when he founded the Dino Ferrari Centre. He also underlined his great pleasure in Ferrari's continuing support of Telethon's fund-raising activities in the spirit of his father, with the Scuderia Ferrari drivers Alonso, Massa and Fisichella, and team principle Stefano Domenicali all playing in the match. "Research needs dedication and consistency, we need to look towards the future and, just like Ferrari has always done, so does Telethon with its commitment to important research projects that keep hope alive." Mayor Pighi underlined how the city of Modena is happy to play a leading role in reaching these objectives, and said he was certain that the city, known for its solidarity in such important causes, would rise to the occasion.

Also attending the press conference was popular Italian singer, Paolo Belli, one of the rival team's players as well as one of the strongest supporters for holding the match in Modena. He claimed to be a little "worried" about the Ferrari drivers' well known football skills. The event was also attended by Sonohra, a group that represents Italy's young artists who will form the future of the Nazionale Cantanti, as well as Giuliano Razzoli, special slalom Olympic Champion at Vancouver 2010, who will play for the Telethon team. Amongst the artists and sportsmen who will participate in the match are also Eros Ramazzotti, Gigi D'Alessio, Enrico Ruggeri, Claudio Baglioni, Francesco Facchinetti, Antonio Cassano and Alessandro Costacurta.

Source: Ferrari.com

Ramazzotti, Belli and Alonso promoting "Partita del Cuore" match

Eros Ramazzotti, Paolo Belli and Fernando Alonso are the protagonists of a TV ad, promoting the "Partita del Cuore" football match between the Nazionale Cantanti, Italian musicians, and the Squadra Telethon, where also the three Scuderia Ferrari are playing.

The match will be held on 25 May in Modena and is shown live on RAI Uno at 9pm. The entries will go to the Telethon and the Parco della Mistica Onlus Foundations.

The Nazionale Cantanti is made up of Gianni Morandi, Enrico Ruggeri, Luca Barbarossa, Gigi D'Alessio, while the Telethon team, with its logo sported on the Ferrari drivers’ overalls, is formed by Felipe Massa, Fernando Alonso, Giancarlo Fisichella and Scuderia Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali as well as Italian sportsmen and VIPs from show business such as Antonio Cassano and Raul Bova.

The TV spot, directed by Marco Lonardo and set up by Claudio Fasulo was shot at the Fiorano circuit, where Ramazzotti arrived behind the wheel of a Ferrari California, inviting Alonso to the match. The Scuderia driver accepted under the condition that he could bring his friends Massa and Fisichella and to be allowed to drive the Ferrari California.

The TV ad is part of the communication campaign run by the "Partita del Cuore", appearing also on radio and in magazines.

Source: Ferrari.com