Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Turkish Grand Prix

The real story coming out of this weekend's Turkish Grand Prix should be the fact that Ferrari won again and Lewis Hamilton is driving better than any other driver in F1, but a stray dog that was struck and killed on track during a GP2 Series by Bruno Senna - nephew of Ayrton, yes that Ayrton - has dominated much of the F1 headlines. There's video of it after the jump for those with hardy stomachs.

But back to the racing. After having dominated the prior week's Spanish Grand Prix by finishing one-two, Ferrari once again crowded the podium stand with two top-three finishers, though not in order this time. Felipe Massa, whose performance the last three races has marked an impressive turnaround, captured the checkered flag - his second of the season and third in a row in Turkey - by driving a very clean race. He was, however, passed by McLaren's Lewis Hamilton mid-race, who had an impressive race all around. Some say Hamilton drove the race of his career at this weekend's Turkish Grand Prix, but his team's strategy of a three-pit race ultimately did him in, as Massa's two-pit strategy gave him enough lead time to hold off Hamilton. Third place was earned by Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, who will take the points to pad his slim points lead over teammate Massa and Hamilton.


[Source: F1-Live]

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If you drove Formula One cars for a living, what would you drive in your spare time? Well, just about anything you want, given the multi-million-dollar contracts F1 drivers garner these days. F1 teams, however, routinely present their star drivers with their parent company's best rides. For example, while at McLaren, Fernando Alonso had to make room for his SLR by selling off his Renaultsport Megane. But Felipe Massa may have to get a (slightly) larger garage to fit the new custom Fiat 500 that Ferrari presented him in Monaco next to the Ferrari 599 he received previously. But after routinely squeezing into the tiny cockpit of a grand prix racing car, the comparatively vast space inside the tiny Fiat may actually be a step up.

Naturally Ferrari wouldn't give its star driver just any ordinary 500. Massa's has been outfitted with a 120-hp 1.4-liter quattrovalvole four from Fiat Powertrain Technologies, a special brown leather interior to contrast with the pearl white paint and Skydome electric sunroof, and bright red brake calipers peering from behind the 16" alloys. We can't see him complaining, especially since his mentor Michael Schumacher himself has an original 500 in his garage.

[Source: Fiat]

More pieces are filled into the proverbial puzzle with each passing day as the 2007 Formula One season comes to a close, and next season's grid comes into focus.

The latest news comes in the form of an announcement from Ferrari that the team has signed a new contract with its Brazilian driver Felipe Massa, who will stay with the team for the next three seasons at least. The news should come as no surprise, as Massa has had a very strong year, even if he fell from contention for the now three-way title race leading into the final race of the season. Massa, it should be remembered, is also managed by Nicholas Todt, son of Ferrari principal Jean Todt, and has driven under Ferrari power since his F1 debut for Sauber in 2001 under contract with Maranello.

The announcement also ends speculation that still-reigning world
champion Fernando Alonso would move to the Scuderia next season, and that Massa was shifting to Ralf Schumacher's seat at Toyota.

Following some truly stellar drives this season, winning three grands prix and nine podiums, this could be the best move Massa (and Ferrari) have pulled yet.

[Source: Autosport, photo by Clive Mason/Getty]

Shell's PR people appear to have a handle on how best to exploit the company's relationship with Scuderia Ferrari. Whether it's the spine-tingling spot that depicts historic Ferrari grand prix cars running on the streets in famous locales, or the very amusing "What will Schumi do next?" series (there were two spots), the videos offer a pleasant respite from the daily grind.

Today we got word that Shell's back at it, and its new viral video star is Ferrari driver Felipe Massa. In the spot above, Massa's diminutive Fiat leaves a pair of musclecar drivers speechless, and in the one we've pasted after the jump, Felipe interacts with customers at a gas station via a hidden camera/closed-circuit TV setup. His challenge to them: imitate the sound of a racing Ferrari. Suffice to say, Michael Winslow's career is secure.

[Source: Shell via YouTube]

Evidently Ferrari decided that it couldn't wait to to unveil a track-bred sports car like the F430 Scuderia on a static auto show stage in Frankfurt. Instead Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo was accompanied by F1 drivers Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen as they pulled the tarp of the lighter, more powerful F430 in a private gathering (read: no press) at the company's Fiorano test track. Massa then slipped behind the wheel and pulled the car out the garage for some hot laps. This car's noise is the type of thing that makes grown men lose control of their bladders. A lucky attendee with a camera has posted the video, which is mostly in Italian with some English sprinkled in. But when you're talking Ferrari, who needs words? Just let the car do the talking!

The official media unveiling will indeed take place next week in Frankfurt. We'll be there.

