Ferrari

Formula 1 Team reports for the 2009 F1 season includes race previews, reports and reviews
Ed
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Post by Ed » Sat Jul 25, 2009 2:32 am

Grand Prix of Hungary – 24th July 2009

Free practices First Session Second Session
Driver Pos. Time Laps Pos. Time Laps Chassis
F. Massa 8th 1.22.855 25 18th 1.23.156 32 277
K. Raikkonen 7th 1.22.796 23 11th 1.22.763 38 279

Weather
First session: air 26/29 °C, track 30/37 °C; sunny.
Second session: air 30 °C, track 42/41 °C; sunny.

The first day of testing for the Hungarian Grand Prix is traditionally very difficult to interpret or to offer pointers because of the track conditions, which usually change significantly over the course of the weekend. This Friday was no exception to that rule, with 19 drivers all within eleven tenths and the two Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro drivers ending the day on track with contrasting impressions. “It was a slightly different Friday to usual,” said Stefano Domenicali. “This was because we also began to work with a view to next season, especially so in the morning. The classification is very tight and clearly, while evaluating it, we have to take into account the usual unknowns linked to fuel loads and tyre use. We still have work to do to be as well prepared as possible for tomorrow’s qualifying which is bound to be very tight. It won’t take much to be either on the front row or down the back.”

Felipe Massa: “I’m not happy with how things went today. I struggled a lot just to get the balance on the car to an acceptable level and found the tyres offered little grip, especially the harder ones, to such an extent I wasn’t able to do a real long run on either types of tyre. On top of that, in the final part of the second session I had a problem with the rear suspension after going off the track, which cost me valuable time. Here, the conditions change a lot from one day to the next and I really hope that will be the case again this time.”

Kimi Raikkonen: “Today, the car wasn’t that bad. There are still some small things that we can work on to make it quicker, but overall, I am reasonably happy. This year, the supersoft tyre has always been very difficult to manage, but here it seems the situation is rather more straightforward. We’ll see what we can manage tomorrow, but this is definitely a better Friday than those in the recent past. Seeing how close the times are, we will have to try and do the maximum to get a good grid position. It seems to me that the performance level of the various cars at this track is much closer one to the other.”

Chris Dyer: “A very busy Friday for the team, both because we worked in a slightly different way to usual and because we had to solve a few problems on the rear suspension, linked to some off track excursions. Furthermore, we did the usual job of comparing the two types of tyre brought here by Bridgestone and it’s clear we are struggling a bit, as indeed we usually do, in terms of doing a time on the first flying lap, especially on the harder tyre. From what we could see in today’s three hours of practice, everyone is very evenly matched and we will have to do our utmost to get a good qualifying result, which here more than at some other tracks, is very important in terms of the outcome of the race.”

Ed
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Post by Ed » Sun Jul 26, 2009 1:57 am

Ferrari issued the following statement:

After the accident during the qualifying session of the Grand Prix of Hungary, Felipe Massa was airlifted to the AEK hospital in Budapest. Felipe was conscious at the arrival at the hospital and his general conditions remain stable. Following a complete medical examination it emerged that he had suffered a cut on his forehead, a bone damage of his skull and a brain concussion. These conditions need to be operated on after which he will remain under observation in intensive care.

Further information will be released later tonight.

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Post by Ed » Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:50 am

Ferrari issued the following statement on Felipe Massa's condition

Felipe Massa has undergone surgery this afternoon at the AEK hospital in Budapest and the outcome of the procedure was positive. Now, Felipe will remain under observation in intensive care.

An update on his condition will be issued late tomorrow morning.

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Post by Ed » Mon Jul 27, 2009 2:43 am

Grand Prix of Hungary – 26th July 2009

Driver Position Time Gap Laps Chassis
K. Raikkonen 2nd 1:38.35.405 + 11.529 70 279

Weather: air temperature 23 °C, track temperature 36 °C, sunny.

Third podium of the season for the Scuderia, with its only car on the grid today finishing second, with Kimi Raikkonen. This result sees Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro move up to third place in the Constructors’ classification.

Stefano Domenicali: “We dedicate this result to Felipe: at this time, all our thoughts are with him and his family and I think this sentiment also applies to those who are close to him and to fans all over the world. Kimi drove a great race and the team worked in impeccable fashion, concentrating on the job despite what happened yesterday. We got the best result we were capable of. Please allow me on behalf of everyone at Ferrari to send our best wishes to Felipe. We love you and we are all thinking of you.”

