They will make a special F1 car for you:cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by Noxide
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They will make a special F1 car for you:cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by Noxide
They'll have to build an entirely new chassis.:laugh::laugh:Quote:
Originally Posted by Duje
They made so much trouble for themselves.
Renault's title sponsor ING late on Thursday said it has terminated its contract with the French team "with immediate effect."
Mere hours after Spanish insurance backer Mutua Madrilena pulled its logos from the R29 for the same reason, the Dutch bank ING said it has also decided to end its association with Renault because of the Crashgate scandal.
It is believed that both sponsors cite a clear and serious breach of contract, due to clauses requiring the Enstone-based team to comply with FIA rules and regulations.
"ING is deeply disappointed at this turn of events, especially in the context of an otherwise successful sponsorship," a media statement issued late on Thursday read.
The statement went out to the world's media in the dead of the Singapore night, after team mechanics had throughout Thursday worked on the fully ING-branded cars in the pits of the Asian city-state's street circuit.
All team equipment as well as personnel and driver apparel also carried prominent ING branding as per usual on Thursday, the day before official practice for the weekend's Singapore Grand Prix begins.
Like Mutua Madrilena, ING had previously decided not to stay in Formula One beyond 2009.
Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen is back. The slow start to his 2009 campaign seems but a distant memory, and having taken four consecutive podiums, including an excellent win at August’s Belgian Grand Prix, Raikkonen is looking perkier than he has in a long time. But we’ll have to wait and see what the season’s four remaining races - and 2010 - have in store for the Finn…
Q: Kimi, towards the end of the season Ferrari are enjoying a successful streak. Why did it take so long and how frustrating was it to see the Brawns and Red Bulls win races, while you were sidelined in an uncompetitive car?
Kimi Raikkonen: Well, we weren’t in the right position at the beginning of the year, and we still don’t have the fastest car, but I think we’ve got the maximum out of the car. The people who are in front probably haven’t made any mistakes. What we need to improve? More downforce. Otherwise the car is pretty good. Downforce is what’s missing. When we achieve that, the car will be very fast.
Q: After taking victory in Belgium, at Monza you seemed to have your old fire back. How important was your win in Spa to you?
KR: One win doesn’t change my life. Does it make life easier when you win? I don’t think so. But it is always nice to win, even though the next race is the same old challenge again. If you win that’s nice, but people will forget that very fast. Many times it only takes one race and then people don’t remember that you’ve won. It was a good result for me and it was much welcomed in the team after the season so far.
Q: But didn’t winning help remind you that you haven’t lost it?
KR: No, I’ve never had doubts in that respect. You never lose that certain touch of how to drive a car. It was just a difficult 2009 season. But now we’ve proved that we can win. I think all these questions are more in the head of the people outside. It’s not about me or anybody in the team. And if you found me a bit more happy in Monza, believe me, there are many other reasons to feel happy than a race win.
Q: For a while you gave the impression that you could imagine more exciting places to be than a paddock on a race weekend. Are you friends again with Formula One racing?
KR: I think there are still more exciting places. Racing is the nicest thing in the paddock, and I am pretty sure that you wouldn’t see many drivers in the paddock if it wasn’t for racing. Take the racing out and I doubt that you would find any driver here. Racing is the main thing.
Q: You worked hard at the rally in Finland over the summer break. Could rallying be your future?
KR: I like it and I think it is a great sport, and good fun also. It is completely different to Formula One even though it is still driving. It might happen in the future, or it might not. But for sure I want to do more rallying, at least for fun. I will try to do it whenever I have the chance and it does not conflict with my other things. I think it is a great practice for Formula One and it gives me a good feeling.
Q: Ferrari have had their share of unlucky moments this season with a difficult car, a driver accident and now with a second reserve driver. How much has that upset the routine of the team?
KR: For sure it hasn’t been the easiest year for us, and it’s unfortunate that it’s happened, but we are getting back to where we should be. Sometimes times are difficult but then you have to make sure that you put all strength into getting back to where you belong. Sometimes in hard times you see what people are made off. That’s the good thing, as we are improving with every race.
Q: It’s common knowledge that you have a contract with Ferrari for 2010, but it seems the team have three drivers and only two cockpits. Are you interested in a drive? Will Ferrari have to make a decision by getting you all to play a round of musical chairs?
KR: I always can only repeat that I have a contract - and that has not changed. If they want to talk with me, we need to sit down to talk. I am fully committed, as otherwise I would not have signed the contract in the first place. Musical chairs… that would be a funny idea!
Q: The FIA found Renault guilty of deliberately causing an accident at last year’s Singapore Grand Prix. What do you make of that? Are drivers that vulnerable to the influence of their management?
Well, it doesn’t matter what you do, some people are easier to be manoeuvred into something than others. That has nothing to do with Formula One. And a person with little experience is always more vulnerable than somebody who has seen it all. I would say that what happened is part of life and can happen everywhere.
