KIMI RAIKKONEN

First Valencia pole belongs to Massa

2008-08-23T17:18:00.000-07:00

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Felipe Massa made history on Saturday when he became the very first F1 driver to take pole position at the new Valencia street circuit.

The Brazilian continued his good run of form when he clocked a 1:38.989 during Q3 to take pole position away from Lewis Hamilton.

The McLaren driver posted a 1:39.199 to fall 0.210s short of Massa's time while Robert Kubica was third quickest for BMW.

Kimi Raikkonen was the only other driver to get within half a second of Massa's P1 time while fifth place on the grid goes to Heikki Kovalainen.

Qualifying Report
The temperatures at Valencia's new dockside circuit were unusually low as the first ever qualifying session got underway. The ambient temperature was just 26C and the track at 30C with the potential for slight showers to come in from the south-east and the grey skies making teams very attentive to their weather radars.

Nelson Piquet set a slow benchmark P1 time of 1:40.044, hitting a seagull in the process. Jarno Trulli, who'd had successive engine problems in the morning practice and managed just two laps, was next to set P1 at 1:39.792, while team-mate Timo Glock lowered it to 1:39.178. Robert Kubica reduced it to 1:38.935 in his BMW.

Felipe Massa was just 6th on his first lap, but Championship rival Lewis Hamilton took provisional P1 with a 1:38.464. Kimi Raikkonen was only just faster than Massa and the Ferrari drivers went on to set second laps to improve their times, though only marginally.

Sebastien Bourdais demonstrated the consistent pace of the Toro Rossos this weekend with P2 on his first hot lap. Fernando Alonso entertained his passionate home fans with P2 before Nico Rosberg took it off him.

As the session progressed the times improved considerably but with four laps left the danger positions were: 12.Massa, 13.Coulthard, 14.Webber, 15.Nakajima, 16.Piquet, 17.Heidfeld, 18.Fisichella, 19.Sutil, 20.Barrichello

Massa went out and grabbed a decisive P1 with a 1:38.176, though team-mate Raikkonen could only manage 8th place. Nick Heidfeld was held up by Timo Glock's Toyota and tried to overtake him, lost control, went straight on at a turn and cut a corner. He still managed to post a P9 time, but as Kovalainen found out at the French GP when he impeded Mark Webber, (who also qualified for the next session despite the hold-up), he is likely to face a five-place grid penalty tomorrow.

Vettel then stunned the pundits with P1, Kubica grabbed P4, Piquet elevated himself to P13 on his third run, Nakajima leapt forward to P10 and Jarno Trulli seized P1 in the final seconds.

As the dust settled, out went:
16. Button
17.Coulthard
18.Fisichella
19.Barrichello
20.Sutil

Jenson Button was clearly disappointed not to make it into Q2 having been put on the slower tyre for his final run, though Rubens Barrichello had been consistently slow.

Qualifying 2
There were light rain drops on Kimi Raikkonen's roll hoop camera as the Ferrari took to the track first in Session 2. He duly set P1 at 1:38.276, Robert Kubica reduced it to 1:38.050 and Sebastian Vettel showed that Toro Rosso meant business when he dipped into the 1:37s at 1:37.842.

Lewis Hamilton could only go P2, which he lost to Jarno Trulli's Toyota as the Roman set two purple sectors on his way to P2.

McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen set the P5 time ahead of the two Ferraris which had now been demoted to P6 and P7 - Massa being the slower of the two.

Going into the last three minutes the danger positions were: 7.Massa, 8.Rosberg, 9.Bourdais, 10.Nakajima, 11.Alonso, 12.Glock, 13.Heidfeld, 14.Piquet, 15.Webber

Hamilton was in third place, but such was the improvement in times in the final runs of Session 1 that the McLaren team were taking no chances. In the end 1st to 15th place was covered by just 0.8 of a second, so it was a sensible move.

As the cars finished their final runs Kovalainen stayed in P5, Massa jumped up to P2. Raikkonen slipped to P7, Bourdais stayed P9, Rosberg jumped to P9, Hamilton stayed P4, Alonso couldn't improve and finished P12 while Heidfeld jumpd up to P3.

So out went:
11.Nakajima
12.Alonso
13.Glock
14.Webber
15.Piquet

The great disappointment was that home boy Fernando Alonso failed to get his car into Q3, while the great joy was that both Toro Rossos had made it into the Top 10.

Qualifying 3
The big question going into Q3 was - could the Toro Rossos and Jarno Trulli's Toyota upset the Ferrari/McLaren domination of the front two rows? After the previous two sessions it looked possible.

Jarno Trulli set a benchmark pole time of 1:40.309 which Vettel reduced to 1:40.142. Lewis Hamilton took P1 from the German, but only just, his lap included a mistake going into the penultimate corner that sent him way offline. His 1:40.040 was soon eclipsed by Kimi Raikkonen and then by 0.6 of a second by Felipe Massa with a stellar 1:39.371.

Going into the final runs it was Massa, Raikkonen, Kubica, Hamilton and Vettel in the top five places.

Hamilton took another set of the softer tyres for his second run and there was no mistake this time as he grabbed P1 with a 1:39.199. Raikkonen couldn't beat it, but a final burst from Massa saw him take an impressive pole with a 1:38.989, while BMW's Robert Kubica slotted ahead of Raikkonen and Kovalainen climbed into P5.

It was another great lap from Massa and the body language in the press conference showed a Felipe brimming with confidence and a totally subdued Lewis Hamilton. With Safety Cars expected on the fast street circuit the race is still wide open, and with a grid that could favour P2 over P1, the opening lap could be spectacular and packed with incident.

FH

Times
01 F. Massa Ferrari 1:38.989
02 L. Hamilton McLaren 1:39.199
03 R. Kubica BMW 1:39.392
04 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:39.488
05 H. Kovalainen McLaren 1:39.937
06 S. Vettel Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:40.142
07 J. Trulli Toyota 1:40.309
08 N. Heidfeld BMW 1:40.631
09 N. Rosberg Williams 1:40.721
10 S. Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:40.750
11 K. Nakajima Williams 1:38.428
12 F. Alonso Renault 1:38.435
13 T. Glock Toyota 1:38.499
14 M. Webber Red Bull 1:38.515
15 N. Piquet jr. Renault 1:38.744
16 J. Button Honda 1:38.880
17 D. Coulthard Red Bull 1:39.235
18 G. Fisichella Force India F1 1:39.268
19 R. Barrichello Honda 1:39.811
20 A. Sutil Force India F1 1:39.943

Friday analysis - Ferrari lead Valencia learning curve

2008-08-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

The first day of running on Valencia’s new track was a matter of letting conditions improve as more rubber went down, tuning the set-ups, and avoiding the offline dust as everyone developed baselines to compare against their simulations. At the end of it all, Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen led the way, but only by a whisker from Renault’s Fernando Alonso and Honda’s Jenson Button. We take a team-by-team look at progress…

Ferrari
Kimi Raikkonen, 1m 41.317s, P7/1m 39.477s, P1
Felipe Massa, 1m 40.654s, P2/1m 39.678s, P4
Both drivers loved the track, and said they were completely happy with what they achieved in terms of set-up and balance as a baseline for Saturday.

Renault
Fernando Alonso, 1m 41.385s, P9/1m 39.497s, P2
Nelson Piquet, 1m 42.107s, P15/1m 40.439s, P9
On the face of it, not a bad day for Renault, with Alonso second and Piquet ninth in the second session. They had no significant problems, but the duff note for Alonso was being reprimanded and fined €10,000 for crossing the white line on the entrance to the pits during the afternoon session.