Kimi Raikkonen: “Today’s result is very important for the team in such a difficult weekend because of what happened to Felipe yesterday. I am pleased with second place, even if it is not completely satisfying as I always race to win. On this type of track, we are certainly closer to the best than at other circuits and today, honestly we were actually even closer than we had expected to be. I got a good start, ending up fourth after the first few corners. We knew it would be crucial to make up places at the start to be in with a chance of fighting for the podium. After the first pit stop we began to have problems with the right hand exhaust and so, at the second stop, the team asked to leave using a different procedure to usual. It lost me a bit of time but I still had a reasonable advantage over Webber so I could manage the situation. Today, the car wasn’t bad, but it was not quick enough to go for the win.”

Chris Dyer: “A super result on a difficult weekend for the whole team. Kimi drove a great race, starting with a really fantastic opening lap, followed by a very good second stint on the softer tyres. In between those phases, the team pulled off a great pit stop to put Kimi ahead of Webber. We were a bit worried about a problem with an exhaust and so we told the driver to be very careful at the second pit stop. We lost a bit of time and then in the final part, we had to deal with a fast closing Webber, who was very quick, but all the same, we managed to respond well enough to comfortably manage the situation to the finish.”

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Post by Ed » Sat Aug 22, 2009 10:59 am

Grand Prix of Europe – 21st August 2009

Free practices First Session Second Session
Driver Pos. Time Laps Pos. Time Laps Chassis
K. Raikkonen 10th 1.43.384 23 11th 1.40.739 39 279
L. Badoer 20th 1.45.840 25 18th 1.42.017 37 280

Weather
First session: air 28/30 °C, track 29/39 °C; sunny.
Second session: air 32/33 °C, track 45/48 °C; sunny.

A different Friday to usual for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, as it featured the race debut with the team of Luca Badoer. “My first thoughts today are with Felipe and once again, on behalf of the entire team I want to wish him a speedy recovery,” said Stefano Domenicali. “From today, his seat in car number 3 is occupied by Luca Badoer, who faces a difficult task, but he can count on the support of everyone in the knowledge that Ferrari has every confidence in him. Given his situation – a long time away from racing, an unknown circuit – the first day can be considered a positive experience for Luca. Clearly this weekend is something of a test session for him and that is how it must be judged. At this Grand Prix, it falls to Kimi more than usual to bring home a useful result to defend our third place in the Constructors’ classification which, at this point of the season remains our realistic target.”

Luca Badoer: “I am happy with the way things went today. I expected a difficult day and so it was. It was vital that I did not make any serious mistakes so that I could get through the programme we had established. Now we can begin to work on the car set-up to try and adapt it to my driving style. The team has not set me any specific goal for this weekend and I am pleased about that consideration because it is important I return to having full confidence in the car and with the world of the Grand Prix weekend. I am also grateful to Michael who wanted to be here this weekend. It is important for me to be able to count on his support, especially from the human point of view and of course, also in terms of technical matters.”

Kimi Raikkonen: “It was a positive day. I am happy with the handling of the car and the performance of both types of tyre we have here from Bridgestone. There’s no point in looking at the time sheet, because as usual on a Friday, it doesn’t tell us much. The first session was rather difficult as the track was very dirty and slippery, but in the second one the situation was much better. I think a podium finish is still a realistic target for us, even if a lot will depend on where we qualify.”

Chris Dyer: “A reasonable day, with our two drivers running different programmes. For Luca it was a case of regaining confidence in the car and learning a new track. For him, obviously the more kilometres he completed the more the situation improved and we are confident about the rest of the weekend. Therefore, Kimi worked on his own in terms of race preparation and on evaluating tyre performance. Our performance level seems reasonably good and we feel we can put on a good show in this Grand Prix.”

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Post by Ed » Sun Aug 23, 2009 12:25 pm

Grand Prix of Europe – 22nd August 2009
Qualifying session

Session Driver Pos. Time Laps Driver Pos. Time Laps
Q1 RAI 5th 1.38.843 10 BAD 20th 1.41.413 13
Q2 RAI 10th 1.38.782 8
Q3 RAI 6th 1.40.144 7
Chassis: L. Badoer 280, K. Raikkonen 279

Weather: air temperature 31/32 °C, track temperature 45/44 °C, sunny.

One driver on the third row, another in last place: those are the bare bones of qualifying for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro. Clearly, the outcome has to be assessed in the light of the special situation in which the Scuderia finds itself for this race, as confirmed by Stefano Domenicali. “Sixth place for Kimi Raikkonen can be judged as a positive result, because it probably reflects our current potential, while Luca’s last place was widely predicted: returning to racing after so much time, furthermore on a track not known to him and one that is difficult to get to grips with, is a daunting task for him. Tomorrow, our race will be divided in two: on one side we will be aiming for a positive result to defend our third place in the Constructors’ classification, which should be within our ability, while with Luca we will try and finish the race, to obtain sufficient experience to tackle the forthcoming rounds in a different fashion.”

