Alonso linked to Ferrari again !

Speculation that double F1 world champion Fernando Alonso will end up in a Ferrari has intensified again following reports that he has inked a deal with the Scuderia for 2011.

Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport notes that the Spaniard has a four-year deal in place and that he could even join the Scuderia in 2010, should Kimi Raikkonen fail to perform next season.

While Alonso and Ferrari both apparently have get out-clauses, unsurprisingly no official comment has been made by the Maranello-based outfit itself.

Alonso's manager meanwhile in a separate story in the 'paper added that it is way to far ahead to consider what might happen beyond '09.

"That Fernando has always has an interest to drive for Ferrari is not a secret," he explained. "What can I say though? 2011 is far away.

"F1 is living in a time of great difficulty from an economic point of view and it is difficult to imagine future scenarios. It is too soon to speak about and I only know that in less than a month Renault will launch its new car."

Alonso was linked to Ferrari on and off throughout 2008, and while he has since re-signed with Renault for 2009 and 2010, the 'silly season' continues.

"I have decided to stay with the ING Renault F1 team because, as I have often repeated this season, they have always been my first choice and I feel very happy and comfortable with them," said the Spaniard back in November. "It's a very close-knit team with a competitive and winning mentality, and also a relaxed and warm attitude, which suits me perfectly.

"After a difficult start to the season, we have overcome our difficulties and constantly improved our performances. My back-to-back wins in Singapore and Japan, and my recent second place podium finish in Brazil, have proved how competitive we can be. In the past we have won championships together, as well as going through tough moments, but we are now determined to show that we can repeat that success together in the coming seasons."

source: crash.net

Introduces Natacha Gachnang - GP2 Racer Aims For Formula One Seat

Danica Patrick dropped jaws with her looks, performance and temper flares but not much was heard about her after a supposed test drive with the ill-fated Honda F1 Team. Now we have a new raising star with a lot of potential especially since she raced in the prominent and star making GP2 series. Swiss national Natacha Gachnang will also be among the drivers competing in the inaugural season of the new Formula 2 championship.



21-year old Natacha has already proved herself in various race series. This year she finished a solid third place in the Spanish Formula 3 championship and second in the Copa de Espana. Before that she was racing Stateside in the Star Mazda series where she finished top ten in every race. At the same time she was driving in the F3 Euro Series and in the Austrian Formula 3 where she finished a promising fourth.





Cousin to Toro Rosso hopeful Sebastian Buemi, Natacha is already eyeing the top spot of racing in Formula One but has to first beat other raising stars in Formula 2. We’ll be watching her progress closely and we’re sure you’ll like to know more as well so watch this spot but meanwhile you can start by checking out Natacha’s glamor shots and images from her short but successful racing career in her own portal http://www.danicaracing.com/.

Source: Autoblog.com and Zerotohundred.com

FIA Probe McLaren

“Team orders” In Monaco Under Scrutiny

LONDON: Formula One's governing body opened an investigation yesterday into McLaren's one-two win in the Monaco Grand Prix amid a controversy over so-called 'team orders'.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in a statement that they were looking into incidents involving the Mercedes-powered team "in light of a possible breach of the International Sporting Code.

"The relevant evidence is under review and a further announcement will be made in due course,"

Double world champion Fernando Alonso won Sunday's showcase race, for the second year in a row, ahead of British rookie team-mate Lewis Hamilton. The two are now level on 38 points but Spaniard Alonso leads the championship on race wins.

Hamilton, who finished runner-up for the fourth race in a row, revealed afterwards that he had been told to ease off rather than put pressure on his team-mate and possibly jeopardise the one-two.

Team orders, effectively manipulating the out-come of a race, have been banned since the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix where Ferrari ordered Brazilian Rubens Barrichello to let Michael Schumacher win,

Article 151 of the FIA's international sporting code declares that "any fraudulent conduct or any act prejudicial to the interests of any competition or to the interests of motor sport generally" is a breach of the roles.

However, McLaren team boss Ron Dennis denied any such manipulation.

"We don't have team orders, we had a strategy to win this race," he said on Sunday,

"I make no excuses for instructing the racing drivers to slow their pace after the first stop and to effect our strategy."

A team spokeswoman added yesterday: "McLaren are completely comfortable with the FIA’s investigation into our race strategy and that all decisions taken both before and during the race were completely in compliance with the international sporting code."

Monaco is a circuit unlike any other, with unforgiving metal barriers lining a tight and twisty ribbon of asphalt around the city streets.

One lapse of concentration under pressure can carry a very heavy price.