Honda
Jenson Button, 1m 42.460s, P17/1m 39.546s, P3
Rubens Barrichello, 1m 41.830s, P11/1m 41.377s, P20
Button had his best start to a Grand Prix weekend this year with third fastest time in the afternoon, when he reported that major set-up changes had made his Honda really good to drive. Barrichello had a better morning, but went backwards on set-up and found his car much worse later on.

McLaren
Lewis Hamilton, 1m 40.822s, P3/1m 39.712s, P5
Heikki Kovalainen, 1m 41.163s, P5/1m 39.954s, P6
Hamilton was very happy with the baseline McLaren established very quickly in the morning, but said that heavy traffic on his afternoon runs prevented him from confirming it fully. Kovalainen reported similar sentiments after starting with a great front end on his MP4-23 and gradually dialling in the rear. Both drivers, like their Ferrari rivals, are feeling very confident.

Toyota
Timo Glock, 1m 42.036s, P14/1m 39.967s, P7
Jarno Trulli, 1m 41.930s, P12/1m 40.877s, P15
Toyota got off to a great start, courtesy of Glock in the morning, and the young German set the seventh fastest time in the afternoon. He relied on his Champ Car experience of fast street courses and said he had a productive day. In contrast, Trulli struggled to get his TF108 well balanced and was much less happy with the consistency of his car.

BMW Sauber
Robert Kubica, 1m 41.281s, P6/1m 40.149s, P8
Nick Heidfeld, 1m 42.453s, P16/1m 41.084s, P18
As usual, BMW Sauber focused on tyre evaluation and set-up work rather than lap times. Kubica was relatively happy, but Heidfeld had little explanation for his slow lap times.

Force India
Giancarlo Fisichella, 1m 43.075s, P18/1m 40.500s, P10
Adrian Sutil, 1m 41.951s, P13/1m 40.999s, P17
Both Force Indias were running their seamless-shift transmissions again, and they will be retained for the whole weekend this time. Fisichella had a small brake problem which was quickly sorted, otherwise both drivers completed their programmes without interruption.

Red Bull
Mark Webber, 1m 43.524s, P20/1m 40.585s, P11
David Coulthard, 1m 43.312s, P19/1m 40.696s, P13
Webber had what he described as a ‘testing’ morning, but got going better in the afternoon. He was lucky to avoid being clobbered at one stage by a spinning Nico Rosberg in Turn 25, and wound up 11th. Coulthard likewise improved in that session.

Williams
Nico Rosberg, 1m 41.706s, P10/1m 40.607s, P12
Kazuki Nakajima, 1m 41.329s, P8/1m 40.742s, P14
Rosberg nearly picked up Webber after losing control braking into Turn 25 in the afternoon, but had an otherwise undramatic day. Both he and Nakajima completed their planned programmes with any significant problems.

Toro Rosso
Sebastian Vettel, 1m 40.496s, P1/40.982s, P16
Sebastien Bourdais, 1m 41.099s, P4/1m 41.246s, P19
Vettel was very happy with his fastest time in the morning, but predictably lost ground in the afternoon. Bourdais had traction problems and struggled with rear-end stability under braking.

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F1 Hungary 2008 Qualifying

2008-08-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

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F1 Hungary 2008 Qualifying
1. Hamilton
2. Kovalainen
3. Massa

Raikkonen leads home Ferrari clean sweep - French GP - Qualifying

2008-06-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

Ferrari utterly dominated qualifying for Sunday’s 70-lap French Grand Prix with Kimi Raikkonen taking the pole position from team-mate Felipe Massa and in doing so recorded a historic 200th pole for the Italian champions.

While Raikkonen celebrates the pole, Massa will be disappointed to lose out on the top position by just five-hundredths of a second, especially as the Brazilian topped the timesheets in both Q1 and Q2. His final run in Q3 saw two minor errors and the time was lost.

McLaren Mercedes had no answer to the pace of Ferrari with Lewis Hamilton making gains on his final run to set the third fastest time. However, with his ten position penalty applied due to his Montreal misdemeanour, Hamilton lines up a distant 13th on the grid.

Fernando Alonso shined once again in qualifying trim in the Renault and will start the race from third position on the grid and with Hamilton taking his penalty, has a realistic chance at a podium position on home soil for Renault.

Jarno Trulli suffered a spin on his penultimate qualifying lap but got the job done as usual for Toyota and starts an impressive fourth position on a weekend the Toyota team mourn the passing of former Team Principal Ove Andersson. Timo Glock starts ninth in the second TF108.

Heikki Kovalainen was unable to challenge the front-runners again in his McLaren and lines up fifth* on the grid ahead of Canadian Grand Prix winner Robert Kubica.

BMW Sauber really struggled in qualifying trim and a third row start will be seen as a good result for Kubica. Team-mate Nick Heidfeld was just six-hundredths of a second slower than Kubica in Q2 but did not make it into the top ten and starts a disappointed 11th.

The Red Bull Renault duo of Mark Webber and David Coulthard have been closely matched all weekend long at Magny Cours. Qualifying was no exception as they line up in seventh and eighth positions respectively.

With Glock starting ninth in the second Toyota, Nelson Piquet is promoted into tenth position courtesy of Hamilton’s grid position penalty. The Brazilian topped the morning practice session in his Renault but just missed out on making it into Q3 this afternoon. Still, it was a much better performance from the Renault rookie.

Sebastian Vettel had been firmly in the top ten throughout practice in his Toro Rosso Ferrari and will therefore be slightly disappointed to line up 12th ahead of the demoted Hamilton. Sebastien Bourdais proved much closer to Vettel in qualifying trim and starts 14th.

Qualifying would prove a major disappointment for the Williams Toyota team. Nico Rosberg set the 15th best time having only just escaped elimination in Q1 but his grid position penalty for his Montreal pit lane infringement drops him to the back of the field. Kazuki Nakajima therefore inherits 15th position on the grid after a poor run and traffic on his final qualifying laps of the day.

Honda has shown little pace all weekend and it is therefore no surprise to see Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello starting 16th and 17th respectively ahead of Force India Ferrari duo Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil.

Weather aside, Ferrari look set to run away with the French Grand Prix.

* It was later announced that Heikki Kovalainen would be demoted five positions on the grid for blocking in qualifying.

Earl ALEXANDER
© CAPSIS International

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Massa and Raikkonen upbeat - French Practice

2008-06-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

A lot of work completed by Ferrari in these three hours of free practice on the first day of the French Grand Prix. Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa covered around 500 kilometres and the Italian team now has plenty of data to work on with a view to qualifying and especially French Sunday's Grand Prix.

Felipe Massa set the fastest lap of the day with a 1:15.306s in the morning session and was second fastest in the afternoon despite a stiff neck. Raikkonen was third in the morning and fourth in the afternoon.

Felipe Massa
"It was a good day, apart from a slightly tight neck which I began to feel this morning: so as not to take any risks, I chose to avoid doing too many runs of several laps. I therefore concentrated on the car's set-up, working with both types of tyre. On the softer ones, it seems to be a little bit harder to find the right balance, but we must take into account that today, as usual on a Friday, the track is still dirty. Everyone suffered a bit with graining on the front tyres, but tomorrow the situation should improve. We must study all the data we have gathered to prepare as well as possible for qualifying and the race."

Kimi Raikkonen
"I am happy with the way things went during these two free practice sessions. We got through all our usual Friday job list, working mainly towards the race. Of course we don't know how much fuel our main rivals were running, but I get the impression we are very competitive. Maybe I did not get the most out of the first lap, but I am happy with the balance of the car.

We tried out this new system for a Safety Car period and I think it could be a good solution because it puts everyone in the same situation and that way, you can't be penalised just by unfortunate circumstances."

Stefano Domenicali, Team Principal
"Overall, it was a good start to this race weekend. Both drivers declared themselves pleased with the handling of the F2008 on this track. In evaluating the results, the usual unknowns come into consideration, these being the fuel taken on by the other teams and their work schedule, but we can say we are confident for the rest of the weekend. Coming off the back of two negative results, having not fulfilled our potential, it's time to get back to our usual standards."

