Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Mo' Money, Fewer Problems: Can Raikkonen earn more by <i>not</i> racing?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/09/mo-money-fewer-problems-can-raikkonen-earn-more-by-i-not-i/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/09/mo-money-fewer-problems-can-raikkonen-earn-more-by-i-not-i/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/09/mo-money-fewer-problems-can-raikkonen-earn-more-by-i-not-i/#commentsFiled under: ,



If you scoffed at the notion that unionized auto workers were being paid not to work, you're going to love this one: According to reports emerging from Europe, Kimi Raikkonen could stand to make more money next year if he doesn't race than if he does.

The bizarre circumstance comes down to the terms of his departure from Scuderia Ferrari. Kimi was reportedly offered a whopping 17 million euros in order to make room for an incoming Fernando Alonso, but that's only if he doesn't find a suitable seat with another team. If he does, Ferrari will only be required to pay the 2007 world champion 5 million 10 million euros (corrected). Seeing an opportunity to get a world champion on the cheap, McLaren is reportedly offering Raikkonen only 5 million euros to drive for them, knowing that Ferrari - and migrating sponsor Santander - will cough up the rest.

That means Kimi would make 15 million euros if he drove again for McLaren next year - which is tipped to be the one and only team he's considering - but 17 million if he sat the year out. Of course negotiations are ongoing, but all things being equal, the Finn could be looking at one very lucrative year off.

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via F1-Live | Image: Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty]

Mo' Money, Fewer Problems: Can Raikkonen earn more by not racing? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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From his brief tenure at McLaren, we know that Fernando Alonso has a bit of trouble getting along with his teammates. Especially when he doesn't get the clear preferential treatment as the team's #1 driver. After all, as has often been said, a driver's teammate is his chief rival. So after Ferrari confirmed that Alonso and Felipe Massa would be put on equal footing, we smelled some trouble a-brewin'. But we didn't expect it to start at least until the beginning of next season. Turns out, that was a bit premature, as some cracks in the relationship between the two teammates-to-be have already started to show.

Speaking with a group of journalists in his native Brazil where the F1 circus is preparing for this weekend's grand prix, Felipe Massa said with "absolute certainty" that Alonso knew about the plan to have wingman Nelson Piquet crash to hand him the controversial victory. That's a pretty hefty charge levied by his future teammate, and Ferrari naturally scrambled to issue a clarification (which you can read after the jump) but you can't take back what's already been said.

Massa was suitably - and vocally - upset when the Crashgate story broke, because without Alonso's ill-earned victory, Massa would have won the championship last year, instead of losing to Lewis Hamilton by one point at the last corner of the last lap of the last race of the season. Better luck next year, gents.

[Sources: Autosport; Ferrari | Image: Vanderlei Almeida/AFP/Getty]

Continue reading REPORT: Massa charges that Alonso knew about Piquet crash plan

REPORT: Massa charges that Alonso knew about Piquet crash plan originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jean Alesi returns to Fiorano - Click above for high-res image gallery

If you checked out the images we posted of Felipe Massa's return to Maranello, you may have spotted the returning Brazilian driver chatting with one Jean Alesi and wondered what he was doing there.

The French driver raced for the Scuderia from 1991 through 1995, scoring a handful of podiums and a solitary grand prix victory in Montreal. Along with longtime team-mate Gerhard Berger, Alesi switched places with Michael Schumacher to Benetton-Renault in 1996, then bounced between a few other teams before retiring from Formula One at the end of 2001. Since then he's been competing in DTM and then headlined the new Speedcar Series.

With the ill-fated Asian stock car series now deceased, however, the racing world has been wondering what the retired F1 driver would try his hand at next, and on Tuesday they got their hint when Alesi showed up at Fiorano to test the Ferrari F430 GT2. Alesi's slated to race for AF Corse, the team run by Amato Ferrari, who shares strong ties with both Maranello and Maserati but no direct familial relation despite the common name.

