Tag Archives: Ferrari

10 September 2006

Present and future of Ferrari on front row

Kimi Raikkonen, who is going to be announced as Ferrari driver for the next season claimed the Pole Position from Michael Schumacher by just two-thousandths of a second at Monza. The crucial thing is though Alonso’s position, who qualified on 5th position. With two men between Schumi and Alonso and one of them being Massa, it’s gonna be an interesting race for Ferrari and Schumi. And with everyone waiting for Schumi’s future decision and Ferrari’s driver line up for 2007 and beyond, Ferrari has a big day ahead infront of Tifosi. It will be a shock if Schumi retires. Lets wait and see.

26 August 2006

Ferrari on roll at Istanbul as Massa claims his maiden pole

Massa has done it, the first pole position of his Formula One carrer at Turkish GrandPrix. Michael Schumacher dominated saturday’s third and final practice session of the Turkish Grand Prix weekend, but his team mate Massa was the man who beat him in the Qualifying. It looked all day that no one can stop Schumacher and Ferrari this weekend, but Schumacher who was up all the time in Qualifying went mysteriously slow in his final lap of the session to claim 2nd behind his teammate. With Alonso and Fisichella behind Ferrari in the second row, its looks all good for Ferrari and schumacher. Mclaren who looked strong in the previous 3 races had a difficult session with Raikkonen 8th and his team mate in 12th. Ferrari lock out the front row and with their title rivals Renault behind them, it looks like the Race is going to be a fascinating one. As usual, I will try to review the complete Race tommorow.

31 July 2006

Hat-trick for Schumi as Ferrari dominates again

Michael Schumacher won the 67 lap action packed German Grand prix infront of his home crowd and enliven the 2006 Drivers’ Championship. Team mate Massa is right behind him in well deserved second place. Kimi Raikkonen comes home third for McLaren with Jenson Button fourth in the much improved Honda. Most importantly Alonso is down in fifth which makes the Championship very interesting. Now Alonso got 100 points to Schumi’s 89 in Drivers Championship. With testing ban for everyone for another 2 races and the way Ferrari dominated the weekend, it looks like Renault is in deep trouble. I hope Schumi cuts down the remaining 11 points deficit in the comming two races in Hungary and Turkey. (more…)

30 July 2006

Surprise Pole for Raikkonen at Hockenheim

kimi Raikkonen snatched a surprise Pole position from Michael schumacher at Mclaren’s engine partner Mercedes’ home event. Michael Schumacher, Felipe Massa and Ferrari dominated the session right up until Raikkonen’s clocked in the Pole time. Schumacher starts second and is firm favourite to take the win tomorrow while Massa once again did a great job for Ferrari and starts third. The practice form suggested that a third successive Ferrari front row lock out was on the cards, and indeed the Maranello squad had things all its own way in the first two knockout sessions. But come the decisive 15-minute shootout, Schumacher had no answer for Raikkonen’s pace and wound up 0.135s adrift. But the good news is that the rivals, Giancarlo Fisichella is only fifth and world champion Fernando Alonso looking lost in seventh. It was all smiles at Honda who have Jenson Button starting fourth with Rubens Barrichello sixth.

With every one guessing that Raikkonen is undoubtedly light on fuel for the start of the 67-lap race, Ferrari and Micheal Schumacher along with Massa looks strong while Alonso has an uphill task as in Indianapolis to save his lead in the Championship. As usual, I will be posting a complete review of tommorow’s race.

17 July 2006

Eighth win for Schumacher in French GP

Michael schumacher won the French Grandprix for the 8th time with a dominating and record breaking performance at Magny cours. With massa taking the third place on the podium, this should silence everyone who thought that Ferrari’s Indy’s pace was because of Michelin’s cautious approach. Schumacher set another new standard as he became the first driver in the history of the sport to win eight grands prix at a single venue. Schumi even managed to have an extra pitstop compared to Alonso withought loosing the lead. Schumacher was never really challenged as he controlled the pace in his Bridgestone shod Ferrari and took the chequered flag with a comfortable gap over Fernando Alonso with Felipe Massa coming home third. (more…)

10 July 2006

Ferrari boosts Schumi’s title hunt with $26m

Ferrari has pumped in another $26 million to boost Michael Schumacher’s charge for an eighth World Championship in 2006. Buoyed by the German’s dominance at Indianapolis, Jean Todt convinced his backers to bolster this year’s Ferrari budget, according to German newspaper Bild.