Luca Baldisserri
"Because Felipe was suffering with a stiff neck this morning, we slightly modified the two drivers' programmes from the usual ones. The Brazilian concentrated on defining the best set-up on the car, while Kimi also had to tackle the task of evaluating the behaviour of both types of Bridgestone tyre available to us. We are happy with the work we did today: the F2008 seemed to be going well on this track and that means we can be cautiously confident for the rest of the weekend."

E.A. © CAPSIS International

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Ferrari Mugs

2008-06-02T05:15:00.001-07:00

I'm ferrari fan. I use this mug when watching F1 GP, make a coffee or tea.
Go Kimi...
Go Massa...
Go Ferrari...

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Raikkonen had ear infection in Bahrain - New pit system in place at Ferrari

2008-04-12T00:58:00.000-07:00

Kimi Raikkonen struggled through the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend in more ways than one, according to reports.

The reigning world champion was off-colour at Sakhir, as he was outperformed all weekend at the desert venue by his Brazilian team-mate Felipe Massa.

The Finn argued that he simply did not get the setup of his Ferrari right, and it is true that he is not a fan of the Bahrain layout.

But the Swiss publication Motorsport Aktuell claims that Raikkonen also struggled physically, with an ear infection.

Raikkonen also encountered a dose of bad luck, when Ferrari's novel new pitstop lights system - which has replaced the more common 'lollipop man' - didn't function well during his first stop.

At recent races, a series of LED lights, mounted horizontally on the team's pitlane gantry, informs the Ferrari drivers when it is time to exit the pits.

The 'green' light is apparently triggered automatically with the removal of the fuelling hose.

"There was a problem with the system, so it took a bit longer, but it didn't change much," Raikkonen insists.

Source: GMM
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Raikkonen happy with second in Bahrain - Taking the championship lead with Ferrari

2008-04-12T00:48:00.000-07:00

Kimi Raikkonen may not have had the pace to beat Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa in Bahrain at the weekend, but for the Malaysian Grand Prix winner, the one-two result for the Ferrari squad was still an excellent result as the team prepare for the fourth round of the championship in Spain.

"We came to Bahrain hoping for a double win and it worked out: it's difficult to do any better," Raikkonen began. "True, the second place was not ideal for me, but it was a great weekend for Ferrari, making up ground in the Constructors' Championship, where we are second now, just one point behind the leader."

"The team gives its best to remain on this level," Raikkonen continued. "There's no better reward for all these efforts, than seeing two Ferraris ahead of all the other cars. Felipe has done some great work since Friday, while I had some problems finding the right set up for the car, especially on Saturday. During the race the set up was very difficult to handle, especially on the first two laps, when there was oil on the track. The situation improved and I could press more and keep a good race rhythm. But when you know that you'll come in one lap before your teammate, there's hardly anything you can do."

"I want to win races and fight for the title: coming in second left me a bit disappointed. Sometimes certain weekends are just like that and the one in Bahrain was one of them. For one reason or the other the Sakhir circuit does not seem to be very favourable to me.

But there's still some satisfaction at the end of this GP: I'm leading the Drivers' Championship. When we think about how many points we gained in Melbourne this is a great result."

"The worst part of the weekend was the qualifying and then the start; I had Felipe in front of me and I knew that I couldn't lead a trump. The BMWs were very close. I managed to pass Kubica, when he had some trouble: this was an important moment, because his race rhythm was very good. In the end I already said that in this season it will be very hard to gain every single place. It will be a very long and tough Championship. I wouldn't be surprised if BMW won some races this year. There will be GPs where we will be stronger and others where they will have an advantage; the same is true for McLaren, who remain very competitive."

"After the first three races we're now heading back to Europe," he said. "I can't wait to race in Barcelona, where we're also having some tests over the next week. We'll give it all to remain ahead of our competitors."

E.A. © CAPSIS International
Source: Ferrari

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2008 F1 Standing (after Bahrain F1 GP)

2008-04-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

-Kimi is leading the drivers championship
-BMW leading the constructor championship for the 1st time in 2008

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F1 2008 Bahrain Race Results

2008-04-06T08:14:00.001-07:00

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1-2 for Ferrari
3-4 for BMW Sauber
Not a good race for Mclaren
2008 1st win for Massa
2008 2nd podium for Kubica

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Qualy Malaysian F1 GP: It's pole position for Felipe Massa, 2nd for Kimi

2008-03-22T00:32:00.001-07:00

After being outdone by McLaren one week earlier, Ferrari fought back at Sepang, locking out the front row of the grid for Sunday's Malaysian GP.

Felipe Massa put in a blistering lap to claim pole position by half a second over Kimi Raikkonen as the duo dominated the proceedings.

McLaren drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton were third and fourth as the latter especially struggled with an ill-behaving car.

Jarno Trulli and Robert Kubica again showed their respective speeds, claiming fifth and sixth places on the grid.

Full report to follow...

Times
01 F. Massa Ferrari 1:35.748
02 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:36.230
03 H. Kovalainen McLaren 1:36.613
04 L. Hamilton McLaren 1:36.709
05 J. Trulli Toyota 1:36.711
06 R. Kubica BMW 1:36.727
07 N. Heidfeld BMW 1:36.753
08 M. Webber Red Bull 1:37.009
09 F. Alonso Renault 1:38.450
10 T. Glock Toyota 1:39.656
11 J. Button Honda 1:35.208
12 D. Coulthard Red Bull 1:35.408
13 N. Piquet jr. Renault 1:35.562
14 R. Barrichello Honda 1:35.622
15 S. Vettel Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:35.648
16 N. Rosberg Williams 1:35.670
17 G. Fisichella Force India F1 1:36.240
18 K. Nakajima Williams 1:36.388
19 S. Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:36.677
20 T. Sato Super Aguri 1:37.087
21 A. Sutil Force India F1 1:37.101
22 A. Davidson Super Aguri 1:37.481

Source: www.planetf1.com

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Raikkonen to debut new Ferrari

2008-01-03T03:58:00.000-08:00

Dec.28 (GMM) 2007 F1 driver world champion Kimi Raikkonen will be the first to drive Ferrari's 2008 car.

According to the German news agency DPA, the 28-year-old Finn is scheduled to test the car with which he will defend his crown in 2008 on January 7, the day after it is launched.

The launch and test will take place at Fiorano, the Italian team's private circuit located near the Ferrari headquarters at Maranello.

Raikkonen's maiden test in the 2008 Ferrari will coincide with the presentation of top rival McLaren's new challenger in Stuttgart, Germany.

The next day, the Mercedes-powered team will begin testing the MP4-23 with two completed single seaters at an exclusive three day session at Jerez, Spain.

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Kimi Raikkonen, Alonso, equally good says Todt

2008-01-03T02:48:00.000-08:00

Jean Todt says it is impossible to separate the talents of arguably F1's leading driver duo, Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso.

Raikkonen won the 2007 championship at the end of his first attempt in a Maranello built car, but double world champion Alonso is similarly regarded as perhaps the very best on the grid at present.

Between them, moreover, Raikkonen and Alonso are F1's only active title holders.

"I don't know if Kimi is better or worse than Alonso," Todt told the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport. "It is not for me to say - both are excellent drivers.

"Instead, the difference between them are their cars," he contended.

Alonso has been linked with a switch to Ferrari in the future, but Todt explains that Raikkonen is currently the most suitable of the pair for the Italian team.

"Of them, Kimi's character is best for us," the Frenchman confirmed, adding that he ideally would have maintained Ferrari's long and successful driving partnership with Michael Schumacher to the present day.