AF Corse is the reigning two-time champion in the FIA GT series, but is reportedly preparing to tackle the European Le Mans Series, including its headline event, next year. The test session apparently exceeded expectations, paving the way for the 45-year-old driver to race Ferraris once again, for the first time in fourteen years, next season. Details in the press release after the jump and images in the high-res gallery below.


Gallery: Jean Alesi tests Ferrari F430 GT2 at Fiorano for AF Corse


[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Jean Alesi returns to racing Ferraris

Jean Alesi returns to racing Ferraris originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First thing this morning, no one knew who'd be replacing Luca Badoer in the second Ferrari alongside Kimi Raikkonen - in addition to Williams test driver Nico Hulkenberg and former Toro Rosso driver Sebastien Bourdais, the likes of current BMW driver Robert Kubica had been mentioned. Force India driver Giancarlo Fisichella's name has also been persistently mooted, but the scuttlebutt was consistently shot down by team principal Vijay Mallya.

Ah, Formula One. No sooner had Mallya quashed the rumor again that he then turned around and announced that Fisichella was indeed let go to Ferrari. This gives Fisi the race seat for the rest of the year and, according to Mallya, "will secure Giancarlo's long-term future with Ferrari." We have no idea what that could mean for 2010, since Ferrari already has Raikkonen and Massa, and supposedly Alonso to deal with currently.

Financial terms weren't announced, but it is suspected that in return for letting Fisichella go Ferrari forgave Force India's €4 million bill owed the Scuderia for the engine contract that the Indian team terminated last year. While Fisi gets five races to prove his worth in one of the best cars on the grid, now we get to wonder who will be Adrian Sutil's new teammate. Hat tip to everyone!

[Source: F1 Live | Image: John Thys/Getty]

REPORT: Giancarlo Fisichella, meet your new Ferrari race seat originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When Felipe Massa was taken out of commission at the Hungarian Grand Prix last month, the questions on everyone's mind was who would replace him and when he'd be back. With regards to the former, Ferrari is one of the few teams on the grid that doesn't have a junior driver development program in place. The team doesn't usually have a problem getting the best drivers, but when disaster (literally) struck, the Scuderia was left without options.

Michael Schumacher prepared to come out of retirement to fill his prodigy's seat, but his own lingering physical issues prevented that, leaving Ferrari with little choice than to promote one of its aging test drivers - finally opting for Luca Badoer after his ten-year hiatus from active racing instead of its other test driver, recent Le Mans winner Marc Gene - with less than satisfactory results. After finishing just about dead last in both of the races he's contested so far, Ferrari has admitted that it's looking at other options for the rest of the season. Giancarlo Fisichella is said to be one possible Ferrari driver and could stay on in the long term to replace Badoer as test driver as well. Robert Kubica is being touted as another, while still more reports suggest that Fernando Alonso could bolt from Renault a bit early and take up residence with Ferrari.

If these rumors seemed at first a little odd with Massa first rumored to return by the upcoming Italian Grand Prix and then readjusted to the subsequent Brazilian Grand Prix - the home races for the team and driver respectively - it now looks like Felipe won't be back this season at all. After undergoing tests at the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Massa is scheduled to undergo plastic surgery to repair a fractured section of skull resulting from the incident in Hungary. Tellingly, Ferrari says they're looking forward to Massa's return for the start of next season.

That's all in the short term, however, and Ferrari is keen to avoid such strategic mistakes in the future. Accidents happen, and the team needs to be prepared, so its looking into setting up a junior driver development program that would give them access to a pool of emerging talent for the future.

[Source: Ferrari via Autosport; F1-Live]

Continue reading Ferrari weighs its options with Massa reportedly not expected back this season

Ferrari weighs its options with Massa reportedly not expected back this season originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari has had plenty of time to get its hands on Giancarlo Fisichella. The Italian driver has been on the grid since 1995 when he started as a test driver for Minardi, and later driving for Jordan, Benetton, Sauber, Renault and now Force India. But the Scuderia wasn't interested. Not until its fortunes were down, and Fisico's were up.