Q: Ferrari were a bit unlucky at last year’s night race. Are you ready for another go, with a better result?
RK: Ha, it shouldn’t be too difficult to have a better result than last year. Hopefully we manage to do it. There should be some points in it for us. A podium would be great but we will only know that tomorrow after hitting the track.
Q: Who is your favourite for the title, and why?
KR: I don’t really care who wins. We cannot win, so for me whoever wins deserves it. For me Jenson (Button) is in the strongest position and I think it would be difficult for him to lose it.
I'm just going to wait and see what happens, because all these conflicting reports about who is going to race where is just confusing me.
My hero is now even cooler than ever before :wow::wow:
Anyway, listen to this arrogant idiot:
Q: Do you think this win has helped you to grow in maturity?
Lewis: Yeah, I definitely think I've grown in maturity: when you have somebody like Sebastian Vettel behind you - who is a great driver but doesn't have quite as much experience as I do - you definitely feel a bit more comfortable in that position.
What an @$$
Quote:
Originally Posted by Duje
I think Kimi just turned up the heat a little,hmm?Quote:
Originally Posted by Noxide
Btw I've been out of comission for lightyears..Can someone tell me what's new?
Confirmed....... Fernando Alonso to join Ferrari next season.:whee:
more on the story...
Ferrari have announced that double world champion Fernando Alonso will join them for 2010 from Renault, replacing Kimi Raikkonen.
Ferrari said the Spaniard had signed a three-year contract and that he would partner Brazilian Felipe Massa.
Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali described Alonso, world champion in 2005-6, as an "amazing talent".
Raikkonen said: "I am very sad to be leaving a team with which I have spent three fantastic years."
The Finn, who won the drivers' title in his first year at Ferrari in 2007, is tipped to be join McLaren.
As part of the cascade of driver moves that will follow Alonso's switch, Pole Robert Kubica is understood to have already signed a contract to replace Alonso at Renault.
The 28-year-old's switch to Ferrari has been an open secret in F1 for weeks and BBC Sport understands he signed his contract as long ago as July 2008.
A Ferrari source says there are options to extend Alonso's deal, and that he will be earning an annual salary in the region of 19-25 million euros (£17.3-22.8m).
Raikkonen had a contract with Ferrari until the end of 2010, but the team have negotiated an early release. Italian Giancarlo Fisichella will be Ferrari's reserve driver.
Domenicali said: "Of course, we wish to thank Kimi for everything he has done during his time with Ferrari.
"In his first year with us, he managed to win the drivers' title, thus making his contribution to Ferrari's history and he played a vital role in our taking of the constructors' title in 2007 and 2008.
"Even during a difficult season like this one, he has demonstrated his great talent, with several good results, including a great win in Spa and we are sure that we can share more good times together in the final three races of this season."
Raikkonen added: "With common consent, we have agreed to terminate the contract binding me to Ferrari to the end of 2010, one year ahead of schedule.
"I have always felt at home with everyone here and I will have many happy memories of my time with the team."
Ferrari's statement did not include any remarks from Alonso, who is in Japan ahead of this weekend's grand prix.
The most successful active driver in F1, Alonso signed his Ferrari contract as long ago as July 2008, according to sources close to the team.
Ferrari had been planning to announce it at the end of the season, but it had become such common knowledge that the Italian team have decided to bring that forward.
The move brings to an end Alonso's relationship with the Renault team, for whom he has driven in all but two of his eight years in F1.
He was cleared of any involvement in the recent race-fixing scandal, in which Renault were found to have asked his team-mate Nelson Piquet Jr to crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to aid Alonso's chances of victory.
Team boss Flavio Briatore and engineering director Pat Symonds left the team in the wake of Renault's decision not to contest the charges.
But an investigation by governing body the FIA found no evidence that Alonso, who did go on to win the race, knew of the conspiracy.
Alonso made his F1 debut for Minardi in 2001, moved to Renault as their test driver in 2002 and was promoted to their race team in 2003.
He became the youngest race-winner in F1 history when he won the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix, and its youngest world champion when he won his first drivers' title in 2005.
He has since lost those two records to Sebastian Vettel, who broke the win mark in Italy in 2008, and Lewis Hamilton when he became world champion last year.
Alonso went on to win a second consecutive championship in 2006, beating Ferrari's Michael Schumacher in a straight fight, before moving to McLaren as Lewis Hamilton's team-mate in 2007.
Alonso signed a three-year contract with McLaren, but he left after one season following a tempestuous relationship with the team. Hamilton and Alonso finished the season tied on points just a point behind the champion, Raikkonen.
Alonso rejoined Renault for 2008, winning in Singapore and, with one of his best performances, the following race in Japan, but the team have been uncompetitive this season.
Source: BBC SPORT
Noooooo....Kimi leaving :(:(