"Michael was the best candidate of all, but he did not want to (keep going)," Todt explained.

Todt said Schumacher, to continue as a part time advisor this season, was also offered and turned down the 'direzione sportiva' post; a job to instead be handled on the Ferrari pit wall by Stefano Domenicali in 2008 and beyond.

Source GMM
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Raikkonen loses out to Pitkamaki & Kuitunen - Finland's top sportsman of the year

2007-12-21T16:05:00.000-08:00

Despite winning his first world championship, Kimi Raikkonen missed out on being named Finland's top sportsman of the year.

According to the website of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Javelin world champion Tero Pitkamaki is a more worthy winner than the 28-year-old Ferrari driver.

The title is decided by members of the Finnish Sport Journalists Association, who awarded 4725 points to Pitkamaki, followed by women's triple World Cross Country Skiing champion Virpi Kuitunen, with 4089 points. Raikkonen attracted 4022 points for third place.

"This result clearly shows that the traditional sports are well respected in Finland. I prefer athletics and skiing when I turn on the TV, but I'd like to see Raikkonen's races, too," Pitkamaki said.

E.A.
Source GMM

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Montezemolo happy with Raikkonen's style

2007-12-21T15:46:00.000-08:00

Kimi Raikkonen can remain the quiet man of Formula One as long as he keeps winning, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has stated.

The new world champion is renowned for keeping to himself and speaking very little with the media. But di Montezemolo has made it clear he has no qualms about Raikkonen's personality, after praising the talents of both drivers.

"[Felipe] Massa was confirmed because of the great performances he's had since 2006, which have impressed [Michael] Schumacher too," di Montezemolo was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport.

"As for Raikkonen, he won and that's enough. I like him because he doesn't whine. He doesn't speak much, but he can carry on that way if he then goes on winning."

Di Montezemolo thinks that Ferrari's rivals will be even stronger next year than they were this season, when both McLaren drivers finished just one point behind Raikkonen in the championship table.

"Obviously the objective is to win again, even though the competition will be extraordinary," he said.

"McLaren have young drivers, Renault are hedging their bets on Alonso, BMW are the ones who got closest last year, and Honda have made the right choice with Ross Brawn."

And di Montezemolo said he will likely put more focus back on Ferrari when his period as head of Italian industry body Confindustria comes to an end early next year.

"My experience with Confindustria will come to an end in March, and I'm proud that one of my vice-presidents will become my successor," he said.

"Until April 2009 I will be Fiat president and in the meantime I will get back to focus more on Ferrari. Me in politics? I'd say no."

Source: autosport.com

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Brazil: Ferrari - Kimi finally found his family

2007-12-21T15:39:00.000-08:00

Kimi Raikkonen won the Brazilian Grand Prix to take the Drivers' World Championship title, the first of his career and the fifteenth for Ferrari in Formula 1. This was win number 201 from 758 Grands Prix entered by Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, the fifteenth from 122 race starts for Kimi. The Scuderia's number of wins in this race is now nine.

Brazilian GP - Race

Interlagos, 21st October 2007

Kimi Raikkonen: 1st 1:28.15.270 71 laps chassis 262
Felipe Massa: 2nd + 1.493 71 laps chassis 263

Jean Todt: "A dream that it seemed would be impossible to come true was transformed into reality at the end of a race which the drivers and the team managed superbly, which is self evident from looking at the details of the race. We had to get a one-two and then see what our main competitors could do. We needed a "helping hand" from others, both those in the running for the title as well as those out of the running to bring home both titles. And yes, because not only have we taken the Drivers' title with Kimi, but we also numerically confirmed the Constructors' title that we acquired after the decision of the FIA World Council back on 13 September. Two titles, nine wins, four one-two finishes, nine pole positions, twelve fastest race laps: these are exceptional figures in a season which included some difficult moments, but in which we never gave up the fight. Today was our reward for all this work. I wish to congratulate Kimi and thank Felipe, who again today demonstrated his loyalty to Ferrari: without his help, we would have not reached this result."

Kimi Raikkonen: "It is very difficult for me to explain in words what I am feeling at the moment: it is an incredible emotion. I want to thank the team for everything they have done this year. Even when we went through some difficult times and it looked as though there was no way to fight back, we never gave up and this work produced its reward today. Thanks also to my parents, to my wife Jenni and everyone who believed in me. I have achieved what I have been after for a long time. Now everything else will be an extra. Today, Felipe's help was vital and he was amazing. We had to get a one-two and then see what the others did. This time, things went our way and the unexpected did happen. This has been a very nice year for me during which I have enjoyed Formula 1 like never before. In Ferrari, I have found a great family and I am proud to have won the title with them."

Felipe Massa: "Today is a great day for the team and for Kimi, who has won the Drivers' title. Of course I would have liked to have won my home race again this year, but I am happy to have helped my team-mate, who was the only one of us still in with a chance of taking the title. I am proud to have done it for Ferrari who believed in me even when I was not in Formula 1. It is thanks to the people in Maranello that I am here and it is with them that I have grown as a driver and as a man. After everything that has happened this year, both on and off the track, today it is great to be able to celebrate two world titles. Today I had a fantastic car and I could have gone even quicker on track than I did. I also want to thank all our partners for all their support."

Luca Baldisserri: "We needed a perfect race and we produced one. However, even that on its own would not have been enough and we needed a little help from the others. Our two drivers were fantastic and the car was up to their level. This result is a dream and we were so keen to win it on the race track. It confirms we are a fantastic group."

Australia 2008 F1 Tickets

Technorati tags :
Michael Schumacher | F1 | Ferrari| Kimi Raikkonen

Brazilian GP race: Raikkonen World Champion!

2007-12-21T15:31:00.000-08:00

It took Kimi Raikkonen 122 races and 15 wins to become FIA World Champion. In a thrilling season finale where it wasa a constant calculating situation, Raikkonen wins. Hamilton made an error while Alonso passed him in the first few corners. Ferrari dominated in Sao Paolo today.

FORMULA 1™ Grande Prêmio do Brasil 2007 - Race Pos No Driver Team Laps Time/Retired Grid Points

1 6 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 10
2 5 Felipe Massa Ferrari 8
3 1 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 6
4 16 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 5
5 10 Robert Kubica BMW 4
6 9 Nick Heidfeld BMW 3
7 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 2
8 12 Jarno Trulli Toyota 1
9 14 David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault
10 17 Kazuki Nakajima Williams-Toyota
11 11 Ralf Schumacher Toyota
12 22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda
13 18 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Ferrari
14 23 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda
DNF 20 Adrian Sutil Spyker-Ferrari
DNF 8 Rubens Barrichello Honda
DNF 4 Heikki Kovalainen Renault
DNF 19 Sebastian Vettel STR-Ferrari
DNF 7 Jenson Button Honda
DNF 15 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault
DNF 21 Sakon Yamamoto Spyker-Ferrari
DNF 3 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault

Technorati tags :
Michael Schumacher | F1 | Ferrari | Kimi Raikkonen

Brazil GP: Kimi: It Would Be Nice To Win Title

2007-10-18T21:06:00.000-07:00

One of the three contenders to win the World Championship Kimi Raikkonen was at his laconic best ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The mathematical permutations are against the Ferrari ace and he explained how he planned to approach the race. "We don't have much to lose and I think we will treat it more like a normal race," he told Autosport.

"Maybe we will need to do something during the race, but we won't do anything crazy because it probably won't work out."

The Finn reiterated that he will need luck on his side if he is to beat Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso to the title.

"But for sure we have not been in the best position at some points this year," he said.

"We had some problems and we dropped out of the points. So we were quite far away.

"We caught up again a little bit, but for sure we need a bit of good luck also on Sunday to try to win it. To win it would not be a surprise, but it would be very nice."