The 36-year-old driver pulled off a shocking command performance at this past weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, grabbing pole position and a relentless second place behind Ferrari's own Kimi Raikkonen. All the while, Ferrari itself has been struggling with its veteran test driver Luca Badoer, who has been suffering from a difficult time readjusting to the competition. The team's test driver, promoted to the race seat after ten years of developmental duties when Felipe Massa and Michael Schumacher were both knocked out of commission by head-eye injuries (as has now been revealed), has finished the two races he started so far in 17th and 14th positions. Ferrari is plainly disappointed and embarrassed, but with no junior driver in place for a rainy day, Maranello has been left with little choice.

For his part, Ferrari's outspoken former triple world champion Niki Lauda has called on the team to poach Fisichella from Force India, which is experiencing financial troubles and would surely take the money and run. One way or another, Fisichella's in for a hero's welcome at his home race at Monza into two weeks. And Ferrari will have an experienced Italian driver behind the wheel for the Italian Grand Prix. Exactly which one that will be, however, remains to be seen.

[Source: F1-Live | Image: Fred DuFour/AFP/Getty]

Ferrari to sign Fisichella to replace Badoer? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's anything but business as usual this year in Formula One, and this past week has been no exception, with one team scrambling to secure its future, another receiving the go-ahead to continue racing, and others re-submitting applications in the hope of joining the grid for next year.

First up is BMW, which announced it would be withdrawing its support from the Sauber team at the end of this year. After the team's eponymous founder failed to put the cash together to buy his team back from the Bavarians, the outfit is going ahead with its program to launch successive updates to its current car for Valencia this coming weekend and Singapore later this season in to demonstrate its capabilities in the hope of finding a new buyer before the season's out.

The FIA isn't holding its breath, however, and has informed seven outfits that submitted so-far unsuccessful bids to participate in F1 next season that there'll be another spot opening up on the grid for next year. In addition to BMW Sauber, reports suggest that Epsilon Euskadi and Prodrive are vying for the spot.

Meanwhile the Renault team has been given the green light to race at Valencia after successfully appealing the ban imposed on the team at the last grand prix for a loose wheel nut. The team will have to pay a $50,000 fine, whiole newcomer Romain Grosjean is confirmed to replace Nelsinho Piquet and partner Fernando Alonso.

As for Felipe Massa, the injured Ferrari driver currently recovering, the latest reports indicate that while he could be ready as soon as the Italian Grand Prix - the home race for his team - he'll more likely wait until the later race in his home country of Brazil to make his comeback.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Bertrand Guay/AFP/Getty]

F1 Updates: BMW seeks new buyer, FIA re-opens selection process, Renault granted appeal, etc. originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Luca Badoer is gearing up for his first grand prix in ten years. The veteran Ferrari test driver (who got the nod to fill in for the injured Felipe Massa after plans for Michael Schumacher's temporary return were put on hold) will get to test the Ferrari F60 which he helped develop before the upcoming European Grand Prix in Valencia after all, as Ferrari gets permission to run some "demonstration laps" around its own Fiorano circuit. But according to the latest reports, Badoer shouldn't get too comfortable in that cramped cockpit as Massa may be back sooner than expected.

Team principal Stefano Domenicali visited the downed Brazilian pilot and was encouraged by his progress, prompting reports in the Italian press that Massa could make a sensational return in time for the upcoming Italian Grand Prix at Monza at the beginning of September. Massa would need to pass a medical exam at the FIA headquarters in Paris before getting the green light to race again, and may need to wear extra protective gear. In the meantime, Domenicali insists that everyone be patient while Massa recovers.

[Source: F1-Live | Image: Mark Thompson/Getty]

Massa to return for Italian Grand Prix in early September? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With Michael Schumacher now confirmed to have canceled his comeback due to a neck injury sustained in a motorcycle accident, Ferrari has been left with no choice but to put one of its veteran test drivers into Felipe Massa's seat until the injured Brazilian is ready to return to active duty. The trouble is that while other teams use the test driver position to groom up-and-coming drivers for the race seat, Ferrari's approach has been to use older, more experienced drivers past their prime.

