Belgian GP Ferrari news & quotes

[Rob]

Yeeees it been long wait, cannt wait for this weekend or Friday, have got the day off to catch all FFP live. WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!:-D:clap

Going to Spa to keep the momentum 8.24.2010

Twenty six days after the Hungarian Grand Prix, the sound of Formula 1 engines will be heard once again this Friday, echoing around the Ardennes, as the World Championship resumes after its summer break, with round 13, the Belgian Grand Prix. This year’s event will be its fifty fifth running, the forty third at Spa Francorchamps, with the first Grand Prix dating back to the start of the Formula 1 World Championship in 1950. Scuderia Ferrari has won here sixteen times and even if the sport moves so quickly that past form is not really a pointer to what might happen this year, the Prancing Horse can face the weekend with confidence, arriving in Belgium on the back of a hat-trick of Spa wins, courtesy of Kimi Raikkonen in 2007 and ’09 and Felipe Massa in 2008. The Brazilian also finished second in 2007, one place ahead of Fernando Alonso, for whom this was his best finish here.

Although the cars that Felipe and Fernando will use this weekend have not turned a wheel in over three weeks, the F10 will nevertheless feature some changes on the technical front, apart from generally running in a lower downforce configuration to that last seen in Budapest: Friday’s free practice session will be the time for the Scuderia to evaluate some new aerodynamic parts, with the most significant change being an update to the diffuser. As usual, in this era of the testing ban, it will be the data from Friday’s track time which will decide whether or not the team will use some or all of the new elements for qualifying and the race. Naturally, the aim of these latest developments on the car is to continue the positive performance demonstrated by the Scuderia in the races leading up to the summer break. However, with both championships, Drivers and Constructors, so closely balanced, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro’s rivals will also be working hard and the effect of the latest batch of technical changes on the hierarchy in the pack will not be clear, at least until after Friday’s free practice sessions. The official Formula 1 break ended for Ferrari last Sunday at midnight and all members of the Gestione Sportiva have been back at work since Monday, preparing for the resumption of hostilities in Spa. The only concession to the longer than usual gap between the last race and this one is that the bulk of the team, who would normally have arrived at the race track on Thursday morning, will actually arrive in the Spa area on Wednesday afternoon. This will allow them to make an earlier start in the garage the following day, given that apart from the usual pre-race preparation, there are new parts to be fitted and there was not much time available back in Maranello, in between the return to work on Monday and the cars’ departure for Belgium on Tuesday evening.

The fast and flowing nature of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit should suit the characteristics of the F10, although as usual at this circuit there is always a question mark about the weather: indeed “fast and flowing” is a phrase that can often be attributed to the water running across the track surface! This key element to the Belgian weekend is further complicated by the fact that, at 7.004 kilometres, the track is the longest on the calendar and, as it rises and falls through the forests, it is not uncommon for rain to fall on one part while being completely dry on another. The length of the track also affects the work schedule for the teams, given that one lap takes around 1m 46s to complete, which drastically reduces the number of laps that can be completed in a session, meaning less opportunities to change components or make adjustments to the set-up. This year’s layout at the Bahrain GP was also very long, but in the desert, at least one could rely on perfectly dry conditions, whereas in Belgium, the chance of rain making the lap even longer is an ever-present threat. Currently the forecasters are predicting a chance of showers on Sunday afternoon.

Sunday’s race will be a special occasion for a couple of former Ferrari drivers: for Michael Schumacher this weekend will mark the nineteenth anniversary of his Formula 1 debut in the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix. It will also be a landmark race for Rubens Barrichello, Michael’s former team-mate in the Prancing Horse squad and indeed the two men hold the record for the highest number (24) of one-two finishes for a driver pairing. “In Spa, Rubens celebrates his three hundredth Grand Prix participation, which is a remarkable achievement,” commented Team Principal, Stefano Domenicali. “On behalf of everyone at Ferrari, I congratulate him and wish him all the best, as he was part of our team when it was living through a great period in its history and he made a very significant contribution to our success at that time.” That contribution can clearly be seen from the statistics: during his time at Ferrari, Barrichello drove in 104 Grands Prix, winning 9 of them. He started from pole 11 times, finishing on the podium 55 times, with 71 points finishes to his name, as well as setting 15 fastest race laps and scoring a total of 412 points. He twice finished second in the Drivers’ World Championship, in 2002 and 2004.

