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[Universal Soldiers: F1 aces Raikkonen, Vettel and Kubica lured by rallying]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/22/universal-soldiers-f1-aces-raikkonen-vettel-and-kubica-lured-b/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/22/universal-soldiers-f1-aces-raikkonen-vettel-and-kubica-lured-b/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/22/universal-soldiers-f1-aces-raikkonen-vettel-and-kubica-lured-b/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



It used to be that a racing driver would pick his form of motorsport at the beginning of his career and stick with it for the duration. Sure, there have been a few notable exceptions - especially among the Finns - but these days, it seems as if the exceptions are gaining on the norm. F1 drivers like Juan Pablo Montoya are moving to NASCAR, WRC aces like Sebastien Loeb and MotoGP champs like Valentio Rossi are trying their hand at F1, while F1 champs like Michael Schumacher are checking out motorbike racing. But the latest trend has a growing number of current, active Formula One drivers contesting rallies on the world stage.

The most notable is Kimi Raikkonen, who has driven a few rallies behind the wheel of his own Punto Abarth. Now that he's looking to sit out of the next F1 season, all indications are that the departing Ferrari driver will find his way into the WRC. While downplaying the lingering prospect of the 2007 Formula One champion racing for the newly-christened Mercedes Grand Prix team next season, his managers are reportedly hard at work to get him a WRC drive for 2010. The most likely scenario would place Raikkonen with Citroen: Both the French rally team and the Finnish driver are sponsored by Red Bull, and the rapprochement could could pave the way for Kimi to return to F1 in 2011 for Red Bull Racing.

Even Red Bull's current F1 ace, Sebastian Vettel, has reportedly expressed interest in trying his hand at rallying, although his team principal is reportedly against the idea. After winning the Nations Cup at the Race of Champions together with Schumacher three years running, the young German has certainly demonstrated the versatility of his talent.

Meanwhile, the highly-rated Robert Kubica is preparing for his second rally since leaving BMW Sauber for the Renault F1 team. After a dismal first attempt, the Pole is set to return to the wheel of a Renaultsport Clio R3 Maxi for the final round of the French Rally Championship at Var next weekend. If Kubica manages to finish this time around, we could yet see more F1 drivers following him onto the rally scene.

[Sources: Autosport and F1-Live | Image: Clive Mason/Getty]

Universal Soldiers: F1 aces Raikkonen, Vettel and Kubica lured by rallying originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>kimikimi raikkonenkimi raikkonen wrcKimiRaikkonenKimiRaikkonenWrckubicaraikkonenrobertrobert kubicarobert kubica rallyrobert kubica renaultRobertKubicaRobertKubicaRallyRobertKubicaRenaultsebastiansebastian vettelsebastian vettel rallysebastian vettel wrcSebastianVettelSebastianVettelRallySebastianVettelWrcvettelSun, 22 Nov 2009 15:03:00 EST<![CDATA[End of Year Shuffle: 14 Formula One teams swap drivers for 2010]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/08/end-of-year-shuffle-14-formula-one-teams-swap-drivers-for-2010/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/08/end-of-year-shuffle-14-formula-one-teams-swap-drivers-for-2010/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/08/end-of-year-shuffle-14-formula-one-teams-swap-drivers-for-2010/#commentsFiled under: ,


If you thought the series of driver changes in the middle of this ongoing Formula One season was something, it's nothing compared to the grand game of musical chairs expected to ensue as the season draws to a close. With BMW closing up shop, several new teams joining the grid and at least a couple of former world champions switching teams for next year's championship, we're shaping up for the biggest jumble the F1 circus has seen in years. Follow the jump to see how it's unfolding so far.