A FIA spokesman declined to say what possible sanction might be faced by the team, who lead Ferrari by 20 points in the championship after winning two of the season's five races so far, if found guilty of a breach.

British newspapers felt Hamilton had been let down.

"Hamilton ordered to hand Alonso victory," declared the Daily Telegraph in a headline.

"Hamilton is told to let Alonso win," agreed the Daily Mail. - Reuters

Hamilton Danger

Ferrari's Massa fears rookie more than Alonso

LONDON: Ferrari's Felipe Massa suspects British rookie Lewis Hamilton could prove to be a bigger danger to his Formula One title hopes than double world champion Feruando Alonso.

Hamilton, 22, became the youngest championship leader in the sport's history alter finishing second to Brazilian Massa in Spain last weekend.

The McLaren driver has now beaten team mate Alonso in the last two races as well as finishing his first four races on the podium - something no other Formula One driver has ever achieved.

After Sunday's race at the Circuit de Catalunya, Hamilton assured Massa that he would beat him soon to claim his first grand prix victory - possibly in the season's glamour race in Monaco next week.

"He is definitely strong and is not bothered by pressure," Massa said on his Web site (www.felipemassa.com). "At the moment, you cannot say that Fernando or him are the better driver.

"But if the situation continues like this, then maybe Lewis can even be more dangerous than Fernando, given his championship position and how he goes in the car.

"At the moment, he seems more comfortable in the car than Femando. We need to keep an eye on that because he can be a dangerous threat."

Massa has started three of the season's four races on pole position and won the last two. Yet he still lags Hamilton by three points.

McLaren are nine points ahead of Ferrari in the constructors' championship. - Reuters

Kubica Revs It Up

If you go: Ferrari mechanics pushing Kimi Raikkonen's car back into the pitlane after the official testing session at the Sepang circuit yesterday. Insert: Robert Kubica.

Sauber driver clocks fastest time in first official testing

SEPANG: BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica has no experience racing at the Sepang FI track but it is not stopping him from aiming to make his presence felt in the Petronas Malaysian F1 Grand Prix next week.

The lanky Polish driver served notice of his intention yesterday by clocking the fastest time on the first of the three days of official testing for the F1 teams.

Kubica, who stands at 1.84m tall, upstaged Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen to post the quickest time of 1:36.187 in the afternoon session on the 5.543km circuit.

Raikkonen, who won the season-opening Australian GP on March 18, was the second fastest in 1:36.302.

The BMW team had obviously overcome a gearbox problem they encountered in the morning session.

Kubica did 92 laps yesterday. He had highlighted the gearbox problem adding that it would be a priority for the team to work on in their preparation for the Malaysian GP, which will be held from April 6-8.

"The times are not that important. Our focus is to get a feel of the set-up and also get the car to be reliable. We tested the tyres today and it was okay. It's only the gearbox, which was chattering," said Kubica, who took over from former world champion Jacques Villenueve late last season.

The 22-year-old impressed the team with his handling of the car from the start and went on to finish third in the Italian GP last year. It was the team's second podium and his first in three F1 races.

Kubica did not finish the last race in Melbourne when his car encountered gearbox problems but said he is looking forward to the Malaysian round.

"This will be the first time I am going to race here. Our cars were on the pace with Renault and we expect to maintain this in Sepang. I hope to get a top five finish," he said.

As for the humid weather expected during the event, Kubica felt it is not an issue because they will have enough time to adapt to the conditions.

"The weather will be good for us because we have to get accustomed to it. The next race after Sepang will be under similar conditions in Bahrain," he said.

More than 1,000 fans took the opportunity to watch the first-ever official testing at the Sepang circuit yesterday.

Ten teams are involved in the testing and the public are free to watch the proceedings from the main grandstand. Spyker are the only team not taking part in the tests.

Champ Alonso Keeps His Cool

SPANISH FORMULA ONE GRAND PRIX

Trial run: Ferrari crew practising their pit stop on the car of Kimi Raikkonen during the first practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya yesterday. - Reuters

McLaren driver not flustered by home pressure

BARCELONA: Some drivers might struggle to deal with the pressure of defending a drivers' world championship in a still unfamiliar car in front of an expectant home crowd, but thankfully for McLaren, Fernando Alonso is not the kind of man that is easily flustered.

The Spaniard insists he will enjoy Sunday's race at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya and the pressure that comes with being joint championship leader is, of course, nothing new for him.

"It is the third consecutive year that I come to Spain leading the championship," said Alonso.

"So while it is something very special, it is the same as the previous years.