[Rob]

I can’t think of a better place to start again than at Spa”August 24, 2010 · Posted by Felipe Massa

I am preparing to leave Sao Paolo to return to Europe for this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, having spent all my free time since the Hungarian Grand Prix at home here in Brazil. Usually, when you go on holiday it involves some sort of journey, but with all the travelling involved in my job, for me the ideal holiday is being at home and not having to see an airport, sit on a plane or stay in a hotel. Therefore, staying at home with my family was the ideal break for me, catching up with everything going on here and meeting up with old friends. During the year, when I get the chance to stay in Brazil for a while, I admit that I miss my home country for a while after I leave, but knowing that I am returning to racing again is all the incentive I need to get on the plane back to Monaco.

It’s winter time now in Brazil, but to put that in perspective, the daytime temperature is still around 23 or 24 degrees, so nothing to complain about! Apart from keeping up my fitness training, I really managed to switch off for a while doing very little, although last weekend, I was at the Interlagos circuit that hosts the Brazilian Grand Prix later this year: my family organises a racing event so it was good to hear the sound of racing engines again. We run three different race categories here, in conjunction with FIAT. One is an open-wheeler category, similar to Formula 2, called Formula Future, which as the name suggests is aimed at finding young racing talent from the next generation. It is an important step for racing here, as for many years there was no “school” class with single-seater cars, which is why we wanted to do something for motor sport in Brazil. There is a category for Touring Cars also, using the FIAT Linea and finally there is a 600cc motorcycle class. It was the third round of the season and it was fun to be at a racetrack without all the pressure of racing myself.

Although it was a very quiet holiday, I am fully prepared for this weekend in Spa, as I kept in touch with the engineers, even though they were not working in the factory. We look in good shape, with some new parts coming as part of our constant development programme on the F10. The last time I raced here was in 2008 and it’s not just because I won the race that I love this track. I think all the drivers look forward to racing on this fabulous circuit. It is high speed, requiring less downforce than at many of the other tracks and fortunately, in the last few races, we showed that we have returned to being very competitive, even better than we had expected. But it is very hard to predict what could happen, as the small differences between the top teams means that performance has been very much track specific in terms of who had the slight advantage over the rest. As usual we need to wait and see how free practice goes before knowing what to expect.

There are only seven races left to go and I think that for the spectators and viewers at least, it should be a really exciting final part of the year, even if it might be a bit more tense for those of competing. But myself and Ferrari have been in this sort of situation before and we know how to deal with the pressure, by concentrating on the job in hand. Now we must build on the way we ended up just before the break, being competitive and putting ourselves back in the fight. I am definitely really motivated to get back in the cockpit because, even if I enjoyed the short holiday, I have to say I missed driving my race car and I can’t think of a better place to start again than at Spa. Even if it rains – and when didn’t we see water at Spa? – this is still a very enjoyable track to drive and actually it can be good fun in the wet. We just have to make sure we are ready to make the most of whatever the weekend throws at us.

www.ferrari.com

[vcs316]

The Belgian campaign is underway

Maranello, 25 August – The Belgian Grand Prix, the thirteenth round of the 2010 World Championship, effectively got underway yesterday, as the transporters containing the two F10s that will be used by Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso set off from Maranello. The bulk of the team will leave Italy this afternoon at five, when the charter, regularly used for European race travel, will take off for Liege.

Late yesterday afternoon, Luca di Montezemolo met Stefano Domenicali and other senior engineers from the Gestione Sportiva to get an update as work resumed after the short August break. Montezemolo was shown the latest technical updates, especially on the aero side, which will be fitted to the F10 from Friday morning. He was also given an overview of the development plan for the upcoming races, starting with the unique requirements of Monza, the Scuderia’s home race. At the same time, the President was brought up to speed regarding design work on the 2011 car.

After this, Montezemolo left for Abu Dhabi where today he meets with partners from the Emirates, such as Mubadala and Etihad, as well as calling in at Ferrari World, where work is well under way for the opening of the first ever park themed around the Maranello company.

[vcs316]

I really want to get back on track - Alonso's blog

The holidays that ended today, just before leaving for Belgium, have been very relaxing. Immediately after the Hungarian Grand Prix, I was in Maranello to work on the simulator and with my engineers, from where I headed for home, via a stop off at Madonna di Campiglio for a presentation of the book about twenty years of the Wrooom event. In the days that followed, I split my time between Switzerland and Spain, trying to avoid any long journeys: we can expect the final part of the season to be quite stressful and I wasn’t keen on the idea of seeing even more hotels and airports.

In fact, the means of transport I used most was the bicycle. Apart from the usual training, I had some fun doing a “mini Vuelta” in the area around Oviedo: along with my best friends, we tackled five stages and it was great fun. Three weeks is more than enough time to unwind, at least after the first few days. I made the most of it to recharge the batteries in preparation for the final part of the season, which I think was the same for everyone: it was much needed, after a particularly hectic month of July.