Rather than give the seat to Marc Gené, who continues to race actively for Peugeot at Le Mans and last raced in a grand prix in 2004, Ferrari has decided to award the seat to Luca Badoer, its senior test driver. While testing the Ferrari California last summer, we had a chance to talk with Badoer on his way to the season-closing Brazilian Grand Prix and found him to be a good-natured and affable individual. Still, while his development skills are unrivaled, his actual Formula One race experience leaves something to be desired.

It's been ten years since Badoer last started a race - the longest gap in F1 history - and he rejoins the field as the oldest driver on the grid, narrowly eclipsing his former team-mate Rubens Barrichello at 38. Although he moved to F1 after winning the Formula 3000 title in 1992, in his four seasons and 48 grands prix in the big league (all with Italian teams, incidentally), he failed to score a single point (let alone a race win) and famously broke down in tears alongside his car after it failed to take him to a fourth-place finish at the 1999 European Grand Prix. Ten years later, he's looking to improve his record, and we'll be watching to see how he does. Follow the jump for the official press release.

[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Big Schu to Fill: Ferrari's Luca Badoer hasn't raced in ten years, never scored a point

Big Schu to Fill: Ferrari's Luca Badoer hasn't raced in ten years, never scored a point originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari was in with a bang, now it looks like the scarlet racers will be out with soggy whimpers: Michael Schumacher has canceled his F1 return due to lingering pain in his neck from a motorcycle accident earlier this year.

Schumacher has been testing in Ferrari's 2007 car at the company's private track in Mugello. After the first test, though, he found that the mere strain of driving aggravated the injuries from a crash he suffered in February while motorcycle testing at a track in Spain. At the time, although he went to the hospital, it was thought that everything was fine. Eventually fractures in his neck were discovered, and that is what is causing the problem now.

After laying its hopes on the 7-time world champion, Ferrari now chooses among its reserve drivers to pilot one of their cars in Valencia in 48 hours: Marc Gene or Luca Badoer - Gene's last F1 race drive was the 2004 British Grand Prix, while Badoer hasn't turned an F1 wheel on race day since 1999, at the European Grand Prix. This morning Ferrari head Luca di Montezemolo chose 38-year-old Badoer for the role.


Gallery: Schumacher tests the Ferrari F2007 at Mugello


[Source: F1 Live | Photo by Andy Hone/Getty]

Officially Official: Schumacher not coming back after all - driving is a pain in the neck originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Schumacher behind the wheel of the Ferrari F2007 at Mugello - Click above for high-res image gallery

Michael Schumacher's hopes of testing the 2009 Scuderia Ferrari F60 may have been dashed, but that doesn't mean the seven-time world champion is resting on his proverbial laurels. In addition to a rigorous fitness regimen to lose weight (he's already dropped three kilos) and tone up his muscles, Schumi's found another way to get behind the wheel of a Ferrari F1 car thanks to the company's F1 Clienti department. The service maintains several retired F1 cars for wealthy customers, and Schumacher's reportedly ponied up out of his own deep pockets for some seat time.

Following the announcement last month that he'd be filling in for the injured Felipe Massa, Schumacher took the old F2007 for 70 laps around the company's Mugello circuit, which you can view in the high-res image gallery below. And this week he'll be back at it again, running the car - which he also tested to considerable effect after his retirement - on the GP2-spec tires which the Clienti division fits to the grand prix cars for customer use.

However, while Michael may be hard at work preparing for his return, said comeback is anything but guaranteed at this point. With his neck still hurting from a motorbike accident, his physical condition could keep him from getting back on track, at which point it'd be anybody's guess as to who would take his place. Schumacher's longtime manager Willi Weber is confident that his client will be ready, but apparently learning from his mistakes - having been left literally holding his hat when Schumi lost the 1997 title to Jacques Villeneuve - Webber has also reportedly ordered that production of merchandise celebrating Michael's comeback be canceled in the interim. Schumacher's longtime strategist Ross Brawn, now directing Jenson Button's championship lead, has given Michael a vote of confidence, however, betting on Schumacher winning a race this season as assuredly as his own team will win the title.

