Tag Archives: Ferrari

26 June 2006

Alonso does it again in dramatic Canadian Grandprix.

Alonso takes his maiden Canadian GrandPrix win, with seven time canadian GrandPrix winner, Michael Schumacher taking second and Raikkonen in third. Only 14 out of 22 drivers crossed the line as everyone suffered or struggled for rear grip at the hairpin which is just covered in marbles at the end. With just 10 laps to go, Villeneuve went hard into the wall at turn 1 and the safety car was deployed, which enabled Schumi to come close to Raikkonen and eventually pass him at the hairpin to claim the extra 2 points. Raikkonen was really unlucky with heldups at both the pitstops and finally loosing 2nd place.

On the whole its a boring first half and the second half was little bit exciting with some overtakings. Ferrari and Schumacher have lot of work to do to catch up Renault in the next weekend’s United States GrandPrix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (more…)

29 May 2006

Justice on the track

I liked this front page of ferrari.com and I thought I will share it with you. I cant link to that page as it is in flash, but I got a picture of that.

I would like to point out at a couple of remarks made on Schumacher in the FIA post-race press conference – Monaco too.

Q: (Dan Knutson, National Speed Sport News) For Fernando, at the end of the race, Michael set the fastest lap. How difficult do you think the race would have been if he had been on pole?

FA: I don’t know, but he was not in pole and I don’t think about what the others are doing from the back and I don’t see the times also from Monteiro and Albers. It doesn’t matter and well done to them for the fastest laps.#.

(more…)

29 May 2006

Monaco GP: 2006

monaco

Fernando Alonso won an eventful Monaco Grand Prix yesterday, extending his lead in the world championship to 21 points. It was his first triumph in the Principality. (more…)

28 May 2006

Schumacher is stripped of pole position

I havent watched the qualifying live but read the news and waited for the official announcement from the stewards. According to their report, Michael Schumacher will start from the back of the grid for the Monaco Grandprix after stewards decided that he blocked the track in the final minutes of qualifying, preventing others from beating his time. Schumacher appeared to lock his brakes and then run wide as he entered the final Rascasse corner in the dying moments of the session. The former champion regained control without hitting the barriers, but came to a halt with his stalled car partially blocking the circuit, forcing other drivers to slow down. Schumacher was on provisional pole at that time. (more…)

24 May 2006

Monaco GP – News roundup 1

Flavio Briatore thinks that World champion Fernando Alonso’s move to McLaren in 2007 could provide Renault with a motivational boost and will have a fresh motivation for 2007, to make sure Renault is beating McLaren and Alonso. Alonso announced in December that even though he’d just won the title with Renault he would be leaving the team at the end of this year’s Championship.

The seven time World Champion, Michael Schumacher who dominated the Monaco Grand Prix between 1994 and 2001, winning five times, has only two podium finishes to show for the last four years was cautiously optimistic for this weekends race. Schumacher is currently 15 points adrift of championship leader Fernando Alonso and a strong qualifying position is vital for the former champion if he is to make a dent in the Renault driver’s lead, on a track where overtaking is notoriously difficult. However since the qualifying format was changed in 2003 and cars were made to qualify with race fuel, Ferrari has tended to fuel Schumacher heavier than some of his rivals in a bid to be on the optimum strategy for the race. (more…)

14 May 2006

Alonso, first spaniard to win his home race

Alonso won the Spanish Grandprix infront of his home crowd at catalunya and also helped Renault extend their advantage in both driver’s and constructor’s championship along with his teammate Fisichella, who took the final podium position. Schumacher came second after clearly blocked by Fisichella untill the first round of pit stops and his teammate Massa came home in the fourth place.

At the start Alonso holds his lead from Fisi and Schumacher as the pack rush down to the first corner. Alonso takes 1.6 secs out of Fisi and 3.1 secs out of Schumi on the first lap alone. It looks like Alonso is on a light fuel load compared to the rest of the pack and he keeps going away from from Fisi and Schumi. Schumi responds with some quick sector times but Alonso slams fastest laps one after another and he is 4.3 secs ahead of Schumi by lap 3. It looks like Alonso gonna make an early pitstop with Fisi effectively holding up the pursuing Ferrari’s. Lap 12 and Alonso is still flying with 10.2 secs ahead of Schumi. The 4th placed Massa is 11.2 secs ahead of 5th placed Raikkonen by lap 14 which shows how strong the Renault and Ferrari are. Schumi makes another fastest first sector on lap 14 but Fisichella is clearly holding him off. (more…)

14 May 2006

Schumacher and Ferrari on 2nd row at Catalunya

Schumacher and Ferrari, dominant all weekend to date swept the second row while Renault secures the front row at Circuit de Catalunya. Alonso celebrated his second successive Pole position and first at his home race with his team mate Fisi grabbing the second spot on the front row. Schumacher now has a real fight in his hands, but his 248 F1 does seem to have a straight line speed advantage here in 2006 Spanish Grand Prix. So, the scene is set for another epic duel between Ferrari and Renault.

In other news Schumacher announced on Thursday that he could delay his decision to continue with Ferrari or quit the sport until the end of the year and Ferrari is quite happy to wait until the end of the season. Technical director Ross Brawn thinks someone of the magnitude of Michael gets as much time as he wants and we have to work around it. This news could mean that Schumacher is still considering retiring, and after two-straight wins he has the form to win this year’s championship. What will be better than for the Ferrari legend to go out than by securing an eighth title?.

07 May 2006

Schumacher and Ferrari does it again

EGP

Schumacher and Ferrari did it again in style in the European GrandPrix at Nurburgring. Its almost a replica of the season opener where Schumacher led the race from the start and lost the position to Alonso during the second pitstops. The main difference here at Nurburgring is Ferrari is faster almost all the race and the Renault just holded them untill the second pitstops. But a superb drive from Schumacher saw him crossing the line with a comfortable margin. (more…)

06 May 2006

Can Ferrari win again at Nurburgring

Michael Schumacher and Felippe Massa are 2nd and 3rd in Nurburgring Qualifying, the European Grandprix. While Alonso grabbed the pole position, the Ferraris certianly look stronger here. Schumi was the fastest in the morning practice and looked all set to grab the pole untill the final laps. Looks like championship leader Fernando Alonso has urged Renault to give him a pole-winning strategy and got it while his team mate, Fisichella was out of final ten for the second succesive race. Unlike Alonso, however, Schumacher does not overly prize Pole Position and said strategy is so much more important. So, if Alonso is on less fuel, Ferrari and Schumi will have a good chance of winning the European Grandprix at Nurburgring. Schumi has already won 4 times at his home grandprix, Nurburgring and I hope he will do it again.

24 April 2006

Brilliant Schumi and Ferrari Victorious at Imola

Michael Schumacher won the San Marino Grand Prix after withstanding the pressure from Championship leader Fernando Alonso in the second half of the race. While Schumacher took the chequered flag, it really was a case of a race lost for Renault as much as a race won for Ferrari. The result was Schumacher’s 85th Grand Prix success, the first competitive win since Suzuka 2004. Michael Schumacher ended the Renault’s winning streak, holding off the fast charging Renault of Fernando Alonso for almost final 26 laps. (more…)