Raikkonen celebrated his 28th birthday this Wednesday. When asked what he did on the day he said: "Nothing really. It was just a normal day, we just went to eat. That was all."

He also said that he is yet to meet up with the Prancing Horse team in Brazil, although he isn't expecting a birthday gift from them.

"I haven't seen them yet, I am staying in a different hotel to them," said Raikkonen.

"Maybe I get something, maybe not. It is not such an important thing when you are getting older. More or less when you are ten years old, you are more excited."

Schu has fingers crossed for Kimi, Ferrari

2007-10-18T21:04:00.000-07:00

Michael Schumacher hopes that Kimi Raikkonen and Ferrari do the business and win the Drivers' World Championship at Interlagos.

The seven-times Champion says he has fond memories of the Brazilian Grand Prix, but admits that he is happy to be away from the action.

"The World Championship finale in Brazil will be a great battle," said the German on his official website.

"I can well think back to the tension a weekend like this one means to the driver and to be honest, I'm quite happy to be watching the race from my sofa at home this time.

And the 38-year-old has been impressed that his former team have managed to compete despite massive upheaval.

"Not only as a fan but more so as a driver you dream of a big fight like this and it goes without saying, that I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Kimi and our team," he said Schumacher.

"I'm sure it's going to be a thrilling race -- just like the whole year has been, in my opinion, an extremely exciting championship.

"I was happy to see that no matter what happened we always remained competitive and consistent, despite all the changes within the team and the technical problems we were facing sometimes. The guys have done a great job.

Although Schumacher was nostalgic about the Sao Paulo circuit, he reitereated that he is happily retired.

"It's now been a full year since I drove my last race and, looking back on that final day in Interlagos, I've got some very good memories that have stayed with me.

"But all in all, my family and I feel wonderful with the life that we have nowadays."

Brazil GP : Raikkonen plays down tyre concern

2007-10-18T21:02:00.001-07:00

Kimi Raikkonen doesn't think the supersoft tyres will be to Ferrari's disadvantage at this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix.

The Finn, who heads into the season finale seven points behind Championship leader Lewis Hamilton and four behind Fernando Alonso, also promised to give it his all to win the Drivers' title on Sunday.

If Hamilton fails to score any points and Alonso finishes no higher than fifth then Raikkonen will claim his first Championship crown if he ends second.

There has been suggestions in some quarters that the Bridgestone tyres will benefit McLaren at Interlagos, but Raikkonen is having none of that.

"I've been reading stories that the supersoft tyres should be better for our competitors," Raikkonen said.

"That might have been true early in the season. But then things improved for us in terms of the set-up. So we just have to wait and see how it goes in Brazil.

"We go to Brazil in position three, so I'm not really the favourite for the title. But as we saw at Shanghai two weeks ago anything can happen. Whatever will happen, it's going to be a very exciting race. We will give it all.

"We couldn't do very much to prepare ourselves for Interlagos," the Finn said.

"I think that our competitors have done their job as we did. There's lots of pressure on both sides. They have two drivers in the race for the title and they also fight each other. Hopefully we can benefit from that.

"I go into this race the same way as into the last two: my aim is to win, and the rest is not up to me. It is a similar situation as in 2003, when I lost the title to Michael [Schumacher].

"Hamilton has seven points more than us: there's not much to calculate. We have to win and that's it."

Brazil GP: Kimi pragmatic about his chances of glory

2007-10-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

Kimi Raikkonen is racing in Brazil to win and the rest, whether he claims the title or not, is up to his rivals. The Finn heads to Interlagos trailing McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso by seven and three points respectively and therefore has a tougher task on his hands winning the title.

In fact, according to the maths, Raikkonen has to finish in the top two to even stand a chance at winning the Drivers' crown. And if he does that it will then depend on where Hamilton and Alonso finish as to who wins the title.

"My aim is to win and the rest is not up to me," Raikkonen told his personal website.

"For me it is a similar position to 2003. Then I lost the title to Michael (Schumacher), but looking back it was a close call and at one point during the race it looked possible.

"Hamilton has seven points more than us. It is not easy to go to the last race just to get a couple of points more.

"We cannot calculate. We have to win. For us it is a straightforward race."

The Ferrari driver, though, is hoping that the on-going feud between Hamilton and Alonso will play into his hands come Sunday's season finale.

"There is a lot of pressure on both sides," he said. "They are the favourites and they fight against each other, too.

"Hopefully we benefit from that."

Chinese GP debrief: Kimi win, Ferrari - 200th victory

2007-10-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

Kimi Raikkonen secured Scuderia Ferrari's two hundredth victory from 757 Grand Prix entered in the Formula 1 World Championship. It is Kimi's fifth win with the team, his fourteenth from 121 races. It is Ferrari's eighth victory of the season and its third in four runnings of the Chinese Grand Prix.

Chinese GP - Race

Kimi Raikkonen: 1st 1:37.58.395 56 laps chassis 262
Felipe Massa: 3rd + 12.891 56 laps chassis 263
Weather: air temperature 28 °C, track temperature 28 °C, rain, then overcast.

Jean Todt: "It is great to be able to celebrate Scuderia Ferrari's two hundredth victory in Formula 1, here in Shanghai, at the end of a difficult race, further complicated by the unpredictability of the changes in the weather. Kimi brings his total tally of the season to five and this is the team's eighth. He drove an extraordinary race, without committing the slightest error. Felipe had a good race, helping us to see how the dry weather tyres were working at a critical moment. Unfortunately, the rain returned for a brief period, which affected his race. All the team had taken badly what happened at a difficult weekend in Fuji which we left with much less than we deserved. I also wish to congratulate our friends at Toro Rosso, who picked up some important points: it is great to see four Ferrari engines in the top eight. We know our aim of bringing home the Drivers' title will still be very difficult to achieve, but we will give it our all, right up to the last lap of the last race!"

Kimi Raikkonen: "I am very happy! It is a really great result for me and the whole team, who done a truly excellent job. We needed this win and we got it. At the start of the race, I had a lot of understeer but then the situation improved. I was one of the last to switch to dry tyres but this was a help as after a little while the rain began to fall again. Even after the second stop I had a bit of understeer, but as before, the situation improved in the final stages. I knew Alonso was very quick but I was in full control of the situation. The car overall was working well both in the wet and in the dry. Last week in Fuji, we were unlucky but today things went right for us. We have had yet another example that in this sport anything can happen. The situation in the Drivers' classification is still difficult, but I will try everything to win in Brazil, even if the final outcome does not just depend on what we do. It should be a great battle, very hard to predict and interesting."

Felipe Massa: "I had hoped to be fighting for the win, but the race was affected by the changing weather conditions. At the moment I switched to dry tyres, the timing was not ideal. The rain came back immediately and it was really difficult to stay on track. In any case, in these instances, it can pay off to take risks: sometimes it works out and sometimes not. After a few difficulties with graining, the situation to the extent that, in the final part of the race, I was going very well. All in all, finishing on the podium in a race like this is very important and I am very happy for the team. There is one race to go: anything can happen and we must continue to work to stay ahead of our rivals."

Luca Baldisserri: "This was probably one of the most difficult races of the season, characterized by very unstable weather, with the rain coming and going. After the first pit stop, Kimi gradually made up ground on Hamilton and could have got past earlier but for the yellow flags. Then, as the track was drying, Kimi stepped up the pace and controlled a possible attack from Alonso. Maybe with Felipe, we rushed the switch to dry tyres, but the rain did not help. Now we can say it was a great race, run by two exceptional drivers who are capable of adapting very well to the changing track conditions. It will be tough in Sao Paolo but we will give it our best shot right down to the final corner."