Luca Badoer: “Obviously, I’m a bit disappointed as it’s never nice to be last in any situation, but I always knew it would be tough. As I’ve said before, this weekend is a sort of test for me and the team and that is how we are tackling it. However, I do feel the situation is better than yesterday as the more laps I do, the more confidence I gain and the better it gets. Tomorrow it will be important to finish the race and that will be my target. I feel good physically and I have no problems on that score. For sure, if I’d had two days testing under my belt, it would have been a different story.”

Kimi Raikkonen: “Honestly, this was one of the best qualifying sessions of the season, even if we are not as quick as those on the front row. Our final result will depend basically on how the start goes. It will be very important to make up a few places, because if we end up behind a slower car, then the race is compromised. I think we are reasonably competitive in race trim, as could be seen in Q3, while we are struggling a bit on light tanks. So far, it’s been a good weekend and I am happy with the performance of the F60.”

Chris Dyer: “Qualifying had two sides to it for us. It was a very difficult day for Luca, who continued the process of learning about the car and the track. Lap after lap his confidence increased, but it was not enough to get him off the last place on the grid. The situation was definitely not helped by the red flag in FP3 which cost him valuable time. On the other hand, Kimi performed well, especially in Q3, where he did a great lap. Starting from sixth on the grid is a solid base from which to have a good race tomorrow.”

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Post by Ed » Mon Aug 24, 2009 9:26 am

Grand Prix of Europe – 23rd August 2009

Driver Position Time Gap Laps Chassis
K. Raikkonen 3rd 1:36.07.283 + 15.994 57 279
L. Badoer 17th 1:37.13.273 + 1 lap 56 280

Weather: air temperature 32/33 °C, track temperature 46/47 °C, sunny.

Fourth podium of the season for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, the third for Kimi Raikkonen. The second F60 in the race, that of Luca Badoer, came home in seventeenth place. With today’s six points, the Scuderia has consolidated its third place in the Constructors’ classification.

Stefano Domenicali: “Today we did the maximum with Kimi, who drove an amazing race to make it to the podium once again. He was very competitive throughout the race, pushing at the decisive moments, at the start and then when the opportunity arose to get ahead of Kovalainen. Luca managed to finish the race, thus completing this learning weekend, which served as an introduction course prior to tackling the Belgian weekend in the best way possible, next weekend. Clearly, considering our choices and those of other teams in terms of developing this year’s car, our aim of maintaining third place in the Constructors’ classification is becoming harder. For our part, we will give it our best shot, knowing that in some races we can expect to be more competitive than in others and we will have to be ready to exploit every opportunity that arises.”

Kimi Raikkonen: “I am happy about this result. Already on Friday we saw that the car was pretty competitive over a distance and we therefore thought we could fight for a podium finish. We were also aware that, in qualifying, we might have struggled, especially on light fuel. Both these predictions proved correct and today we were once again able to get on the podium. I managed to make up a few places at the start and my first aim was to pull out a bit of a gap over Rosberg, who was going to stop after me. In the second part of the race, I realized that I could close on Kovalainen and try and make the most of the run of pit stops to get ahead of him and I managed it. Now we go to Spa, a track that I like a lot: we must wait for Friday to see how competitive we can be. At this point in the season, if we manage to get everything right, then we can aim for the podium and if anything was to happen to those ahead of us, we can try and do even better. We must do all we can to hang on to third place in the Constructors’ championship.”

Luca Badoer: “I said when I arrived in Valencia that this Grand Prix would be a time for me to dust the rust off my back and get confident in the role of race driver again. It was important for me to complete so many kilometres without making any serious mistakes and I managed that. From the physical point of view, I feel fine and that is another cause for satisfaction. I got a good start, making up a few places but then I was hit by Grosjean and that dropped me back down again. I tried to run my own race, but it was not easy to maintain a consistent pace, especially when I had to let the leaders by. At the first pit stop, I made a mistake which cost me one place and then I was just a whisker over the white line and so I picked up a drive-through penalty. Now I am looking forward to Spa with confidence: it’s a track I know and I will also be able to count on the experience gained this weekend. Thanks to the whole team, who did everything they could to make me feel comfortable, without putting me under any pressure and to Michael, who was a great support throughout the weekend.”

Chris Dyer: “We are pleased with Kimi’s third place, which represents the most we could aspire to today. Driver, team, car: all these elements came together in the best possible way and the result confirms it. As for Luca, it was another difficult day in an equally difficult weekend. However, it should be stressed how much he improved, continuously day by day, lap after lap. We are confident that he will find himself in much better shape next weekend in Belgium.”