At Jerez last Friday, in preparation for the upcoming French Grand Prix, the 37-year-old Schumi set a new test lap record with a rejuvenated completely overhauled Ferrari 248 F1 car. Although Ross Brawn insists that it is not a ‘B’ specification, the heavily revised 248 features a new engine cover, front wing and engine, improved aerodynamics, packing an extra 20 hp. (more…)

03 July 2006

Schumacher and Ferrari reigns Supreme in US GP

Schumacher and Ferrari dominated the United States Grandprix at Indianapolis with Alonso managing no better than 5th place. Schumi made 5 wins out of 7 appearances in the US GP for ferrari. Right from the first lap ferrari was on their own race with all others having a race of their own. The start itself was brilliant as, into turn 1 and Massa takes the lead from Schumacher with Alonso side by side with the german. Schumi keeps second, but there has been drama at the back of the grid with a pile up into turn one.

Safety car was deployed. A total of seven cars are in the gravel trap at the first turn. Hiedfeld, Webber, Klien, Montagny, Montoya, Speed, Raikkonen all gone. That was an amazing start for Alonso, for a moment it looked as if he was going to take the lead into turn 1. Replays showed that it was a huge accident at the back, the two mclarens made contact. They in turn touched a Super Aguri. The result was a further impact with Heidfeld’s BMW sauber which sent the german into a spectacular barrel roll. There is smoke comming from Button’s car and he retires in Honda garage. Montoya was the guy responsible for triggering atleast some of the drama on lap 1. (more…)

02 July 2006

Even Ferrari’s scooter was quick at Indy!

Everyone might have known already that Michael Schumacher and Ferrari interrupted Renault’s long run of success by dominating qualifying at Indianapolis. Alonso admitted that, tyres aside, one of Ferrari’s advantages this weekend is mammoth straight line speed. He said it felt like he was ‘driving a GP2 car’ when, at one stage at Indy, a Ferrari passed him (He was refering to Massa who overtook Alonso during qualifying.).

Ferrari are untouchable here and if they are reliable and do not crash then their race will be more or less the same as last year – out on their own. We are not going to just give up and not try but to think that we are going to beat them would be idiotic.”

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02 July 2006

It’s Ferrari’s true pace

Ferrari’s technical director Ross Brawn says that his team’s dominant performance in United States Grand Prix qualifying is a reflection of its car’s true pace. Having lagged behind Renault in Canada just a week ago, a race where Ferrari expected to be very strong, the team has made a remarkable recovery and claimed a front row sweep at Indianapolis, a second clear of the field. Brawn told ITV Sport’s Ted Kravitz that the speed was always in the car, it was just a matter of waiting for the tyre war to turn in Bridgestone’s favour. Brawn said

I really felt we would be strong in these two races with the nature of the car, We were disappointed in Montreal to not be more competitive, but really we had a tyre problem there. I think what we are seeing here is a situation where the tyres are working well, and shows the true performance of the car.

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02 July 2006

Schumi and Ferrari rocks Indianapolis & ends Alonso’s run

Michael Schumacher and Ferrari secured the pole position and front row in United States Grand Prix Qualifying with a scintillating performance. Schumacher and Massa dominated all saturday finishing 1-2 in the third and final practice and finally securing the front row in qualifying. Its one of the dominating performances by Ferrari after a long time with Alonso managing only 5th place. Schumi trails Fernando Alonso by 25 points in the championship but enjoys a formidable record at Indianapolis and hinted at another successful weekend today.

World champion Alonso, who has NEVER finished a race at Indianapolis was down in 5th and anything can happen in the race but IMO Schumi will take away minimum of 4 points from Alonso’s lead in this race. Ferrari really looks to have got their strategy right here at Indianapolis, so lets wait and see what happens tommorow. (more…)