Chinese GP: Updated standings, 3 drivers a chance to be world champion

2007-10-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

With the DNF of Lewis Hamilton, the last race in Brazil will have to decide who will become world champion 2007. Hamilton still leads with 4 points over Alonso and 7 over Raikkonen.

Championship Points

1 Lewis Hamilton 107
2 Fernando Alonso 103
3 Kimi Raikkonen 100

Drivers' Table

Who will win 2007 Driver Championship?

Chinese GP race: Raikkonen wins

2007-10-18T20:07:00.000-07:00

The Chinese GP ensures the battle to be continued in Brazil. Hamilton did not finish and Raikkonen wins before Alonso and Massa. Sebastian Vettel finishes fourth, a great finish for Toro Rosso, with also Liuzzi in the points.

2007 FORMULA 1™ Sinopec Chinese Grand Prix - Race

Pos No Driver Team Laps Time/Retired Grid Pit Points

1 6 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 56 Winner 2 2 10
2 1 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 56 +9.8 secs 4 2 8
3 5 Felipe Massa Ferrari 56 +12.8 secs 3 2 6
4 19 Sebastian Vettel STR-Ferrari 56 +53.5 secs 17 1 5
5 7 Jenson Button Honda 56 +68.6 secs 10 2 4
6 18 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Ferrari 56 +73.6 secs 11 2 3
7 9 Nick Heidfeld BMW 56 +74.2 secs 8 2 2
8 14 David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 56 +80.7 secs 5 2 1
9 4 Heikki Kovalainen Renault 56 +81.1 secs 13 1
10 15 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 56 +84.6 secs 7 3
11 3 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 56 +86.6 secs 18 2
12 17 Alexander Wurz Williams-Toyota 55 +1 Lap 19 2
13 12 Jarno Trulli Toyota 55 +1 Lap 12 1
14 22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 55 +1 Lap 20 1
15 8 Rubens Barrichello Honda 55 +1 Lap 16 3
16 16 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 54 +2 Laps 15 3
17 21 Sakon Yamamoto Spyker-Ferrari 53 +3 Laps 22 4
DNF 10 Robert Kubica BMW 33 +23 Laps 9 1
DNF 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 30 +26 Laps 1 1
DNF 11 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 25 +31 Laps 6 1
DNF 20 Adrian Sutil Spyker-Ferrari 24 +32 Laps 21 2
DNF 23 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 11 +45 Laps 14 1

Fastest lap: Felipe Massa 1:37.454

Chinese GP qualifying: Raikkonen P2

2007-10-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

Lewis Hamilton once again steals pole. Raikkonen follows closely with Massa and Alonso behind him on P3 and P4. Hamilton has the bests position possible to become the youngest F1 worldchampion ever tomorrow. BUt will the race be dry and the setup good enough?

2007 FORMULA 1™ Sinopec Chinese Grand Prix - Qualifying
Pos No Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Laps
1 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:35.798 1:35.898 1:35.908 16
2 6 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:35.692 1:35.381 1:36.044 17
3 5 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:35.792 1:35.796 1:36.221 16
4 1 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 1:35.809 1:35.845 1:36.576 16
5 14 David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 1:36.930 1:36.252 1:37.619 22
6 11 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1:37.135 1:36.709 1:38.013 23
7 15 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:37.199 1:36.602 1:38.153 22
8 9 Nick Heidfeld BMW 1:36.737 1:36.217 1:38.455 21
9 10 Robert Kubica BMW 1:36.309 1:36.116 1:38.472 20
10 8 Jenson Button Honda 1:37.092 1:36.771 1:39.285 22
11 18 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Ferrari 1:37.047 1:36.862 12
12 19 Sebastian Vettel STR-Ferrari 1:37.006 1:36.891 12
13 12 Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:37.209 1:36.959 13
14 4 Heikki Kovalainen Renault 1:37.225 1:36.991 12
15 23 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 1:37.203 1:37.247 12
16 16 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 1:37.144 1:37.483 13
17 7 Rubens Barrichello Honda 1:37.251 6
18 3 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1:37.290 7
19 17 Alexander Wurz Williams-Toyota 1:37.456 6
20 22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 1:38.218 6
21 20 Adrian Sutil Spyker-Ferrari 1:38.668 8
22 21 Sakon Yamamoto Spyker-Ferrari 1:39.336 7

Chinese GP: Raikkonen: trying to win the last two races

2007-10-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

In marked contrast to the wet and cold in Fuji, it is a warm and sunny Shanghai International Circuit that greeted the circus at this, the penultimate round of the 2007 World Championship. Kimi Raikkonen's first appointment of the day was the FIA Press Conference, although the Finn did not get the chance to say much as, with Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel, Robert Kubica and Fernando Alonso sharing the platform, most questions revolved around the fairness of various penalties handed out during and after the Japanese GP and specifically, the driving style of Lewis Hamilton while leading the field behind the Safety Car.

Asked for his views on the circuit, Kimi said it was "quite okay" and that he "enjoyed driving it." In the past, the Finn has come second and third here. "But I don't think past results mean anything," continued the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver. "We will see how it goes this weekend, although the position in the championship does not look strong. I will be trying to win the last two races, but really now, the championship is not up to us, because even if I win the last two grands prix, that might not be enough to take the title. It's looking pretty impossible."

With the chance of rain forecast for a second consecutive Sunday, Kimi was ambivalent about how this would affect his race. "In the end it's the same for everyone," said Raikkonen. But you have to say that in Fuji, it certainly made it more lively! One journalists accused the driver and the Scuderia of making a lot of errors in Fuji, but Kimi refuted this. "With the tyre choice, we made that decision based on discussions between ourselves and also Bridgestone and, thinking the rain would ease, we opted to use the intermediates, no knowing this was not allowed. Then, we tried to do something different in terms of strategy as we were at the back of the pack and behind the Safety Car. These were not mistakes."

Finally, a very straightforward question: "It looks like a McLaren driver could win the world championship. Any regrets about leaving them?" And the very straightforward answer: "No!"

Kimi blames FIA for wrong tyres gaffe

2007-10-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

Kimi Raikkonen on Sunday blamed the FIA for not informing Ferrari of a last minute rule change. The Maranello based team had to pull into the pits early in the Japanese grand prix after trying to start the race behind the safety car on intermediate tyres.

Third placed Raikkonen, now a distant 17 points behind Lewis Hamilton in the world championship with two races to go, later told reporters at Fuji Speedway that Charlie Whiting and FIA race control failed to tell Ferrari that it had to start on extreme wet tyres.

"They forgot to tell our team," the Finn claimed. "That forced us to pit behind the safety car."

Although no other team wrongly started the race on intermediates, Renault's Pat Symonds confirmed that Whiting only publicised the rule change just over an hour before the race.

"It's a little bit surprising, I guess," he told the British broadcaster ITV.

Raikkonen's teammate Felipe Massa finished sixth at Fuji, meaning that he can no longer become world champion.