[Source: Google Video]

For many motorsports aficionados, allegiance to Ferrari transcends the lines of age and social class. Young and old, from the everyman to captains of industry, on race days the differences are tossed out the window and they gather en masse, a sea of red in the stands, as tifosi. Ferrari knows this, and as a result, its strength as a merchandiser is unparalleled in the automotive landscape. Leveraging its iconic logos, rich history and legions of owners and fans, it has created a machine that churns out collectibles and accessories designed to fit almost any budget.

And now, the tifosi have a new bauble to fight over, and it's priced for the deeper-pockets crowd. In honor of the 1-2 podium finish at the Turkish GP for Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari has offered 50 signed baseball caps. Each lid is autographed by both Felipe and Kimi, arrives in a big red Ferrari cardboard box, has a certificate of authenticity, and costs a whopping €400. On the Ferrari Store website, the conversion to USD is helpfully provided. $526.20 (plus VAT) worth of available credit on your plastic of choice is all it'll take. We don't recommend wearing this one to go out and mow the lawn. For that, we suggest the vastly more economical (yet still pricey at $33 USD) un-autographed version.

[Source: Ferrari Store]

Last weekend's rain soaked European Grand Prix at Germany's Nurburgring saw many of the drivers aquaplaning out of control early on in the event. Rain started in just the second lap of the race and it had to be restarted by the fourth lap due to dangerous conditions. By the time the race restarted the rain had stopped and the track dried up quickly.

Fernando Alonso managed to take the top spot on a day where it seemed that anyone could win, but even he suffered a hitch during the closing laps as he tried to overtake Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who was in first place. Massa's front wheel grazed the side of Alonso's McLaren and this led to a heated argument between the two post-race.

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton was one of the drivers who slid off the track in the beginning, but he was given a lifeline when his car was lifted by crane back onto the track. A poor decision to switch to dry tires too early after the rain had stopped saw him spin out again. This left him out of contention of a podium finish, and at the end the rookie came at in 9th place.

The major disappointment was pole sitter Kimi Raikkonen being forced to retire because of mechanical problems with his Ferrari. This allowed the competent Mark Webber to cruise into the third spot to gain his first podium finish at Red Bull racing. Another disappointment were the BMW boys, with sixth placed Nick Heidfeld hitting the side of team-mate Robert Kubica and then doing the same again with Ralf Schumacher.

To celebrate another season of teaming with Ferrari on both road and track, Shell Oil has issued a set of stickers depicting the fabled cars from Maranello. In addition to shots of the new F1 car, there are also stickers featuring both of the current drivers, the new 599 GTB Fiorano, and the logos of both Shell and Ferrari. Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa are both giving a thumbs up, apparently satisfied with their debut performance from Australia in the 2007 World Championship. If this seems like the kind of thing you definitely have to get your hands on, there's even better news. The sheet of stickers is free while supplies last. All you need to do is give some basic information at the Shell website, accessible through the link below or by clicking the image above.

Thanks for the tip, Doug!

[Source: Shell via Deal Detectives]

Before setting the fastest lap during today's practice session in Melbourne, two-time Formula One champ Fernando Alonso made it clear that running the Australian Grand Prix at night was a bad idea. Joined by Ferrari's Felipe Massa, both drivers questioned whether enough track lighting would provide the necessary visibility to run a safe race.

The idea was floated by F1's chief Bernie Ecclestone and is currently under consideration by the Victorian Government. The thinking behind the idea is to make the race more entertaining for viewers, while at the same time allowing fans abroad to catch the event during peak viewing hours.

Several issues were brought to the fore during the discussion, and while safety was the biggest concern, the cost, both economically and environmentally, of lighting Albert Park might prove to be too prohibitive.

Considering that the open-wheeled racers regularly crest the 200 MPH mark, the idea of running a night race to attract more viewers may be a bit half-baked. Plus, we doubt that the team's aerodynamic engineers would be fond of strapping a set of driving lights onto the front wing.

[Source: Drive.com.au]

The FIA is incensed after a game of political subterfuge played out on the podium last Sunday at the Turkish Grand Prix in Instanbul. Felipe Massa, the winner of the race, was presented his trophy by Mehmet Ali Talat, introduced by announcers as the President of the Northern Turkish Republic of Cyprus. Problem is, no such country exists except in the eyes of Turkey. The geographic area to which the the man's title refers is a part of Cyprus, the Mediterranean island nation over which Greece and Turkey have been fighting for decades.

Murat Yalicintas, head of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, admits that his organization delayed telling the FIA who the podium presenter would be in order to sneak their guy on the stand. For their efforts, the FIA is considering dropping the Turkish GP from next year's schedule, as well as canceling Turkey's round of the World Rally Championship. Lesson learned: it doesn't pay to mess with the FIA.

Thanks for the tip, Noah!

[Source: Planet-F1]