Now, I really want to get back on track, but in a positive sense, without any feeling of anxiety, but in a very calm way. I am happy that the return to racing means going to two particularly special venues which host the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix. The Belgian track is possibly the most appealing of the entire season, while Monza will be something special for me, given that it will be my race debut as a Ferrari driver in front of the Italian crowd, in addition to the circuit itself having played such an important role in the history of motor sport.

I have a good feeling following on from the positive results obtained in Germany and Hungary. As the saying goes, we have to keep the momentum and that should be our aim in Spa, to ensure we carry on the way we started just before the holidays. The Hockenheim and Budapest results were important not just in terms of the classification in both championships, but also for the confidence it has given us. We have to keep pushing on this way.

[Rob]

Belgian GP - Massa: “pushing hard without giving up”8.26.2010

Spa-Francorchamps, 26 August – After jokingly apologising to the journalists that he had nothing exciting to tell them about his holiday, as he spent it quietly at home with the family, it was soon business as usual, when Felipe Massa faced the media in a rather damp Spa paddock, for the first time since Sunday in Budapest. And the first question was blunt and to the point: with seven races to go, had he met the targets he had set himself at the beginning of the year? “No, I have not met the goals I set myself at the start of the season,” was the Brazilian’s honest reply. “Only if you are leading the championship can you say yes. If that had been the case, we could say we need to carry on the same way for the remaining races. But we are not leading either championship, Drivers’ or Constructors’ although we are still pushing hard without giving up at all.

Red Bull has been the strongest team so far at every race, winning more races and taking more poles. McLaren has also done a good job, especially in the first half of the season and we are in a situation where it is much easier for us to fight McLaren than Red Bull. Anyway, we are doing everything we can to keep on fighting everyone on track and improving the car, trying to beat all the other cars on track. That has to be our goal for the rest of the season.” As to the impossible question regarding the Scuderia’s chances of winning the Constructors’ title, Felipe had this to say: “Until you still have a chance mathematically, winning the championship is still a possibility.

In practical terms, we have to continue developing the car, especially trying to make it quicker in Qualifying, which is so important for the rest of the weekend.” And a final word on prospects for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix. “I love this track very much, as do all the drivers I think,” said Felipe. “I am aiming to have a good weekend and a great race, but so many things can happen here, much of it linked to the weather as there is always a chance of rain creating some unusual situation. I hope the modifications we have brought to the car for here, especially the revised diffuser, will bring us some increased downforce.”

[Rob]

Belgian GP - Alonso: “a race on track, a race at the factory”8.26.2010

Spa-Francorchamps, 26 August – There was a back-to-school atmosphere in the Spa paddock today, as everyone discussed what they had done during the break, but it did not take long for the old routine to resume, starting with Fernando Alonso’s traditional meeting with the media. And the first question went straight to the heart of the matter, could Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro’s Spanish driver win the World Championship? “I think we improved the car over the last three grands prix, which means we now have a very competitive package,” began the man from Oviedo. “However, we know it will be a very tough competition and that Red Bull will be strong everywhere and McLaren will be strong at certain circuits like this one and Monza. But I think we have the speed to fight for the world championship and as for this weekend, it is nice to know Ferrari has enjoyed great success at this circuit. Therefore there is no reason to be pessimistic, in fact it should be the opposite: we need to be very focussed, believe in ourselves and trust in the work we are doing. Then, hopefully we can continue down the line we saw in Hungary and Hockenheim.”

Apart from optimism and a good track record for the Scuderia here, Fernando explained the changes made to the F10 cars. “We have new aerodynamic improvements on the car, even if with the August break, the factory was not working, but we have these here and more coming for future races.” Asked to evaluate in numbers his chances of being World Champion driver this year, Fernando answered immediately: “Fifty percent. It can go either way. There is a chance that if we do better than the others in these seven remaining races, we win the championship, but if someone does better than us, they will take the title, because we are starting again almost from zero now, with a very small difference between the top drivers. We are basically starting a mini seven week championship. Of course, luck will be a factor, as you always need to be lucky. For example, it could rain for this race and then you need to make the right choice in terms of the decisions you make and when you make them. After that, you also need to bring the most developments to the car, which means that apart from the race on the track there is a race at the factory to make improvements on the car quicker than the other teams.”