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Post by Ed » Sat Aug 29, 2009 10:29 am

Grand Prix of Belgium – 28th August 2009

Free practices First Session Second Session
Driver Pos. Time Laps Pos. Time Laps Chassis
K. Raikkonen 7th 1.52.930 16 3rd 1.47.285 26 279
L. Badoer 10th 1.55.068 20 20th 1.49.211 30 280

Weather
First session: air 19/16 °C, track 20/18 °C; overcast, occasional rain.
Second session: air 19/20 °C, track 26/29 °C; sunny.

Once again, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro ran their day on two fronts. On the one hand, there was Kimi Raikkonen setting the third fastest time of the day, on the other, Luca Badoer was again at the tail end of the field. “The results of free practice always have to be looked at with a pinch of salt, as we don’t know what programmes the other teams are running,” said Stefano Domenicali. “For our part, we can be satisfied with the performance of the F60, which showed itself to be competitive both in the dry and in the wet. Kimi was very quick and I think that he can be a major player this weekend. Furthermore, we have seen how close it is, with nineteen drivers all within just over one second of one another: clearly, all you need is to have around ten litres of fuel more or less on board to change the look of the time sheet. In twentieth place, Luca has made a step forward compared to Valencia, showing that what he needs most is to do more kilometres on track. This morning’s rain definitely did not help him, even if he was more competitive in these conditions than in the afternoon. We expect to see him continue to improve throughout the weekend.”

Luca Badoer: “In the wet this morning I was reasonably happy with my performance, even if I would have preferred to have run all the time in the dry, to increase my understanding of the car. In the afternoon, we made some modifications to the set-up, but I still haven’t managed to find the ideal settings for my driving style and so, I didn’t have the right feel for the car to attack all the corners. We still have a session available to us to work on the car tomorrow morning. My aim for qualifying is very simple: to make the cut at the end of Q1.”

Kimi Raikkonen: “I am pleased with the work we have done today and the overall feeling is a positive one. The car seems to be quick, even though we know it’s only Friday and therefore we cannot be entirely sure where we are compared to the others. We had a few technical problems, although they didn’t have a significant effect on the way we got through our planned programme for the day.”

Chris Dyer: “The changing weather conditions, typical of this Grand Prix, meant we were able to test for a long time in the rain and I have to say that both drivers reckoned they were pleased with the performance of their cars in the wet and were competitive compared to the others. In the afternoon, we had a few niggles with both cars (a failure in the hydraulic system meant Kimi couldn’t get back to the pits at the end of the second session) which did not really affect our programme. Kimi proved to be very quick: now we will analyse the data to decide in which direction we should go with the car in order to improve still further the performance of his F60. Luca continued to gain experience with the car and we hope he can also improve his performance bit by bit, as he gets more mileage under his belt.”

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Post by Ed » Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:12 am

Grand Prix of Belgium – 29th August 2009

Qualifying session
Session Driver Pos. Time Laps Driver Pos. Time Laps
Q1 RAI 10th 1.45.579 9 BAD 20th 1.46.957 11
Q2 RAI 9th 1.44.953 6
Q3 RAI 6th 1.46.633 6

Chassis: L. Badoer 280, K. Raikkonen 279

Weather: air temperature 16/19 °C, track temperature 20/25 °C, partially cloudy.

Qualifying did not live up to the expectations of Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, with one driver, Kimi Raikkonen on the third row and the other, Luca Badoer, on the last one. “One could certainly say the starting grid order is unexpected,” said Stefano Domenicali. “As we have already seen several times this season, the pecking order between the teams can change really suddenly from one race to the next. For our part, we would have liked to be a little bit higher up with Kimi, but all the same, we are in a position that will allow us to fight for a podium finish, especially when looking at the F60’s performance over a long run. As for Luca, once again we could see an improvement in his performance, but unfortunately, it was not enough to avoid him ending up last on the grid again.”

Luca Badoer: “I’m not happy, because this morning, at the end of free practice, I had hoped to make it through to Q2. Unfortunately, partly because of traffic and partly because of a few small problems, I didn’t manage to put together a perfect lap. I was counting on doing so on my final run, but there was the incident with Vettel which then led to me going off the track and that put an end to my qualifying. I have made another step forward in terms of performance, but it’s still not enough: for me the hardest thing is getting into a rhythm and finding the limits of the car. Unfortunately, there’s no opportunity to do the testing that would put that right. I am sure that tomorrow, I will perform better than I did in the Valencia race. I will try and do my best.”

Kimi Raikkonen: “Of course I would have preferred to have started from further up the grid, but I think we did our best today. We knew it would be hard to be at the front, but all the same, this is a good position, especially as the gaps between the front runners are pretty tight. With more fuel on board, the car handles better than on a light load and that was the case again in this qualifying session. Such an unusual grid makes it even harder to make any predictions for tomorrow and we will have to make the most of any opportunities that present themselves. The final outcome will depend a lot on the first two corners after the start. The fact the car handles differently at various sections of the track can be explained by the lack of aerodynamic downforce we have this season.”