[Image: Clive Mason/Getty]

Continue reading End of Year Shuffle: 14 Formula One teams swap drivers for 2010

End of Year Shuffle: 14 Formula One teams swap drivers for 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2010 fia formula one world champion2010 formula one2010FiaFormulaOneWorldChampion2010FormulaOneadian sutilAdianSutilalguersuarialonsobarrichellobrawlBrawn GPBrawnGpbuemibuttoncamposcampos metaCamposMetaf1f1 driversF1Driversfelipe massaFelipeMassafernando alonsoFernandoAlonsoFerrarifisichellaformula 1formula oneFormula1FormulaOneGiancarlo FisichellaGiancarloFisichellaglockgrosjeanheidfeldJaime AlguersuariJaimeAlguersuarijarno trulliJarnoTrullijenson buttonJensonButtonkazuki nakajimaKazukiNakajimakimi raikkonenKimiRaikkonenkubicaliuzziLotuslotus f1LotusF1manormark webberMarkWebbermassamclarennakajimanick heidfeldNickHeidfeldnico rosbergNicoRosbergraikkonenred bullred bull racingRedBullRedBullRacingrobert kubicaRobertKubicaromain grosjeanRomainGrosjeanrosbergrubens barrichelloRubensBarrichelloscuderia toro rossoScuderiaToroRossosebastian vettelSebastianVettelsebastien buemiSebastienBuemisutiltimo glockTimoGlocktonio liuzziTonioLiuzzitoro rossoToroRossotoyotatoyota f1ToyotaF1trullius f1UsF1vettelvitantonio liuzziVitantonioLiuzziwebberwilliamsThu, 08 Oct 2009 09:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Robert Kubica jumps sinking BMW ship to fill Alonso's seat at Renault]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/07/robert-kubica-jumps-sinking-bmw-ship-to-fill-alonsos-seat-at-re/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/07/robert-kubica-jumps-sinking-bmw-ship-to-fill-alonsos-seat-at-re/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/07/robert-kubica-jumps-sinking-bmw-ship-to-fill-alonsos-seat-at-re/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Everything's changing for the Renault F1 team. The team principal has been barred from the sport indefinitely and the technical director has been mercifully banned for five years. They've already booted out their car-crashing, whistle-blowing driver Nelson Piquet Jr. and replaced him with rookie Romain Grosjean. Their star driver, Fernando Alonso, who brought two titles home for the team, is leaving for Ferrari. And they've lost their title sponsor ING. The team has hit just about rock bottom, but now it's time for them to get up and begin rebuilding for next season, counting their lucky stars they've been allowed to participate altogether. And this is their first step.

Following weeks, if not months of speculation, Robert Kubica has been announced to be moving to Renault for next season. The promising Polish driver - who took the checkered flag last year at the Canadian Grand Prix - has been racing for BMW Sauber for the past four seasons since entering Formula One. But now that BMW has pulled the plug, Kubica's headed to the French team.

There's no telling who, at this point, will be driving alongside him next year at Renault, but Grosjean has so far failed to earn his keep. Speculation places his equally talented BMW team-mate Nick Heidfeld alongside him, but nothing's been announced yet. Details in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Renault F1 | Image: Clive Mason/Getty]

Continue reading Robert Kubica jumps sinking BMW ship to fill Alonso's seat at Renault

Robert Kubica jumps sinking BMW ship to fill Alonso's seat at Renault originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f1formula 1formula oneFormula1FormulaOnekubicakubica renaultKubicaRenaultrenaultrenault f1RenaultF1robert kubicaRobertKubicaWed, 07 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[REPORT: Ferrari F1 set to announce Alonso acquisition]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/29/report-ferrari-f1-set-to-announce-alonso-acquisition/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/29/report-ferrari-f1-set-to-announce-alonso-acquisition/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/29/report-ferrari-f1-set-to-announce-alonso-acquisition/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Apparently, the long-rumored Fernando Alonso to Ferrari announcement is now all but official. According to a report from the BBC, the 28-year-old driver has signed a two-year contract with options to extend that will earn the Spaniard a tidy salary of roughly 19 to 25 million euros ($27 to $36 million) per year.

An official announcement could come as early as this weekend at the Suzuka Grand Prix in Japan. As expected, Alonso will be paired up with current Ferrari driver Felipe Massa, whose spot is currently being filled in by Giancarlo Fisichella while the Brazilian is recovering from injuries sustained during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Kimi Raikkonen could possibly make the move back to McLaren, and current BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica is rumored to be taking Alonso's place at Renault. Tune back in tomorrow for another installation of How the F1 World Turns... Tip of the hat to Cheech McGovern!

[Source: BBC | Image: ph-stop - CC 2.0]

REPORT: Ferrari F1 set to announce Alonso acquisition originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:29:00 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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Click above for a gallery of Kubica's karts

If you want to be world champion, especially a multiple world champion, you're going to need your own line of karts. Schumacher has one. So does Alonso. They've both won the F1 title multiple times, and Robert Kubica would undoubtedly like to join their ranks, so he's teamed up with Italian kart-makers Birel to offer his own special line of equipment.