Alonso still tipped Red Bull to be favourites this weekend. “I don’t see how they would lose a one second advantage since Hungary, but this race and in fact the next one at Monza, requires special low downforce with small wings for less drag and it will be interesting to see who makes the best job of running this configuration.”

www.ferrari.com

[vcs316]

Belgian GP - Wet start

Spa-Francorchamps, 27 August – The first free practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix has just ended at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, which is hosting the thirteenth round of the Formula 1 World Championship. The session was held in the rain, which looks like playing a significant role throughout the weekend. Fernando Alonso set the quickest time in his Ferrari, in 2.00.797, ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren (2.01.567) and the Renault of Robert Kubica (2.02.081.) In the other F10, Felipe Massa was eleventh, completing 17 laps, the best in 2.03.601.

The terrible track conditions seriously affected the team’s Friday work schedule, with only a small amount of data gathered regarding the car’s handling in the wet, while the drivers also did some practice starts at the end of the session.

The second session gets underway today at 14.00.

[vcs316]

Belgium Friday quotes: Ferrari

Fernando Alonso, 1st & 1st: The impression one gets on Friday does not always get confirmed on Saturday and Sunday, therefore we have to evaluate today's results with a lot of care. Having said that, it has definitely been a positive day, because the car seems to respond well in all track conditions that we encountered today. The times count for little, or nothing at all, because when the track changes so quickly, times can improve or get worse by two or three seconds depending on the moment when you are out on the circuit.

I think the weather will play a key part, both tomorrow and on Sunday: anything could happen. We tried to test all the new components we have here. If the track was to be dry tomorrow, then we must try and improve our set-up, because obviously it is not yet at its best for these conditions, given that we only had a few minutes to test on slick tyres. In fact, I felt the car was a bit nervous, while in the wet it was easier to drive. When thinking about going for pole position, first of all we will have to see what the weather is doing: for sure if it was to rain we will go out immediately because you always learn from bad experiences.

Felipe Massa, 11th & 5th : I am very happy to be back racing at this track, having been forced to miss it last year: I love driving here. From what we could understand on a day like this, the car seems reasonably competitive and that was particularly true on the rain tyres. However, it is only Friday, so we will have to wait to see how the Red Bulls go, given that so far they have proved to be the quickest cars, as demonstrated in qualifying. We had so many things to test today, which explains a few slow laps this afternoon. On the intermediate tyres I immediately had good grip, but even on slicks the situation was not that bad. On the final lap, the only one on the soft tyres, I made a mistake, but the car felt good: obviously there is room for improvement and that is what we will try and achieve tomorrow.

Chris Dyer: It was quite a complicated day because the weather evolved continuously. On top of that came the red flag in the final part, which considerably reduced the amount of time we could run in the dry. Both drivers were reasonably pleased with the handling of the F10 in the differing conditions encountered today, which is definitely positive. We had various new components to test, but clearly with track conditions changing all the time it is harder to make a correct assessment: we will have to study the available data carefully in order to draw the right conclusions. The forecast is predicting the chance of rain for both qualifying and the race: we will have to think calmly about whether to go for a set-up that veers more towards a wet track or if it is better to opt for a more dry oriented configuration.

[vcs316]

Domenicali: “Difficult to evaluate the situation”

"Given the way things went in both sessions it is really difficult to give a correct evaluation of the situation, that is the main reason that one must be very cautious in terms of drawing any conclusions from the two sessions. From the little that was possible to understand, there are some teams that seem more competitive than previously, which could create some surprises in the first five rows of the grid.

We tried to work through all our planned programme, which included evaluating some new aerodynamic components. Looking to the rest of the weekend, we can say that, as ever at this track, uncertainty over the weather could play a significant role. Finally, I take this opportunity to add, on behalf of the entire Scuderia, our congratulations to those of President Montezemolo, to our former driver, Rubens Barrichello on the occasion of his three hundredth Grand Prix participation, which is a truly significant and important milestone.”

[vcs316]

Belgian GP - Spa sticks with tradition

Spa-Francorchamps, 27 August - The Spa-Francorchamps circuit wasted no time in keeping up with tradition, serving up rain of the light and heavy variety, even a thunderstorm early in the morning and moments of hot weather with sunny skies. In practical terms for the twenty four drivers tackling the first three hours of free practice for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, this meant they had the unusual opportunity of using every one of the four types of tyre – two slick and two rain – that Bridgestone has brought to the track in the one day. The heaviest rain fell throughout the morning, while by the time the afternoon session got underway at two o’clock, the track was beginning to dry, so that towards the end, the slicks made their first appearance of the weekend. But not for long, as the Race Director red flagged the session in the last quarter of an hour, as some spectators had been spotted standing in a dangerous position.