UPDATE: Schumacher has confirmed on his own official website that the comeback will not happen due to his neck injury from earlier in the year.


Gallery: Schumacher tests the Ferrari F2007 at Mugello


[Sources: Autosport and F1-Live]

Schumacher prepares in old F2007, stiff neck may stalls comeback [UPDATED] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sour grapes much? Both of Italy's Formula One teams had to switch drivers mid-season during the year: Scuderia Toro Rosso (because Sebastien Bourdais wasn't working out) and Scuderia Ferrari (due to Felipe Massa injury). However, due to the comprehensive ban on in-season testing, neither could put their replacements into the cockpits of their F1 cars until the following grand prix weekend. So STR's newcomer Jaime Alguersuari was thrown straight into the deep end to sink or swim, while Ferrari, for its part, has been unable to give a returning Michael Schumacher any seat time in the new car. Not that the Maranello squad didn't try - their request for a one-time exemption was opposed by Williams, Red Bull and Toro Rosso. Now a message has appeared on the Ferrari website lashing out at the junior Toro Rosso team.

The statement calls out STR - which, it's worth noting, has used Ferrari customer engines for these past three seasons - as a "team that hasn't won anything for years and yet didn't pass over the opportunity to demonstrate once more a lack of spirit of fair play", while noting that Ferrari had given its consent for an exceptional test for Alguersuari. Ouch. (For the record, though, Toro Rosso won the Italian Grand Prix last year.) We would have to assume the message was somehow posted by a rogue with access to the Ferrari website, but that only begs the question as to why, several days later, it still hasn't been taken down. Follow the link to read the message in full on the Ferrari website.

[Source: Ferrari | Image: KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty]

Statement on Ferrari website lashes out against Toro Rosso "indiscretion" originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2009 Hungarian Grand Prix - Click above for high-res image gallery

Jenson Button and his Brawn GP team cast a dominating shadow over the start of this year's Formula One World Championship, taking the checkered flag at six out of the seven races this season to take a commanding lead for the title. But as Button and Brawn cast a dark shadow over the competition, the skies over the paddock at this past weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix were darkened even further, with the drivers getting a taste of their own mortality after Felipe Massa was hospitalized with severe injuries to his head after being hit by a spring during Saturday's qualifying session.

Driving an F1 car - in a grand prix no less - takes an extraordinarily focused person, ignoring the laws of physics and all that can go wrong in order to even get some heat into the tires, much less extract the car's true performance potential. Winning a grand prix takes an even more rarified breed of individual, outgunning the other exceptionally talented and driven drivers to claim victory. Only 102 people have managed that feat in the history of the sport. But it takes a champion to see a fallen comrade and still marshal the fortitude to reel in the win.


Gallery: 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix

Continue reading SPOILER ALERT: Of Champions and Shadows at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix

SPOILER ALERT: Of Champions and Shadows at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumors are heating up that Ferrari Formula One driver Kimi Räikkönen will walk away from the grand prix circus at the end of the 2009 season. If the 2007 World Champion does quit, it would free up his seat for two-time champion Fernando Alonso. You'll recall that there's been talk of Alonso making the jump to Ferrari since well before his single unhappy season at McLaren. However, the circumstances have never quite worked out for him.

According to reports from his native Finland, Räikkönen may move over to full time rallying like so many of his compatriots before him. Kimi has already competed in three rallies this year and is set to do another later this month. Räikkönen still has another year left on his contract and Ferrari may end up paying his €28 million salary in order to keep him out of any other F1 seat in 2010.

[Source: GPUpdate]

REPORT: Kimi Räikkönen set to retire from F1 after 2009 season originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valentino Rossi tests a Ferrari F1 car - Click above for high-res image gallery

Typically F1 drivers come up through the formula racing ladder. But for every rule there's an exception, and that exception seems to be creeping up for Ferrari, who are facing a potential change-up in drivers that involves not just numerous racing classes but varied disciplines of motorsports.