Chris Dyer: “We are a bit disappointed because, after yesterday’s showing, we expected a better result. Sixth place for Kimi must be assessed in the light of the different fuel loads of all the cars in the top ten. We believe we have come up with a good strategy and, given the car’s performance over a long run, we expect that,yet again, we can fight for a place on the podium. As for Luca, everyone can see that, day by day, his performance level is improving: unfortunately, it is not yet at a sufficient level to see him through at least to Q2.”

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Post by Ed » Mon Aug 31, 2009 9:44 am

Grand Prix of Belgium – 30th August 2009

Driver Position Time Gap Laps Chassis
K. Raikkonen 1st 1:23.50.995 - 44 279
L. Badoer 14th 1:25.33.172 + 102.177 44 280

Weather: air temperature 20/17 °C, track temperature 26/24 °C, sunny.

First win of the season for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, courtesy of Kimi Raikkonen. This is the Finn’s eighteenth career victory, the fourth at this track. For Ferrari, it is win number 210 from 788 Grands Prix starts, the sixteenth at this race. Luca Badoer finished in fourteenth place.

Stefano Domenicali: “We are very happy with this win, which is a reward for all the hard work that the entire team has done during such a difficult and at the same time, dramatic season. I wish to dedicate it first and foremost to President Montezemolo, who celebrates his birthday tomorrow. I don’t think he could have asked for a better present. Thanks go to our partners, first and foremost Philip Morris and Shell, who have always stood shoulder to shoulder with us, as have our fans, with their unfailing support. A thought also goes to Felipe who kept in touch from Miami, where tomorrow he undergoes a medical check. Kimi drove an amazing race today: we knew the first lap would be decisive and so it proved. He drove impeccably all race long and the team was at its very best during the two pit stops. In the last four races, we have always got one driver onto the podium and we have picked up a fair haul of points at the highest level, even in unusual circumstances. Today, Luca did the best he could and this win also reflects his contribution within the team: now we will take a few days to evaluate his immediate future, also based on what Felipe’s recovery time might be. Now we look to Monza, our home race, where we will do all in our power to continue down this road, even if we know it will be very difficult.”

Kimi Raikkonen: “A great victory for me and the team. The champagne tastes the same wherever you are on the podium, but the feeling when you win is definitely different. This track has everything a driver could want and it’s a pleasure to drive here, however, there’s no particular secret to explain why I’ve won here four times. We wanted to win at least one race and we’ve done it. Our car was not the best in the pack, but we managed to put everything together and this result comes from all the work done with the team. I got away well, but Rubens was stuck in front of me and I had to avoid him. Then, at the first corner and at the end of the straight, I managed to move up to second. Behind the Safety Car, I thought mainly about keeping the tyres and brakes up to temperature to be able to attack Fisichella at the restart, and that’s how I managed to pass him quite easily. At the first pit stop, maybe it would have been better to stay with the softer tyre but that’s easy to say afterwards. In the final part, when it seemed I might not be able to fight off Giancarlo, I slightly changed the way I used the KERS so as to defend myself on the straight at Stavelot and so I managed to stay in front. Monza will be difficult, because our car is not particularly good over the kerbs, but we will try and do our best.”

Luca Badoer: “Today I did my best. Unfortunately, at the first corner after the start, I flat-spotted the front tyres and so I always had strong vibrations throughout the first stint. Once the tyres were changed, the situation improved, but the performance of the harder compound was not as good as the soft one. I have upped my performance level yet again and I really want to race at Monza, one of the tracks I know best, along with Fiorano and Mugello. I am very happy for Kimi and the team: this is a fantastic victory, which was just what we needed at this point in the season.”

Chris Dyer: “A fantastic result for the team and for Kimi. After qualifying, we knew that we could have a good race if we got a good start. Kimi was fantastic, both on the first lap and then at the restart after the race was neutralised and he managed to take the lead. Fisichella was always right behind him and congratulations also to him for his performance. He and Kimi always pitted together and our guys managed on both occasions to send our driver out on track ahead of his closest rival. In the middle stint, we used the harder tyre but, with hindsight, we might have done better to pick the softer one: not only could we not open the gap over Giancarlo but we then had Vettel closing us down. Fortunately, at the second stop, the positions remained unchanged and Kimi did a good job of managing the situation in the closing laps. Today, the F60 was not the best car, but the team work and the talent of the driver produced the win and that’s what counts.”

