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Posts Tagged ‘Felipe Massa’

The Ferrari engine is causing more headaches than expected at the start of the championship. In the offseason it was feared that the consumption would be the Achilles Heel of the propeller, but in the end are other faults that are sowing of concern to the team. We have three races and both Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa have already had to use three different engines. And what is worse, after the failure of Sunday in the case of Spanish, you must use the room at the next meeting of China.

The problem is not minor, since the regulation allows eight engine changes during the season, and if there is one more change is penalized with ten places on the grid. And from then on as many times as they occur. In Shanghai, Alonso and take four tests in the absence of fifteen. The average is worrying. The engines are changed, if you manage, you can still be used for free practice, which limits the mileage of new but not entirely prevent its use.

In all cases, Ferrari has had to change the unit as a precaution. From the first time in Bahrain, the substitutions have been motivated by sensors and telemetry results that have advised. Most worrisome is that in Kuala Lumpur has happened twice.

A Fernando already changed the engine after free practice on Friday and the race yesterday substitute melted. Two in the same test. Three if you count Felipe Massa. also after practice Friday, and five if we add the two of Sauber, which prevented out to Pedro de la Rosa and end at Kamui Kobayashi. A bad mark for the propeller.

Ferrari kept secret on grounds of being the only team which has already been three changes and goes for four. Mercedes and McLaren have two with the same engine in both cars, the same as Sebastian Vettel in his Renault by just one of Mark Webber. Neither the new Cosworth, serving the four teams in addition to Williams debutantes show many signs of weakness.

Cooling problems, extra consumption, lower reliability … various theories circulating, but the Italian team would not confirm any. Although not hide his concern: “We had a couple of reliability issues that should serve as a warning. If we want to claim the title must fix this,” Stefano Domenicali said yesterday, responsible for the Scuderia.

Alguersuari and Pedro Martínez de la Rosa commanded the third day of Formula 1 qualifying taking place at the Jerez circuit in a day in which he made an appearance again in the rain.

Hardly had one hour of real activity on the track. It was the time it gave the pilots meteorology. At that time, the two Spanish pilots made several short runs, probably with little fuel, which managed to make the best of times.

De la Rosa was the first to break the record of Massa, the early risers of all and he opened the timesheets. Then download it again until she fell in 1:20.736. Did not last long the first place because Alguersuari beat him with a 1:19.919, the second of the whole week off of 1:20.

Shortly afterwards the rain and the pilots took refuge in their garages. Only showed up in court for recognition and spin and check the status of it. The bravest was Rubens Barrichello, but despite being one of the most experienced of the grid in wet conditions, ended in the gravel at turn Angel Nieto.

The pilots took to the track a few times and just doing laps, but Barrichello, who was trying to complete 120 laps in the rain with all types of tires. The problem was that it did not rain enough to put on intermediate tires, but neither is the track to run on the dry end of the day unless it rained thoroughly.

The weather did not improve throughout the day, so that we can not draw broad conclusions. The only slightly positive for Ferrari was that Massa managed to be the fastest prominently in the rain without so much intensity. The F10 shot in time of 1:27 when the rest did it in 1:30 or more. For this Sunday announcing dry, though not certain.

So were the times:
1. Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) 1:19.919 (76 laps)
2. Pedro Martínez de la Rosa (Sauber) 1:20.736 (58)
3. Adrian Sutil (Force India) 1:21.428 (48)
4. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 1:21.603 (72)
5. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 1:21.783 (59)
6. Vitaly Petrov (Renault) 1:22.000 (68)
7. Nico Rosberg (GP Mercedes) 1:22.820 (51)
8. Rubens Barrichello (Williams) 1:23.217 (120)
9. Lewis Hamilton (Team McLaren) 1:23.985 (68)
10. Lucas di Grassi (Virgin) 1:37.107 (8)

The pilot Lewis Hamilton was “thrilled” with the possibility that Michael Schumacher is involved in the next Grand Prix to be held in Valencia, which was a shame “that the German was withdrawn before it could” compete with him, “although cree would not be a surprise ahead of him.

Lewis Hamilton

“I am excited about the possibility that Schumacher returns to Formula 1, he is one of the best athletes, a legend and will be an honor and a privilege to race against him,” Hamilton said in statements to the ‘Mail on Sunday’, where opined that “the whole world will be watching his back” to the circuits.

However, although the McLaren is convinced that “knowledge, no problems sure to be at the top,” Hamilton explained that “reaching this stage of the season, Schumacher has the disadvantage of not having the same experience as the other pilots, “but ahead of him would not be so important.