Japanese GP: Race - Kimi take 3rd position

2007-10-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

It was a hectic day today at the Fuji Motor Speedway. After 45 minutes behind the safety car the field was cleared to race. With heavy rains it was a brilliant race to watch. Eventually rookie Lewis Hamilton was strongest while teammate Alonso crashed into the barriers. Raikkonen virtually started with Massa behind the field, but the strong Ferrari's managed to finish in the points, with Massa wheelbanging Kubica in the last corners before the finish. 2007 Japanese Grand Prix - Race

Pos No Driver Team Laps Time/Retired Grid Pit Points

1 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 67 2:00:34.579 1 1 10
2 4 Heikki Kovalainen Renault 67 +8.3 secs 11 1 8
3 6 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 67 +9.4 secs 3 3 6
4 14 David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 67 +20.2 secs 12 1 5
5 3 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 67 +38.8 secs 10 1 4
6 5 Felipe Massa Ferrari 67 +49.0 secs 4 4 3
7 10 Robert Kubica BMW 67 +49.2 secs 9 2 2
8 20 Adrian Sutil Spyker-Ferrari 67 +60.1 secs 19 1 1
9 18 Vitantonio Liuzzi * STR-Ferrari 67 +80.6 secs 22 2
10 8 Rubens Barrichello Honda 67 +88.3 secs 16 2
11 7 Jenson Button Honda 67 Suspension 6 1
12 21 Sakon Yamamoto Spyker-Ferrari 66 +1 Lap 21 2
13 12 Jarno Trulli Toyota 66 +1 Lap 13 2
14 9 Nick Heidfeld BMW 65 Technical 5 1
15 22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 65 Collision 20 4
DNF 11 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 55 Puncture 14 4
DNF 23 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 54 Throttle sensor 18 1
DNF 16 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 49 Electronics 15 2
DNF 19 Sebastian Vettel STR-Ferrari 46 Collision 8 2
DNF 15 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 45 Collision 7 1
DNF 1 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 41 Accident 2 1
DNF 17 Alexander Wurz Williams-Toyota 19 Collision 17 1

Fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton 1:28.193 (Lap 27)

*Note - Liuzzi finished eighth, but had 25 seconds added to his race time for passing under yellow flags.

Japanese GP: Qualifying - Kimi's 3rd

2007-10-18T19:35:00.000-07:00

Kimi Raikkonen: "Quite a good qualifying session. I could probably have got a better grid position but I came up against a bit of traffic and also had a small problem with the electronic management of the gearbox which cost me precious time. Of course it was something of a gamble starting qualifying in the wet without having ever run in these conditions but it only took a handful of laps to find the right line.

I expect tomorrow's race will be very tight. As we could work out from yesterday's practice, it is very close between us and our main rivals. Overall, the car worked well and I think I can be competitive in the wet or dry."

2007 FORMULA 1™ Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix

Pos No Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Laps
1 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:25.489 1:24.753 1:25.368 30
2 1 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 1:25.379 1:24.806 1:25.438 27
3 6 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:25.390 1:24.988 1:25.516 29
4 5 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:25.359 1:25.049 1:25.765 29
5 9 Nick Heidfeld BMW 1:25.971 1:25.248 1:26.505 30
6 16 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 1:26.579 1:25.816 1:26.728 33
7 7 Jenson Button Honda 1:26.614 1:25.454 1:26.913 31
8 15 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:25.970 1:25.535 1:26.914 29
9 19 Sebastian Vettel STR-Ferrari 1:26.025 1:25.909 1:26.973 33
10 10 Robert Kubica BMW 1:26.300 1:25.530 1:27.225 33
11 3 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1:26.909 1:26.033 17
12 4 Heikki Kovalainen Renault 1:27.223 1:26.232 17
13 14 David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 1:26.904 1:26.247 21
14 12 Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:26.711 1:26.253 21
15 18 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Ferrari 1:27.234 1:26.948 22
16 11 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1:27.191 No time 10
17 8 Rubens Barrichello Honda 1:27.323 10
18 17 Alexander Wurz Williams-Toyota 1:27.454 10
19 23 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 1:27.564 10
20 20 Adrian Sutil Spyker-Ferrari 1:28.628 10
21 22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 1:28.792 10
22 21 Sakon Yamamoto Spyker-Ferrari 1:29.668 10

Belgian GP race - Raikkonen leads from begin to end, 1-2 for Ferrari

2007-10-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

Raikkonen and Ferrari jave demonstrated their power on the track again. Leading from start to finish, Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa finished 1st and 2nd. Alonso And Hamilton followed. Ferrari now wins the constructors title of 2007.

2007 FORMULA 1™ ING Belgian Grand Prix - Race
Pos No Driver Team Laps Time/Retired Grid Pts
1 6 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 44 Winner 1 10
2 5 Felipe Massa Ferrari 44 +4.6 secs 2 8
3 1 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 44 +14.3 secs 3 6
4 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 44 +23.6 secs 4 5
5 9 Nick Heidfeld BMW 44 +51.8 secs 6 4
6 16 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 44 +76.8 secs 5 3
7 15 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 44 +80.6 secs 7 2
8 4 Heikki Kovalainen Renault 44 +85.1 secs 9 1
9 10 Robert Kubica BMW 44 +85.6 secs 14
10 11 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 44 +88.5 secs 10
11 12 Jarno Trulli Toyota 44 8
12 18 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Ferrari 43 +1 Lap 13
13 8 Rubens Barrichello Honda 43 +1 Lap 17
14 20 Adrian Sutil Spyker-Ferrari 43 +1 Lap 19
15 22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 43 +1 Lap 18
16 23 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 43 +1 Lap 22
17 21 Sakon Yamamoto Spyker-Ferrari 43 +1 Lap 20
Ret 7 Jenson Button Honda 36 +8 Laps 12
Ret 17 Alexander Wurz Williams-Toyota 34 +10 Laps 15
Ret 14 David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 29 +15 Laps 11
Ret 19 Sebastian Vettel STR-Ferrari 8 +36 Laps 16
Ret 3 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1 +43 Laps 21

Fastest lap: Felipe Massa, lap 34, 1:48.036

Belgian GP qualifying: Raikkonen pole, 1-2 for Ferrari

2007-10-18T19:29:00.000-07:00

Kimi Raikkonen has taken pole position for the Belgian GP of tomorrow. On a circuit he has always done well, Ferrari seem to outpace McLaren by a fraction. Massa has P2, while Alonso and Hamilton follow. Alonso made a rare mistake by spinning halfway through Q3.

2007 FORMULA 1™ ING Belgian Grand Prix (Qualifying)
Pos No Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Laps
1 6 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:46.242 1:45.070 1:45.994 15
2 5 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:46.060 1:45.173 1:46.011 15
3 1 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 1:46.058 1:45.442 1:46.091 15
4 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:46.437 1:45.132 1:46.406 15
5 10 Robert Kubica BMW 1:46.707 1:45.885 1:46.996 22
6 16 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 1:46.950 1:46.469 1:47.334 21
7 9 Nick Heidfeld BMW 1:46.923 1:45.994 1:47.409 18
8 15 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:47.084 1:46.426 1:47.524 20
9 12 Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:47.143 1:46.480 1:47.798 21
10 4 Heikki Kovalainen Renault 1:46.971 1:46.240 1:48.505 21
11 3 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1:47.143 1:46.603 13
12 11 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1:47.300 1:46.618 11
13 14 David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 1:47.340 1:46.800 12
14 7 Jenson Button Honda 1:47.474 1:46.955 12
15 18 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Ferrari 1:47.576 1:47.115 12
16 17 Alexander Wurz Williams-Toyota 1:47.522 1:47.394 12
17 19 Sebastian Vettel STR-Ferrari 1:47.581 6
18 8 Rubens Barrichello Honda 1:47.954 6
19 22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 1:47.980 6
20 20 Adrian Sutil Spyker-Ferrari 1:48.044 8
21 23 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 1:48.199 6
22 21 Sakon Yamamoto Spyker-Ferrari 1:49.577 5

Belgian GP - Raikkonen: "I always liked this circuit"

2007-10-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

A two times winner here in Belgium, Kimi Raikkonen faced the media in the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro media motorhome on a day when the weather gods, such an important element here, were in a warm sunny mood. The Finn did not want to consider the situation in evolving in Paris, so he had this to say about his championship title chances with four races remaining. "My position in the championship has not really changed in the last couple of races," maintained Raikkonen. "Let's see how we go this weekend, but while it is still possible I will still believe in my chances."

With only a few days having passed since Raikkonen's heavy crash on Saturday in Monza, the journalists were keen to know if he had recovered fully on the physical front. "My neck is better than it was last Sunday, but I will not have a clear idea what condition it is in until after I have driven in tomorrow's practice," said the Finn. "But I expect it will be okay."