"It is normally the fourth or fifth race of the championship so it is difficult to get too much stress or nervous about the race because we are only at the beginning of the championship, this race is more for fun that the last four or five when you are more tense.

"I always feel very motivated and I feel a lot of people behind me try to support me and enjoy the race as there is only one of these feelings per year and it is always here in Barcelona so I am happy to race here."

It has been suggested that Alonso might be slightly resentful of the attention being paid to his rookie team-mate, Briton Lewis Hamilton, who has taken Formula One by storm in his first season and consequently taken a share of the limelight normally reserved for the double world drivers champion.

Not according to Alonso, who insists the pair, along with test driver and fellow Spaniard, Pedro de la Rosa, enjoy an excellent team spirit.

"We have a fantastic relationship between all three drivers, Pedro, Lewis and me, and we try to help the team as much as we can.

"I think that is the mentality of the team and the atmosphere we need to keep if we want to win.

"We will see, we have done only three races, but for sure it is good to have competition in the team as I have had in the last three or four years in the first few races." – AFP

Schumi rules out return as FI team boss

BARCELONA: Michael Schumacher ruled out a return to Formula One as a team boss or owner yesterday.

The seven-time world champion, attending his first Grand Prix since he retired in October, held a news conference at the Circuit de Catalunya to talk about Formula One, his new life and future plans.

Looking relaxed and sounding at ease, the 38-year-old German made clear he had no plans to play any major role in the sport he once dominated as the most successful driver ever.

Asked whether he had ambitions to be a team owner or to run Ferrari when Jean Todt steps down, he replied: "Neither. Absolutely not, no. I just don't want to. I have other ambitions in life."

Schumacher retired after last season's final Brazilian Grand Prix, bowing out with a record 91 wins and 68 pole positions from 249 races.

While still looking as trim as ever, he said he played football to keep fit but no longer did any gym work.

The German said he had no desire, at the moment at least, to step back into a Formula One car either.

"What will be my future, who knows?"

Schumacher has an unspecified role at Ferrari, the team he likened to a second family while competing, and he said he would simply be observing activities from a distance in Spain this weekend.

Schumacher said he was enjoying spending time with his family and children, being at home during their holidays and not having to worry about other commitments. – Reuters

Singapore To Host FI Race

Mokhzani: Street circuit will not affect us

SINGAPORE: Singapore has won a five-year deal to host a Formula One race on a street circuit starting next year, and hopes to break new ground by staging the first Grand Prix night race, a government minister said yesterday.

The race could be held in September or early October 2008, and the city-state has the option to extend the deal for another five years.

"Singapore could potentially stage the first ever night race. It would be unique, different, and allow the Singapore event to reach out to television audiences in Asia, Europe and even the US," said S. lswaran, Minister of State for Trade and Industry.

Meanwhile, Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir, chairman of the Sepang International Circuit said in Kuala Lumpur that Malaysia's F1 Grand Prix will not be affected by Singapore winning the right to host a race.

“I congratulate Singapore on joining the club of F1 hosts. Next year will be their first year and it will be our tenth," said Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir, chairman of the Sepang International Circuit.

"The people in South-east Asia will have a chance to see both now, a city street circuit and ours, which is a race circuit, so it will be interesting," he said.

Malaysia's Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said last month said there should only be one F1 race in South-east Asia, but Mokhzani said the development would promote the sport.

"It will not affect F1 in Malaysia, instead it will promote F1 in the region," said Mokhzani.

"Theirs ... will be towards the end of the year and ours will be at the beginning, so we will get to see how the season starts and ends," he added.

Last month Mokhzani announced that Malaysia had won the right to host Formula One races until 2015. - AFP

F1 Experience At Pit Lane Park

The BMW Sauber Pit Lane Park is open to motor enthusiasts and the public until today at KLCC's centre park along Jalan Binjai. The pit lane offers a miniature racetrack, mini grandstands, an F1 training centre and garage, a display of BMW race cars and more. The highlight of the event is this year's BMW Sauber F1 team race car, the F1.07. The Pit Lane Park is a travelling interactive experience designed to bring people closer to the world of the BMW Sauber F1 team, offering visitors all aspects of the F1 that they would only normally see and hear from a distance.

Simulator Fun

Intel is showcasing audio-visua multiplicity through the most realistic graphic-intensive out-of-car racing experience via the F1 simulators on April 7 and 8 form 10am to 10pm at Low Yat Plaza's Concourse. Each race is five minutes per session. The race simulator is powered by the Intel CoreTM Duo processor which excels in running the most intense applications with performance up to 40% faster and with improved energy efficincy.