With conditions changing by the minute, the order on the time sheets had even less significance than usual on a Friday, but nevertheless it was encouraging to see Fernando Alonso top the classification in both sessions and Felipe Massa in the other F10 post the fifth quickest time in the afternoon. With the chance of more rain over the next two days, today’s experience is certainly not wasted and the dry running meant that at least the drivers could save their extreme wet tyres for later in the weekend, as the rules state that each driver can only use three sets of these tyres during the entire three days of the race meeting.

In common with the majority of the field, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro would probably appreciate some dry running in tomorrow’s final hour of free practice, to fine tune the set-up of the cars and have a final look at dry tyre wear. Second fastest today was Adrian Sutil in the Force India, the team that sprung such a surprise here last year, when Ferrari’s current third driver, Giancarlo Fisichella finished in second place, behind Kimi Raikkonen who, on that day, secured his last victory with the Maranello team. In third place today was Lewis Hamilton for McLaren, ahead of Robert Kubica, while completing the top six behind Felipe was Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull.

[vcs316]

Ferrari hopes flexi-wing row over

Ferrari technical director Aldo Costa hopes the tougher stance taken by the FIA over moveable bodywork brings an end to the ongoing controversy about flexible wings in Formula 1 - as he reiterated has never done anything to try and get around the regulations.

In the wake of complaints from a number of teams - especially McLaren and Mercedes GP – that Ferrari and Red Bull Racing could have been illegally using flexi front wings, the FIA has introduced a series of new tests for this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix and for Monza in a fortnight's time.

In an exclusive interview with AUTOSPORT at Spa, Costa said he was hopeful the new tests would end the grumblings from rival outfits – although conceded that much would depend on the attitude of those unhappy about the matter.

When asked if he thought the Monza tests would silence the issue once and for all, Costa said: "I don't know. I don't know what these teams have in mind. If they decide to concentrate on their own car, rather than keep looking around, then yes it will be finished. That is all I can say.

"We are speaking with the FIA, we can show them any evidence they want, we are making available any data or telemetry to help them understand how we operate with the car. There are no secrets.

"The front of the floor is bottoming and there is an FIA load to check on flexing – you can have a maximum deflection of 5mm within 200kg. In the more recent races, when we have done the test our floor has, with 200kg, had just a 2-3 mm deflection. So there is nothing strange there. We are well within the margins."

Costa says there is a straightforward explanation for why his team's front wings run closer to the ground than some other teams – and actually thinks it more astonishing that rival outfits are not operating their cars in such a way.

When asked if he had been surprised by the reaction from McLaren and Mercedes, Costa said: "Yes. We have been very, very surprised because the front wing, in our case, is designed for minimum weight. As always when we design wings, like when we design other elements of the car, there are FIA requirements and you need to respect these requirements. Then you design the component for the minimum weight possible for that requirement – which we did.

"So I am very surprised hearing that there are wings that are probably much stiffer than the FIA requirement. This means that they are very conservative in their approach, which is not our business. Really we do not understand this behaviour.

"Also in terms of the front wing height, the wing runs so low because it is a choice of our static pitch position, of our front suspension stiffness, of our suspension geometry and characteristic – and that means we can obtain that height. So we do not understand what they are complaining about."

He added: "I don't know why, but it seems that there are a couple of teams who are developing their aero characteristics in a different region in terms of settings and set-up. We would never run the car as Mercedes and McLaren run theirs – our car would not be good to run so high at the front and so low at the rear."

Costa believes that McLaren and Mercedes could easily run their front wings closer to the ground if they wanted, through changing their set-up.

"In my opinion, they are running, through their choice, not as stiff as we are running," he said. "They are not running as low as we are running. They are running much more horizontal with their set-up, more flat, so they have an aerodynamic characteristic of their car which is completely different. Or, they are bottoming much less – and they have a problem if they bottom in certain conditions.

"I think it is down generally to the characteristics of the car – or they are using it as an excuse. As I see it, the reality is that Ferrari has increased its performance by more than one second in the last five races. We have brought a huge amount of development.

"The exhaust system (blown diffuser) has been working very well. And, as well, we have done a nice development on the rear blown wing and other bodywork parts – and the car is improving every race. It was down to a genuine performance development, and nothing related to this business."

Red Bull's RB6 passed the new FIA front wing deflection test at Spa on Friday night, and Ferrari is expected to be subject to an examination at some point over the weekend.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/86174

[vcs316]

Ferrari using same front wing as in Hungary

Ferrari's front wing design has not yet been tested by the FIA at Spa-Francorchamps.

On Friday, the governing body - having introduced a more stringent flexibility test for the Belgian event - declared legal the wings on the McLaren as well as Red Bull's controversial RB6.