First up is Kimi Raikkonen, the team's 2007 world champion who's been trying his hand at rallying. The Finnish driver has contested local-level rallies with limited success, but remains undeterred in entering the World Rally Championship stage in Finland next month. The event will be the first top-level rally for Raikkonen, and also the first professional rally on agravel surface following previous outings on ice, snow and asphalt. Given his level of performance lately in F1, if Kimi finds his footing in rally, he could make the switch.

If Kimi were to jump ship from F1, there's no lack of talent out for Ferrari, but the Scuderia could reach into a different talent pool and bring Valentino Rossi on board. The multiple MotoGP champion has tested for Ferrari on several occasions to considerable effect, and could be ripe for a switch from two wheels to four. But even if Kimi stays in F1, Rossi could find himself with an open door just the same as reports indicate that the terms of the new arrangement between the FIA and FOTA could make way for teams to field a third car in F1 in the near future.

[Source: Autosport and F1-Live]

Musical Chairs: Kimi contests WRC Finland, Rossi considers Ferrari, F1 could grow 3rd car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1990 Ferrari 641/2 Chassis #121 - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Think this year's F1 season has been exciting? Truth be told it's been a refreshing change-up from the domination of the giants. But if anything, that just makes us more nostalgic for the clash of the titans that characterized past seasons. And none were as fierce as the rivalry between Ayrton Senna at McLaren and Alain Prost at Ferrari.

After a highly competitive 1989 season with both drivers at McLaren and Prost crowned champion, the Frenchman switched to Ferrari for 1990 to team up with Nigel Mansell. It was a dream team in Maranello, and the rivalry between Prost and Senna was intensified. By the penultimate round in Japan, all Senna needed was for Prost not to finish the race and the title would be his, even if Senna himself didn't finish either. Senna was on pole, Prost right next to him. The lights flashed green, both drivers sped into the first corner where Senna closed the door on Prost and the two collided. Their race was over, and the title was handed to Senna. It was a highly controversial way to decide the championship, both drivers insisting the other was at fault. And this is the car it happened in.

In 1990, Prost drove Ferrari 641/2 chassis #121 to two third-place finishes, two second places and one victory. And it was in the car he was driving when Senna knocked him out of the running. Since that fateful season, it has resided in several prominent collections in the U.S. and Japan, before undergoing a €110,000 restoration at the Ferrari factory, where the car will be up for sale next month as part of the Leggenda e Passione auction event that will also feature the '67 330 P4 and '57 250 Testa Rossa we reported on earlier. Chassis 121 is expected to fetch €300.000-€400.000. Follow the link for more information, and check out the images in the gallery below.


Gallery: 1990 Ferrari 641/2 F1 Chassis #121



[Source: RM Auctions | Images: Tom Wood/RM Auctions]

Alain Prost's fated Ferrari 641/2 F1 car under the hammer at Maranello auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above to view the new Scuderia Ferrari F60 in high resolution

Scuderia Ferrari chose to unveil its new car for the 2009 F1 season before anyone else, so while other teams were assuredly tweaking their designs up until the last minute, Ferrari's was already out on the track. And now it seems there are some problems with the F60's design.

For starters, the exhausts are being reported as illegal. While the other cars revealed so far have inboard exhaust pipes, the Ferrari's protrude from the bodywork in contravention of new aerodynamic regulations. On top of that, Ferrari seems to be having trouble with its new jumbo front wing, which could explain why, with Fiorano snowed in, the team opted to run test laps at its own Mugello track instead of Algarve in Portugal where the rest of the teams are testing, presumably to be closer to the factory. An organization as large and streamlined as Ferrari should have no trouble fixing these problems before the start of the season, which hasn't even kicked off yet. Looks like this is going to be another one of those seasons.