“The whole world is watching your back”

Accident on Massa

The presence of Schumacher in the Formula 1 World possible by Felipe Massa suffered an accident, so Lewis Hamilton acknowledged that his “thoughts are still with Massa and his family after the terrible accident.”

“I know first hand the great fighting spirit of Massa, because we had a fantastic battle for the World Cup last year, was a gentleman, and I want you to know that we are all waiting,” wanted the pilot, who was not shocked the shock suffered by the Brazilian.

“It is clear that it was tragic, but I’m not shocked, I have always known how dangerous it is to this sport, I think there’s an element of danger, but that’s what makes it so exciting. None of us want to see anyone hurt, and we must take account of what happened a couple of weeks and try to find some ideas and try to prevent it does not happen again. “

The Brazilian driver Felipe Massa of Ferrari, seriously injured in qualifications GP of Hungary July 25, said Sunday in a British tabloid that he “is lucky to be alive” but he had run well again.

“I know I’m lucky to be alive,” said Massa, 28 years, the weekly News of the World. I do not remember anything of the accident, but I will run again. ”

Felipe Massa

Struck more than 250 km / h in the helmet by a piece of the single spring of his friend and compatriot Rubens Barrichello (GP Brawn) who preceded him, Massa was built straight into a tire wall at 190 km / h. Operated from a fractured skull, it was placed two days in an artificial coma.

According to information provided by his personal physician, Dr. Dino Altmann, it is now “on the road to recovery” and should leave the hospital Monday where he is Hungarian soigné make back his convalescence in Brazil.

“When I woke up, I did not know I was in the hospital, so I asked ‘where am I?”. I tirais all tubes and Eduardo, my brother tried to stop myself ” said Massa, who will be replaced at the end of August in Valencia by the seven times world champion Michael Schumacher.

“The accident was really bad luck, but I know I’m lucky to be alive. It was my race. When I woke up, I could not believe when they told me that Lewis (Hamilton) had won and Kimi (Raikkonen) was second,” he insisted.

The aim is to check if the injuries after his motorcycle accident affect your driving. Confirmed the replacement of Felipe Massa has already begun to train for his return to the asphalt in Valencia. The German has already shot a pilot with the Ferrari F2007 car for the Italian circuit of Mugello.

Because of the prohibition of testing sessions during the season, the German pilot run with the 2007 model, ie without aerodynamic modifications introduced in 2009 without tires Slicks. It will do as tester department “F1 Customers.” “It will give maximum number of turns possible to re-familiarize themselves with the challenge of driving an F1 car,” said his spokeswoman, Sabine Kehm.

The Maranello team’s objective is to verify that the Kaiser suffered injuries after a motorcycle accident in February may impact adversely on their performance during the upcoming GP of Europe. To improve the performance of the F60 system includes heavy kers, the heptacampeón the world has lost a few kilos.

Alain Prost, four times F1 world champion, was “very surprised” to learn of the return of German. “I do not understand their decision but respect it. Maybe I just wanted to help Ferrari because the other pilots, Badoer and Gene have been involved in some GP’s, but not as fast as Schumacher,” said Prost.

The reason for the return of the pilot Scuderia Cavallino seems more a question of loyalty than anything else. The German’s manager, Willi Weber, said that money had nothing to do with the “yes” to Ferrari. “To be honest, we have not talked about money, and we will not do so in the coming weeks. That is not what matters now,” he said. The Kaiser’s representative has denied rumors claiming that he would receive 5 million euros.

Felipe Massa

Felipe Massa already considering a return to the competition and asked, jokingly, to let Michael Schumacher away from his car, according to what his doctor said Thursday.

The Brazilian driver was speaking as he is recovering slowly from the accident suffered last week during the qualifications for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Dr. Dino Altman said that Massa had started to eat normally, he took a few steps in his hospital room and had shower by himself. It would appear that the pilot will have `no problem in the left eye. Doctors feared that the eye has been affected in the accident.

Massa is recovering from multiple skull fractures in hospital AEK Budapest, where he underwent surgery. The 28-year-old athlete suffered its fractures when he was struck in the head by debris detached from another car. He then struck a barrier of tires.

Felipe Massa

Doctors have ruled out a return to Formula 1 this season, but Altman said Massa launched a few warnings to Schumacher, it means that his return could be short-lived.

The Ferrari team announced Wednesday that the seven-time world champion would end his retirement to replace Massa until it is ready to resume driving. The German should be the next Grand Prix, one of Europe presented in Valencia, Spain, August 23