But alongside the Red Bull accusations, there have also been suggestions the Ferrari wing has been bending too much towards the ground at recent grands prix.

"On our part we have not changed anything, we have the same parts (wings) as in Hungary," Fernando Alonso is quoted by the Italian press.

It is understood that the FIA is planning to test the Ferrari wing at some point on Saturday or Sunday.

At the wheel of the F10, Alonso was quickest in both of Friday's practice sessions.

"It was definitely a positive day because the car seemed to respond well in all track conditions we encountered," said the Spaniard.

http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=384014

[vcs316]

Belgian GP - More rain at Spa

Spa-Francorchamps, 28 August - After yesterday’s stormy weather, there was a slight improvement in the weather today, which saw all the cars take to the track in dry conditions for the third free practice session of the Belgian Grand Prix, thirteenth round of the championship. But the rain returned for the final twenty minutes, which saw nearly all the drivers stay in the pits, avoiding taking any unnecessary risks in the wet. Topping the time sheet at the end of the unpredictable session was Mark Webber in the Red Bull (1.46.106,) followed by the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton (1.46.223) and Sebastian Vettel in the other Red Bull (1.46.396.)

Only eleven laps for Fernando Alonso who was sixth quickest in 1.46.627 and ten for team-mate Felipe Massa, right behind him in seventh place in 1.46.962.

Both Ferrari men did two runs on slicks, the first on the hard tyres and the second on the soft. Now, there are a couple of hours to go until the all-important qualifying session which gets underway as usual at 14.00.

[Rob]

Belgian GP - Qualifying not up to the car’s potential8.28.2010

Spa-Francorchamps, 28 August – Sixth and tenth places in qualifying is definitely not the result that was expected by Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, nor does it represent the true potential of the car. Felipe Massa was sixth fastest in Q3, making the most of the first set of new tyres, out of the two available, while on his second run, a sudden light shower prevented the Brazilian from improving. But it was even more penalising for Fernando Alonso who, with only one set of new soft tyres left, was unable to post a competitive time: hence the tenth place for the Spaniard on tomorrow’s starting grid.

Just for a change, pole position went to a Red Bull! This time it was Mark Webber. Alongside him at the start will be Hamilton’s McLaren, with the second row made up of the Renault of Robert Kubica and the Red Bull of Vettel.

www.ferrari.com

[vcs316]

Belgian GP: Ferrari qualifying report

Qualifying did not live up to expectations for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro nor did it reflect the potential of the F10. The starting grid for the Belgian Grand Prix will see the two Maranello cars line up in sixth and tenth places with Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso respectively. "We definitely cannot be happy with this result," said Stefano Domenicali. "Qualifying was complicated by the changing weather conditions which might have been easy to predict from yesterday but, having said that, clearly we failed to extract all the potential at our disposal and now we have to understand why. We are expecting a difficult race tomorrow, when it will be important to try and make the most of every opportunity, especially as our main rivals will be starting ahead of us."

Felipe Massa: "Definitely a difficult qualifying. Already this morning, we had seen that the McLarens and Red Bulls were quicker than us and they confirmed that this afternoon, when we had a few difficulties, failing to get the result we were expecting: which means we will be trying to improve our positions tomorrow in the race. As usually happens here in Belgium, you can predict that the changeable weather might play a crucial role: it will be vital to manage the situation as well as possible. On my first run in Q3 I got a good lap, but maybe it could have been a couple of tenths quicker, while on the second one, I immediately had rain at Turn 1 and I locked the wheels and I decided to pit without completing the lap, because I would not have been able to improve my lap time. If we have a track that is only slightly damp but not too wet, it could be a problem because the rain tyres get destroyed very quickly and it will be necessary to manage them very carefully."

Fernando Alonso: "Obviously, I can't be pleased with this result, but it has to be said that if there is one track where grid position is less critical than others, then it is this one, both because of the track characteristics and because the weather can be very changeable: in some cases the right decision at the right time can see you make up an advantage of a minute, therefore we will have to be clever and make the most of every opportunity. In Q3, I only had one set of new soft tyres left and I used it on my second run when, unfortunately, there was a bit of rain. There's no point in making a drama over this tenth place: we must stay calm and concentrated, because qualifying is one thing and the race is quite another when the points are given out, not today."

Chris Dyer: "We cannot be pleased with the outcome of this qualifying session. Of course, the fact the weather was so changeable made running the session more tricky, especially for Fernando, who found himself with just one set of new soft tyres left in Q3: when he used them there was just a short shower which prevented him from setting the time he was capable of doing and which would have seen him starting a bit higher up the grid. Spa is famous for being unpredictable in terms of the weather: and once again this was confirmed today, with the possibility that tomorrow's race will also be similarly affected, therefore we will have to do a good job in managing the possible variables."