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Post by Ed » Sat Sep 12, 2009 10:50 am

Grand Prix of Italy – 11th September 2009
Free practices First Session Second Session
Driver Pos. Time Laps Pos. Time Laps Chassis
G. Fisichella 8th 1.24.732 24 20th 1.25.543 36 280
K. Raikkonen 10th 1.24.761 26 8th 1.24.796 39 279

Weather
First session: air 23/25 °C, track 30/35 °C; sunny.
Second session: air 28/29 °C, track 38 °C; sunny.

The results are difficult to interpret on this first day of free practice for the Italian Grand Prix, marked by Fisichella’s debut at the wheel of a Ferrari. “First of all, I want to welcome Giancarlo, who today was finally able to drive the F60, after eight days of theoretical work with the engineers,” said Stefano Domenicali. “Obviously, the team adopted a different approach to its work on the two cars: Kimi concentrated on race preparation, while Giancarlo worked on getting confident in the car. We completed a lot of kilometres which means we have plenty of data to analyse over the rest of the day. It’s hard to know where we are compared to the others: the gaps are very small and ten kilos of fuel more or less can translate into a significant step up the order.”

Kimi Raikkonen: “Overall, I’m reasonably pleased with the way things went in these three hours of free practice and the initial impressions are good. There is still room to improve the handling of the car, which we hope to do in tomorrow morning’s free practice. The new kerbs don’t allow you to cut them with impunity, which is not a bad thing given the difficulty we have experienced in this area in the past. Our pace on a long run isn’t bad and we will do our best to fight for a place on the podium. As for the tyres, the softer compound is definitely quicker, but it’s also quite consistent in terms of performance.”

Giancarlo Fisichella: “I feel satisfied with this first day, which was particularly tough from a driving point of view. The major difficulties are in adapting to the different positions of the buttons and gaining confidence with the KERS. This morning, braking heavily at Ascari, I flatspotted the left front tyre and that meant I had to fit the softer tyres earlier than planned: I felt more confident with those and I managed to drive at a strong pace. In both sessions, we didn’t go looking for performance and I had a lot of fuel on board. The potential is there to get onto the front few rows, but I need a bit more time to improve, especially in terms of braking and cutting the kerbs.”

Chris Dyer: “We can be satisfied with the result of the work we did with both drivers today. We completed our programme without any problems, concentrating on finding the best set-up on the car. We are pleased with the performance over a long run and, naturally, tomorrow morning, we will work on performance over the first lap, to prepare for qualifying. Giancarlo tackled the day’s work without experiencing any difficulty and we are not worried about his lap time, because the fundamental thing is for him to get experience in the car and with the use of KERS.”

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Post by Ed » Sun Sep 13, 2009 1:45 am

Grand Prix of Italy – 12th September 2009

Qualifying session
Session Driver Pos. Time Laps Driver Pos. Time Laps
Q1 RAI 1st 1.23.349 11 FIS 12th 1.23.828 15
Q2 RAI 7th 1.23.426 9 FIS 14th 1.23.901 9
Q3 RAI 3rd 1.24.523 8

Chassis: G. Fisichella 280, K. Raikkonen 279

Weather: air temperature 27 °C, track temperature 38 °C, partially cloudy.

One Ferrari on the second row and the other on the seventh: that was the outcome of qualifying for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, with Kimi Raikkonen starting from third place and Giancarlo Fisichella from fourteenth. “Given how the day started, we can be reasonably happy with how things turned out,” said Stefano Domenicali. “I am very happy for Kimi, who produced an amazing performance. Giancarlo did the best he could given the circumstances: he was unable to prepare for qualifying as well as possible during FP3, which was a significant handicap on his Ferrari debut.
Tomorrow’s race will be tough and difficult, fighting against very strong opposition, which now includes Force India, hardly a surprise any more. The choice of strategies could be different from one driver to the next, so it will be vital to fully exploit every opportunity. Our aim is to pick up as many points as possible to consolidate our third place in the Constructors’ classification, but it would be very nice to produce a crowd pleasing result in front of all our fans at this our home race.”

Giancarlo Fisichella: “Overall, I am reasonably happy, even if I’m aware that a fourteenth place on the grid is not up to the Ferrari standard. Yesterday, I drove the F60 for the first time and this morning, because of a mistake by me, I lost valuable time to prepare for qualifying, as I crashed into the barriers. I want to thank all the mechanics who did a fantastic job of rebuilding the car for qualifying. I was a bit tense before the session, as I knew I didn’t yet have enough confidence in the car. Unfortunately, in Q2, I never managed to put together a perfect lap and so I couldn’t make it through to Q3. It’s a shame, as the potential was there, but tomorrow there is still time to have a good race nevertheless. Maybe, I can try and immediately make up some places at the start thanks to the KERS.”