After a two year gap, the F1 teams were given a unique opportunity to test at this circuit back in July. "I think we had a good test here, although it was a while ago and I reckon our car will definitely be more competitive here than it was last weekend," commented Kimi. "Again, we will have a clearer picture tomorrow. The track itself is not that much different to the way it used to be, apart from modifications at the chicane. The pit lane entrance is not dangerous, although in testing we do not tackle it at full speed. But it is tricky and could be a problem if someone is in difficulty. It could get blocked and then, no one could get through. Eau Rouge corner is still fun, but when I first came here with Sauber it was much more challenging and maybe scary, but now for Formula 1 cars it is no longer a challenge. I always liked this circuit, always done quite well and hope I can continue with that. The race can be made more difficult by the weather: it is never a straightforward race, but hopefully we can be strong and do well."

In order to score points and think of wins, first a car must make it to the finish and the Ferrari driver admitted this had not always been the case with the F2007. "Reliability has not been our strongest point this year but we are constantly working on it, even if it is still costing too many points and it is definitely something we have to improve on for the future. Of course we were not happy after Monza, as we had expected to be stronger than McLaren in the race."

And Paris? "I don't want to talk about it until we know what is happening. For me the atmosphere within the team at the track is the same and all I would say is that it will be nice to reach a decision on this matter."

Kimi's statistic at Belgian GP
2004 and 2005 winner

Italian GP race: Kimi took 3rd place

2007-10-18T18:21:00.000-07:00

Kimi took 3rd place in Italian GP behind the McLaren drivers. Alonso wins followed by Lewis Hamilton. Kimi's teammate Massa DNF cause by mechanical problem.

FORMULA 1™ Gran Premio d'Italia 2007

Pos No Driver Team Laps Time/Retired Grid Pts
1 1 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 53 Winner 1 10
2 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 53 +6.0 secs 2 8
3 6 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 53 +27.3 secs 5 6
4 9 Nick Heidfeld BMW 53 +56.5 secs 4 5
5 10 Robert Kubica BMW 53 +60.5 secs 6 4
6 16 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 53 +65.8 secs 8 3
7 4 Heikki Kovalainen Renault 53 +66.7 secs 7 2
8 7 Jenson Button Honda 53 +72.1 secs 10 1
9 15 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 53 +75.8 secs 11
10 8 Rubens Barrichello Honda 53 +76.9 secs 12
11 12 Jarno Trulli Toyota 53 +77.7 secs 9
12 3 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 52 +1 Lap 15
13 17 Alexander Wurz Williams-Toyota 52 +1 Lap 13
14 23 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 52 +1 Lap 14
15 11 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 52 +1 Lap 18
16 22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 52 +1 Lap 17
17 18 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Ferrari 52 +1 Lap 19
18 19 Sebastian Vettel STR-Ferrari 52 +1 Lap 16
19 20 Adrian Sutil Spyker-Ferrari 52 +1 Lap 21
20 21 Sakon Yamamoto Spyker-Ferrari 52 +1 Lap 22
Ret 5 Felipe Massa Ferrari 10 +43 Laps 3
Ret 14 David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 1 +52 Laps 20

Fastest lap: Fernando Alonso 1:22.871 (lap 15)

Raikkonen to race with stiff, sore neck

2007-10-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

Following his high speed crash during Saturday practice at Monza, Kimi Raikkonen awoke on Sunday morning for the Italian grand prix with a very sore and stiff neck. The Finn had a check-up in the circuit medical centre here directly after the incident, where FIA medical boss Dr Gary Hartstein cleared him to qualify."He is okay," Hartstein said in the paddock on Saturday.

Raikkonen, 28, was just fifth quickest, and apparently confided to some friends in the Finnish press that he was suffering with some neck pain throughout the qualifying session.

Spanish newspaper 'As' says the Ferrari driver's pain increased throughout the evening, and he arrived at the circuit on Sunday barely able to move his head from side to side. It is not believed that the muscle soreness will cause him to sit out the race, but Raikkonen told the Swiss newspaper Blick: "My neck does hurt quite a lot and it is completely stiff. I can hardly move.

"But it's nothing really bad or anything and I look forward to the race."

Kimi crash not caused by failure - Ferrari

2007-10-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

Kimi Raikkonen had to use Ferrari's spare car for qualifying at Monza following his high speed practice shunt earlier on Saturday. The Finn will not be penalised ten grid places, however, after mechanics for the Maranello based team switched the intact engine from his damaged F2007 to the T-car. A Ferrari spokesman said here that initial investigations showed that the practice accident, in which the rear of Raikkonen's car initially swerved into the retaining wall under braking for the Ascari chicane, was actually not a technical failure.

"It just happened that he braked on a bump; he braved very hard and he lost the rear," the spokesman told the British broadcaster ITV.

He added: "No mechanical failure, as far as we have seen, and no driver mistakes (either)." Luca Colajanni also stated that he thought Raikkonen's performance would suffer in qualifying due to his lack of running here so far.

Raikkonen, 28, qualified just fifth for Sunday's Italian grand prix.

Kimi lost practice time with an hydraulic problem on Friday, and had completed just three laps on Saturday before his crash.

"So compared to the others for sure he has a handicap," Colajanni said.

Fastest laps: Kimi outpaces Massa

2007-08-27T22:08:00.000-07:00

Kimi Raikkonen may have been faster than his team-mate Felipe Massa in Sunday's Turkish GP but it was the latter who claimed the win. At a track where Ferrari were expected to be the quickest cars, they were with Raikkonen topped the timesheets with a 1:27.295.

However, what wasn't expected was how much faster than Finn was than his race-winner team-mate. Massa's best time, a 1:27.922, was 0.627s slower.
McLaren, though, can take some comfort from the fact that, although Ferrari clinched the 1-2, they were not too far off the pace. Lewis Hamilton's fastest lap was only 0.041s slower than Massa's, while Fernand Alonso was a further 0.107s slower.
Nick Heidfeld once again demonstrated the progress made by BMW this season, setting the fifth best time.

However, his team-mate Robert Kubica, surprisingly, didn't have the pace. His best time, a 1:28.918, was six-tenths of a second slower than Heidfeld's.
Nico Rosberg and Alex Wurz showed the recent progress made by Williams, finishing sixth and eighth on the timesheets, separated by the Renault of Heikki Kovalainen.
Meanwhile Honda's Jenson Button who finished down in 13th place and a lap behind race-winner Massa actually didn't do too bad in the pace department. The Brit was tenth fastest, only 0.951s slower than Massa.

Times
01 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 57 1:27.295
02 Felipe Massa Ferrari 18 1:27.922
03 Lewis Hamilton McLaren 17 1:27.963
04 Fernando Alonso McLaren 39 1:28.070
05 Nick Heidfeld BMW 39 1:28.319
06 Nico Rosberg Williams 37 1:28.536
07 Heikki Kovalainen Renault 20 1:28.603
08 Alex Wurz Williams 55 1:28.737
09 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 56 1:28.793
10 Jenson Button Honda 34 1:28.873
11 Robert Kubica BMW 11 1:28.918
12 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 55 1:28.924
13 David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 54 1:29.068
14 Jarno Trulli Toyota 39 1:29.459
15 Rubens Barrichello Honda 35 1:29.513
16 Tonio Liuzzi STR 56 1:29.563
17 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri 38 1:29.658
18 Takuma Sato Super Aguri 56 1:29.916
19 Sebastian Vettel STR 39 1:29.983
20 Adrian Sutil Spyker 52 1:30.617
21 Mark Webber Red Bull 4 1:30.808
22 Sakon Yamamoto Spyker 21 1:30.951