-source: ferrari

[Rob]

Belgian GP - Qualifying lottery in the rain8.28.2010

Spa-Francorchamps, 28 August – If you had to pick a circuit at which to have a less than satisfactory qualifying session, then Spa would definitely be one of them, partly because this fantastic track provides real overtaking opportunities and also because the weather gods are unlikely to let the race pass without wishing to have their say at some point. The story of today’s three qualifying sessions is a tale of chaos and intermittent rain, with Felipe Massa securing a spot on Row 3 of the grid in sixth place and Fernando Alonso will start from Row 5 in tenth spot.

At the start of Q1, nearly all the cars were already lined up in pit lane waiting for the red light to change to green, in order to put in a “safe” lap time as soon as possible, because rain was due to arrive shortly. But before a single car had completed a flying lap, Petrov spun his Renault into the barriers which brought out the red flag. At the restart, when indeed the rain had arrived, another queue formed for the lights, this time with the majority of cars running intermediate rain tyres. Before the end of Q2, the track was drying again, which prompted another rush for the pits to go out on slicks. The final top ten shoot-out began in the dry: Felipe put in a competitive time on his first run, but his second one coincided with the rain returning. This was also the case for Fernando, but because the Spaniard only had one set of new softs, he had not got a first run in the bank and his second one was naturally not going to be as competitive as it took place on a damp track.

While there were plenty of surprises this afternoon, the pole position result maintained what is becoming a 2010 tradition, as Mark Webber recorded Red Bull’s twelfth pole in thirteen Grands Prix. The Australian shares the front row for tomorrow’s 44 lap race, with Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren, while the second row features the Renault of Robert Kubica in third and the other Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel fourth. Felipe shares the third row with Jenson Button in the McLaren, while between the two F10s are Barrichello, Sutil and Hulkenberg. Tomorrow’s 44 lap race could well be affected by changeable weather, but asking for an accurate forecast more than an hour or so before the start is a pointless question. The key, as always at Spa, will be to react quickly and in the right way to whatever the elements have in store.

[Greig]

Stefano Domenicali: “This weekend definitely did not end well for us, even if Felipe’s fourth place, at the end of an impeccable and error free race in conditions that were far from easy, is an important result. Fernando saw his race compromised right from the first lap, the unwitting victim of an accident and then, despite fighting his way up the order, he ended up off the track in the sort of incident that can easily happen in a rain-affected race. Apart from that, and any other considerations, we must recognise that our performance in this Grand Prix did not match our expectations and interrupted a positive trend that began a few races ago: we have to understand why immediately and take the necessary countermeasures. The situation in both championships is certainly more difficult, but it is still not impossible for us to reach our targets: for those with short memories, I remember that three years ago, we found ourselves in a much worse situation and we all know how it went in the end.”

Felipe Massa: “I think this is a positive result and, given the way the race went and the accidents that put Vettel and Button out of the game, we can even say we were a bit lucky. This weekend, Red Bull and McLaren were stronger than us, but we worked well as a team, making the right choices before and during the race. Our set-up was a bit more efficient in the dry, while we suffered a bit in the wet, especially in the middle sector, while in the first two we were reasonably competitive. Now we go to Monza, for our home race: we hope to do well at a track where speed and stability under braking count for a lot. We will continue to fight right to the end, even if the situation in the championship is ever more compromised.”

Fernando Alonso: “The first of the seven “finals” went badly for me and for two of the other five finalists, while the remaining two got the maximum results: that means we will have to make up the ground lost today somewhere else. At the start, I immediately made up some places and the signs were that I could have a good race. Then, I found myself in the wrong place at the wrong time, when Rubens could not control his car under braking and crashed into me. I came straight back to the pits to change the tyres and to check the car was alright, when we fitted intermediate tyres, expecting more persistent and harder rain, but that was not the case. Yesterday we were hoping for rain, but when it came it was already too late to be of much use to me; on the contrary it prevented me from getting the chance to overtake the cars which would have had to stop to fit the soft tyres. Then I went off the track, when I went over a kerb and that was my race over: a shame even if the points I could have brought home would not have been a lot. It is very disappointing, because this is a bad result, but it does not mean I have given up on my chances of winning the title.”