Kimi Raikkonen: “That was one of my best qualifying sessions of the year and we hope that tomorrow things can go even better. I am pleased with this result, for the team and for our fans. The car is not yet perfect, but it’s good all the same. We knew the hardest task would come in Q2 as after that, the car is always very competitive with a race fuel load on board: all the same, it was a pleasant surprise to see how it handled in the final part. I am confident for tomorrow: at the start it won’t be as easy to make up a lot of places as it was at Spa, because there are other cars fitted with KERS near me, but if everything goes well, we can fight for a place on the podium.”

Chris Dyer: “First of all, I want to compliment Giancarlo. After this morning’s accident, the task facing him in qualifying was not an easy one and managing to take fourteenth place despite this is a good way to start his career with Ferrari. Compliments also go to all the mechanics who did a great job of repairing the car in a very short space of time. Kimi had a great qualifying, especially in Q3. Possibly, other drivers behind him have more fuel and that means we will try and make the most of the first stages of the race to make up ground. Yesterday, we saw that we have a good race pace and I think we can fight for a place on the podium.”

Ed
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Post by Ed » Mon Sep 14, 2009 9:39 am

Grand Prix of Italy – 13th September 2009

Driver Position Time Gap Laps Chassis
K. Raikkonen 3rd 1:16.52.370 + 30.664 53 279
G. Fisichella 9th 1:17.48.562 + 86.856 53 280

Weather: air temperature 26/27 °C, track temperature 36 °C, sunny.

Another podium finish, the fifth consecutively for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, with a third place for Kimi Raikkonen, who has now been in the top three for four races in a row. Making his debut at the wheel of a Ferrari, Giancarlo Fisichella finished ninth. With four races to go to the end of the season, the Scuderia has consolidated its third place in the Constructors’ classification, now having a 15 point lead over its closest pursuer.

Stefano Domenicali: “A podium again, the fifth in a row, this time courtesy of a hefty dose of luck, which maybe hasn’t always been with us at other times. Once again, in this second half of the season, Kimi drove a fantastic race – in fact I’d say he was fantastic all weekend. He did not make any mistakes, giving his all and, along with the team, was able to get the best out of the car. Giancarlo had a good race, just missing out on a points finish: his weekend built up and up and I am sure that, as from the next race, he will be able to give the team what it needs in terms of points. Today, we were not quick enough, but we still managed to get one driver to the podium, a result which is good for morale and I believe, pleased all our fans. The European part of the season is over and there are still four races to go to try and finish this unusual season in the best way possible.”

Giancarlo Fisichella: “I am happy with the way things went in my first race weekend with Ferrari. At the start, I managed to make up a few places, then I had a difficult moment with Vettel, who closed the door on me going into Ascari in a way that was, let’s say, very decisive. In the first part of the race, I felt comfortable on the softer tyre, while I struggled a bit more on the harder one, especially after the pit stop. It’s a shame I only just missed out on a points finish, but this afternoon, I did the best I could. I am upset that I went off the track in FP3, which prevented me from being as well prepared as possible for qualifying: starting a bit further forward might have seen me finish in the top eight. Right from tomorrow morning, I will be concentrating totally on preparing for the race in Singapore, a track that I like a lot.”

Kimi Raikkonen: “I am happy to have made it to the podium once again, even if this time I needed a heavy dose of luck. It’s a nice result, for the championship, for us and for our fans here at Monza. I got a great start and I almost managed to also get past Hamilton, but even if I’d managed it, the result would have been the same in the end. I’m disappointed I couldn’t fight for the win, but we did not have enough speed. All in all, the strategy we chose prior to the race was the best one for us. In my battle with Sutil, I was never really in difficulty: I knew I only had to avoid making any mistakes and drive in such a way as to get the best out of the car. The tyres? The softer ones suited us better, as we struggled a bit on the harder ones, especially at the start of the stint. In the upcoming races, we will try and do our best: maybe in some of them we could even try and fight for the win.”

Chris Dyer: “We were expecting a bit more in terms of performance, but we are pleased with yet another podium finish from Raikkonen, even if it owed something to luck. Kimi again drove an impeccable race, as he has always done in this part of the season. Giancarlo ended up just outside the points, but this was nevertheless a positive weekend for him and we are confident that he is capable of making an important contribution to the team in the final part of the season. We went for a two stop strategy for Kimi and it was the right decision, given the pace we had. Also in terms of our tyre useage, we feel we made the best choice: our car struggled more than others to get the best out of the harder compound, especially in the first few laps.”

Ed
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Post by Ed » Sat Sep 26, 2009 9:55 am

Grand Prix of Singapore
Free practices
First Session Second Session Driver Pos. Time Laps Pos. Time Laps Chassis
K. Raikkonen 9th 1.50.865 19 14th 1.49.941 29 279
G. Fisichella 17th 1.52.390 24 16th 1.50.253 31 280

Weather
First session: air 32 °C, track 37/35 °C; covered skies.
Second session: air 31 °C, track 34/33 °C; covered skies.