Early in his career, the Polish driver was the official pilot for the Birel factory team, which gave him his leg up into the world of motor racing. He's come a long way since, climbing all the way up to Formula One with a shot at winning the title one day, but fast as he is, he's not so quick to abandon his roots. To that end, he's both launching his own RK karting line with Birel, and managing a team of aspiring drivers in the top level of world karting competition. We're sure to see some serious up-and-coming talent rising out of the initiative, but by then Kubica hopes to have made his mark in Formula One. Follow the jump for the full press release, and check out the images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Birel RK karts by Robert Kubica



[Source: Birel]

Continue reading KubiKart: F1 driver teams up with Birel for custom line of karts

KubiKart: F1 driver teams up with Birel for custom line of karts originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above to view the video

Looks like Fernando Alonso and Robert Kubica didn't get enough head-to-head racing action last week in Japan. The first and second place finishers in Fuji decided to go at it once again when the pair reached this week's F1 stop in Shanghai. Rather than risk their multi-million dollar F1 race cars, and quite possibly their careers, the two opted to hit the local kart track instead. Alonso probably has a weight advantage in this scenario, but that shouldn't take away from his mad driving skillz. Watch the non-English video after the jump to see how it turned out and stick around for the victory lap. You'll get a chance to see the some of the best donuts you'll ever witness.

[Source: F1 Fanatic]

Continue reading VIDEO: Alonso vs. Kubica... in karts

VIDEO: Alonso vs. Kubica... in karts originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 18 Oct 2008 15:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f1fernando alonsoFernandoAlonsoformula 1Formula1kartingrobert kubicaRobertKubicaSat, 18 Oct 2008 15:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Report: Ferrari wants Alonso and Kubica for 2010]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/14/report-ferrari-wants-alonso-and-kubica-for-2010/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/14/report-ferrari-wants-alonso-and-kubica-for-2010/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/14/report-ferrari-wants-alonso-and-kubica-for-2010/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


With both Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa contracted with Ferrari through next year, reports are circulating that the Scuderia may bring on board both Fernando Alonso and Robert Kubica for 2010.

After Kimi and Felipe, and with Lewis Hamilton firmly in place at McLaren, the pairing of Alonso and Kubica in Maranello would provide a formidable team against the rest of the field. Alonso, of course, is a two-time world champion and one of the only drivers to repeatedly beat Schumacher to the title, while Kubica has proven himself a competent driver of the highest degree. Whether the reports are accurate, and whether Ferrari would just dump Kimi and Felipe like that remains to be seen.

[Source: Tuttosport via Axis of Oversteer, Photo by WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty]

Report: Ferrari wants Alonso and Kubica for 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

Drivers get wet at Nurburgring F1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Jul 2007 20:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UPDATE: All video of the Kubica crash on YouTube has been removed at the request of F1. Click here to watch the crash recreated in 3D using CGI.


By all accounts, yesterday's Canadian Grand Prix was one of the most entertaining races in recent memory. Unfortunately for Lewis Hamilton, who took his first Formula One victory, his achievements driving for McLaren were overshadowed by the considerable amount of contact that took place between drivers and solid objects.

The most horrific crash could have easily taken the life of BMW driver Robert Kubica, who was coming into the hairpin at upwards of 180 MPH when he lost steering control and slammed, head-on, into one of the barriers. From there, he was punted across the track, missing a few of his competitors, hitting the adjacent wall and finally coming to rest on his side. Reports say that he came away with only a broken leg, although BMW had't confirmed that as of this writing, which judging by the video footage after the jump, speaks volumes about how far safety equipment has come in motorsport.

You can check out a video of the crash after the break, and click here for a brief rundown of yesterday's event.

Continue reading VIDEO: Kubica crashes Canadian GP

VIDEO: Kubica crashes Canadian GP originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Jun 2007 09:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bmwcanadacanadian gpCanadianGpcrashf1formula 1formula oneFormula1FormulaOnelewis hamiltonLewisHamiltonmclarenrobert kubicaRobertKubicaMon, 11 Jun 2007 09:36:00 EST