Gallery: Scuderia Ferrari F60


[Source: F1-Live]

Ruh-Roh: Ferrari's new F1 car already in trouble originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above to view the Scuderia Ferrari F60 in high resolution

Formula One teams love a good challenge. As if it weren't difficult enough to dominate at the pinnacle of motorsports, for the 2009 season, each team will have to adapt to a host of new regulations, including the introduction of the KERS regenerative braking systems, the reintroduction of slick tires and significant changes to the aerodynamics package. Still not hard enough? How about cutting the budgets the teams are meant to adapt to the new rules... and then eliminating all the test sessions during the season, leaving just a handful of pre-season runs to get everything up to speed (so to speak). Scuderia Ferrari apparently thought that still wasn't enough, so they've opted to unveil their car earlier than the rest of the field.

Of course that's going to mean a few glitches, and in its first day on the track, the new F60 broke down and was sidelined for most of the day. That's sent the engineers back to the drawing board to work out the glitches, but not before the cameramen could get a few shots and some video footage of the new F60 in action at the Mugello circuit near Florence, Italy. Check 'em out in the updated gallery below and in the video after the jump, and stay tuned for the individual revelations of the rest of the crop of 2009-spec F1 cars, starting with Toyota's this coming Thursday.

Gallery: Scuderia Ferrari F60


[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Pics and Video: Scuderia Ferrari F60 gets on track

Pics and Video: Scuderia Ferrari F60 gets on track originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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F1 teams change hands all the time, but when a major manufacturer pulls out of the sport, it's bound to trigger a rumor mill of tsunamic proportions. And that's exactly what's been going on in the motorsport press following Honda's announcement to cancel its F1 program.

First came rumors that Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim was to buy the team, but those reports were later denied. Ferrari, meanwhile, has confirmed discussions with Ross Brawn, formerly the Scuderia's technical director and now head of the Honda F1, over the prospect of supplying engines to the team if and when a new buyer is found. (Last year Ferrari supplied both Toro Rosso and Force India, but the latter has switched to Mercedes for the upcoming season.) Brawn and his colleague Nick Fry are reportedly speaking to a number of potential buyers (Prodrive's David Richards possibly still among them), but while the asking price for the team must be lower than usual given the economy and Honda's motivation to sell, sources don't expect the list includes any automakers. (For our part, we wouldn't be surprised to see Hyundai make an offer.) Some reports suggested that Michael Schumacher - with whom Brawn built a close relationship during their tenure at Ferrari, and who races occasionally with Honda on two wheels - could get involved, but Schumi's own spokespeople have denied the rumors. For his part, Brawn has stated his number one priority is securing the jobs of the team's many employees, but even that might prove to be a tall order during these troubled times.

[Photo by Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty]

Honda F1 Roundup: Brawn, Schumacher and Ferrari originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 06:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above to view the new Scuderia Ferrari F60 in high resolution

Most years it's more of the same. All the constructors in the FIA Formula One World Championship unveil their cars, and for the most part they look the incredibly similar to the ones they had last year. Big whoop. But every so often, the technical regulations are shaken up a little and the cars come out looking entirely different. This is one of those years -- say "hello" to the Scuderia Ferrari F60.

The most substantial changes have been made to the aerodynamic formula, which has dictated a bigger front wing and a much narrower rear aerofoila. F1 has also moved back to slick tires, while underneath the more streamlined bodywork Ferrari has fitted the new Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) developed together with Magneti-Marelli, along with the new carbon-encased seven-speed sequential gearbox with limited slip differential.

Ferrari has opted to call this the F60, eschewing the typical numbering system that would have labeled it the F2009 while highlighting the fact that this will be the 60th season of Formula One - in which Ferrari is the only team to have competed in each and every one. Due to weather conditions, the official live unveiling of the F60 was moved from the company's on-site Fiorano test track to its Mugello circuit, where Felipe Massa will test drive it for the first time. Check it out for yourself in the gallery below, and see all the details at f60.ferrariworld.com.

Gallery: Scuderia Ferrari F60

Scuderia Ferrari unveils the new F60 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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