Rather a difficult first day of practice for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro: at the end of FP2, Kimi Raikkonen was fourteenth and Giancarlo Fisichella was sixteenth. “Clearly, when evaluating today’s free practice times, one has to consider the various unknown factors, but it is equally clear that our situation looks pretty difficult,” said Stefano Domenicali. “Besides, if so many other teams continue to bring significant technical updates to the track, while for the past two months we have frozen the development of the F60, then we can expect to find ourselves in this situation. All the same, we must now concentrate on ourselves and try and make the most of the package we have, as indeed we have done in the past few races: if we do a good job, we have seen that the results can follow.”

Giancarlo Fisichella: “It was a rather difficult day. The car is very nervous and I have yet to find the ideal set-up. Now, I must sit down with the team to try and prepare as well as possible for qualifying and the race. My aim is to improve on my result from Monza, but I know that won’t be easy. The track was very slippery and sometimes I had a bit of graining on the tyres. Unfortunately, I never managed to do a long run with the soft tyres, because of the red flags following Webber’s accident: this compound is definitely quicker by three to four tenths, but there is a question mark over the consistency of its performance.”

Kimi Raikkonen: “It was a Friday like any other. We had a number of little problems with the car, but overall, we were able to get through the programme we had set ourselves. As for the times, there is always a question mark over the various fuel loads: we will see tomorrow what we can do in qualifying. Today is too soon to say if we can be in a position to fight for a podium finish as we have done in recent races. The softer tyres degrade more quickly, at least from what we could see today. It’s hardly surprising and usually, bit by bit, as the track rubbers in, the situation improves.”

Chris Dyer: “Today’s performance was definitely nothing to get excited about. The interruption to the session complicated the running of our planned programme, but overall we have gathered sufficient data to be as well prepared as possible for qualifying and the race. Tomorrow, our aim is to get both cars through to Q3: it won’t be easy, but we will do our best. Both types of tyre showed some signs of degradation today, which makes the choice for the race even harder. From what we have seen, I also expect to see different tyre strategies employed in qualifying.”

Ed
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Post by Ed » Sun Sep 27, 2009 5:16 am

Grand Prix of Singapore – 26th September 2009

Qualifying session
Session Driver Pos. Time Laps Driver Pos. Time Laps
Q1 RAI 3rd 1.47.293 8 FIS 18th 1.48.350 11
Q2 RAI 13th 1.47.177 6
Q3

Chassis: G. Fisichella 280, K. Raikkonen 279

Weather: air temperature 31/29 °C, track temperature 32/30 °C.

A disappointing qualifying for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro at the Singapore Grand Prix, where tomorrow, Kimi Raikkonen will start from thirteenth place and Giancarlo Fisichella from eighteenth. “Our target today was to get at least one car through to Q3 and the other to Q2, but we did not succeed and we have to accept that our package just wasn’t quick enough in this qualifying session,” said Stefano Domenicali. “Furthermore, if so many of our competitors continue to develop their cars, while we stopped doing so with ours several weeks ago, then the more time goes by, the more we will find ourselves in an ever more difficult situation. However, what really matters is the race result, where reliability is always the key factor, especially in a race that looks like being very tough and where all sorts of things could happen. Clearly, we will be trying to fight our way towards the front, which means it will be difficult to reach our minimum target of finishing in the top eight.”

Giancarlo Fisichella: “Obviously, I am disappointed with this result. I really wanted to do well, but I still haven’t managed to find the right level of confidence in this car: it’s almost as if it is driving me rather than the other way round. Especially on such a difficult track, I don’t have the confidence to go right to the limit. Naturally starting from eighteenth place means I can expect a very difficult race. I will try and make up some places at the start and then make the most of the race pace. Getting into the points would be the maximum, but even that will be a very tough target to reach.”

Kimi Raikkonen: “Unfortunately, today we were just not quick enough to get into Q3 and there was not much we could do about it. It’s logical that, as other cars improve, race after race, we pay a higher price for our decision to stop developing the F60. Tomorrow, we can expect a tough race as it is very difficult to overtake here, so getting into the points will be very difficult. It’s true that anything can happen on a track like this and we will have to do our best to make the most of every opportunity, maybe getting some help through a good start as we have usually managed in the last few races. As for the tyres, I think that tomorrow, there could be a problem with wear on the softer tyre, even if the situation could improve during the race.”

Chris Dyer: “A really difficult qualifying for us, even more so than we expected. We knew it would be tough, but we felt we could have made it through to the final part of the session. But honestly, today we did not have the performance to do that. Kimi did two good laps in Q2, but it was not enough. Tomorrow’s race will be very long, so let’s hope we can make up some places at the start and then try and get into the points.”

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