Chris Dyer: “Felipe had a good race, always keeping out of trouble and he made the right choices, bringing home a good result, given our performance level in this Grand Prix, which definitely did not live up to our expectations. However, on the other side of the garage, the mood is one of great disappointment, because the lack of points seriously complicates Fernando’s chances in the title fight. His race was immediately an uphill struggle, because of the collision with Barrichello, which meant he had to pit immediately. At that point we took the gamble of fitting intermediate tyres, given that we had nothing to lose, but then we had to bring him in again for dry tyres. It was a good climb up the order, but in the end he went off the track in the wet which ended any last chance of scoring points. Clearly there is much work to do in order to tackle the remaining six races of the season in the best way possible.”

[Rob]

Belgian GP - Precious points from Massa, a blank day for Alonso8.29.2010

Spa-Francorchamps, 29 August – Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro had hoped that a race complicated by rain might see its drivers regain some of the places lost in a less than satisfactory qualifying performance yesterday. It worked in part, as Felipe Massa produced a faultless drive to finish the Belgian Grand Prix in fourth place, having started sixth, but Fernando Alonso had a very unlucky day: on the opening lap, the Spaniard was the innocent victim, as Rubens Barrichello, in his three hundredth grand prix appearance, lost control of his Williams, crashing into the F10 at the chicane, so that Fernando had to limp back to the pits rejoining in eighteenth place, after the mechanics fitted intermediate tyres to deal with rain that was much less intense that expected. This meant he then had to make a further stop to return to slicks. From then on, he battled his way up the order, but it all came to nothing with a spin seven laps from the flag, that left his F10 beached on a kerb, parked across the track.

The race was won by Lewis Hamilton for McLaren, with Mark Webber second in the Red Bull, ahead of the Renault of Robert Kubica. The Scuderia is still third in the Constructors’ classification, but the gap to second placed McLaren has now grown. However, two of the main contenders for the Drivers’ championship, Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button failed to score points today.

The race started in the dry, with pole man Webber slow to get away, so that Hamilton took a lead he would never lose throughout the 44 laps, while Felipe had briefly moved up to fourth as the Safety Car came out after various incidents, including the one involving Fernando. When the race resumed on lap 4, the order at the front was Hamilton, Button, Kubica, Vettel, Webber, Massa. By this stage, several cars had fitted intermediate tyres, when a brief shower arrived, although in fact, the track dried so quickly, that those drivers, including Fernando, had to re-pit to return to slicks. In the dry, Fernando started to carve his way through the slower cars. While Hamilton built up a comfortable lead, behind him, everyone from Button to Felipe were all very close; too close in the case of Vettel, who crashed into Button, forcing the McLaren man to retire on lap 15. This meant that by lap 17, Felipe was fourth behind the leading trio and Fernando had moved up to ninth. The Brazilian pitted for fresh tyres on lap 23, at which point, Webber moved into second, as Kubica had a poor pit stop, but not poor enough for Felipe to get by him.

The rain returned on lap 33 and gradually built in intensity, to the point that extreme rain tyres would be the ideal choice, but by then Fernando had his spin, which meant the Safety Car came out again, as his car was blocking the track, the race resuming for a short sprint for four laps. Felipe’s fourth place was not under threat, as for much of the race, the Brazilian had a lonely race, too far behind to mount a threat for third place, but comfortably ahead of fifth placed Sutil.

[Rob]

Domenicali urges Ferrari not to give up

By Jonathan Noble Monday, August 30th 2010, 09:10 GMT www.autosport.com

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali has urged his staff not to give up believing they can still be champions this year - despite a troubled Belgian Grand Prix denting its title ambitions.

Fernando Alonso's retirement for the Spa event has left Ferrari as outsiders for the championship this year, with McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber edging clear at the head of the points standings.

However, with memories of 2007 when Ferrari recovered a 17-point deficit over two races to claim the crown still fresh in his mind, Domenicali is far from ready to concede his team's ambitions are over.

"For sure it was not really a positive weekend for us," he said. "From the points point of view for sure we lost ground, no doubt about it – and it is more difficult but it is not impossible. Up to now I remember in 2007 that we were 17 points behind with two races to go. More difficult than that - I don't know."

Domenicali thinks that it is important his team keeps it ambitions focused on winning the title, because misfortune for its rivals in the next few races could quickly change the picture of the title battle.

"For sure it is more difficult but we want to keep pushing because out of the top five drivers, we were one of the three that did not score a point," he said. "Maybe in the next couple of races something will happen the other way around, so we just need to be there and to not give up.

"We did not go out this weekend with the performance that we were expecting, and we need to understand why. We need to be very cautious because two races ago we saw one of our competitors, McLaren, seemed to be suffering and now it seems to be that they were very strong.

"Race by race, the scenario is changing so quickly that it is difficult to predict something. It is important to be there because with these conditions anything can happen."