http://www.yardbarker.com/content/sport/16 Recent Yardbarker articles: Formula One en-us Surprise, surprise, Lewis Hamilton has determined Felipe Massa deliberately collided with him in Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix. The two title rivals came together on lap two when Massa ran over the curb in an attempt to overtake the McLaren. Massa spun Hamilton, sending him to the back of the field. The Ferrari driver received a drive-through penalty for his aggressiveness. It wasn't the only controversy surrounding the Brazilian Sunday. Sebastien Bourdais' post-race 25-second penalty for a collision with Massa on lap 51, which boosted the Ferrari man to seventh place, has drawn the ire of the paddock. Opinion generally placed blame for the incident on Massa, and now Crash.net reports the stewards' decision came against the advice of race director Charlie Whiting, who recommended prior to the race cars exiting the pitlane had the right of way. It has also been questioned why no punishment came during the race when the incident occurred with 16 laps remaining. All of this comes on the heels of Lewis Hamilton's penalty for a similar transgression at Spa, and criticism for delays in handing out penalties in Singapore for fueling when the pitlane was clearly closed. Massa, for his part, defended his scrap with Hamilton and blamed Bourdais for their coming together. With two to go and Hamilton sporting a five point lead, Massa may need an ally or two as he tries to win the championship. Fernando Alonso says if he has the opportunity, he's the man. Well, we didn't think he'd be helping Hamilton, did we? Meanwhile, BMW Sauber has pledged its support for Robert Kubica, who remains in contention after pulling down second yesterday. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:34:19 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/349939 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/349939 Fernando Alonso made it back-to-back wins at the Japanese Grand Prix Sunday, while title rivals Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa made a hash of things in a race filled with drama at Fuji. Hamilton got off to a poor start, beaten by Massa's Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen off the line, before straightlining the first corner along with half the field and forcing the Finn off in the process. BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica, who played it safe, ducked through into the lead with Alonso in tow, while Hamilton found himself down in sixth, pressuring Massa. By lap two, Hamilton made his move, edging ahead of Massa at the hairpin. Unfazed, the Brazilian punted the McLaren man to the back of the field. Massa would be penalized for his aggressiveness, assessed a drive-through penalty, but there would be no advantage for Hamilton as he too was penalized for forcing Raikkonen off the road at the first corner. It is all frightfully reminiscent of last season. The youngster gave a lot of lip service to being a changed man this year, but the proof needs to be shown on the track. All he had to do was be patient and collect the points available. Instead, he forced the situation and showed the same amateurish behavior which cost him the title in 2007. He would finish 12th and out of the points, his lead in the championship cut to five. Massa finished eighth, and was promoted to seventh when Toro Rosso's Sebastien Bourdais was penalised 25 seconds for colliding with him on lap 51. Massa is not Hamilton's only worry. With his second today, BMW Sauber's Kubica is back in the thick of things, 12 points off the lead. Kubica led the first stint but couldn't pull off enough of a gap to the pursuing Alonso, who took the lead when the Pole made his first stop. Instead of fighting for the lead, the BMW Sauber man found himself trying to hold off Raikkonen over the closing laps. It was a close thing, but he managed to preserve his edge over the Finn's damaged Ferrari, and the world champion was content to take third place points. All in all, given the performance of both Massa and Hamilton today, one wonders if either of these guys wants to win this thing. And, just like last year with Raikkonen, a steady, constant driver is waiting in the wings to take advantage and pounce, this year in the form of Kubica. Massa and Hamilton have just a few says to get their heads screwed on straight as the championship moves to Shanghai for next week's Chinese Grand Prix. Until then, it's another few days for Alonso to savor, and unlike Singapore, you can't say he was gifted this race by a safety car situation. Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:37:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/349320 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/349320 With three races to go in the championship, Lewis Hamilton couldn't ask to be in much better a position, taking pole at Fuji, with rival Felipe Massa well back in fifth. Massa had been fast in the previous two sessions, but his Ferrari lost pace in the final session. Teammate Kimi Raikkonen put aside his recent string of lackluster qualifying sessions to take second, just ahead of Heikki Kovalainen's McLaren. The third driver standing between Massa and Hamilton is Singapore winner Fernando Alonso who achieved a strong fourth. Rain overnight left the drivers with a green track. Toyota owns the track, and the home team provided plenty to cheer about with both drivers in the top 10 and Glock topping Q1. Honda, on the other hand, couldn't muster anything new at its home race, both cars eliminated in Q1. Kazuki Nakajima could do no better than 14th in the Williams at his home race, but he did manage to pip teammate Nico Rosberg. Things seem to be playing into Hamilton's favor as the shadows grow long on this season. But it is important to note the Briton won here last year, only to squander the championship to Raikkonen, who trailed by 17 points at the time. That would be a tall proposition this year for the Finn, who has yet to be mathmatically eliminated, but serves to highlight this year's title is far from decided. Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:59:08 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348814 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348814 Timo Glock was fastest in Friday practice with a time of 1:18.383, set in the second session for home team Toyota. The German was running a fresh V8, the team using its 'joker' option to swap out his car's power plant at no penalty. Glock edged out Fernando Alonso, who set a 1:18.426, hot on the heels of his night victory in Singapore. Tital rivals Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa were third and fourth in the afternoon session, echoing their 1-2 finish in the first session Hamilton led the morning in his McLaren, setting a 1:18.910, topping Massa's 1:19.063 in the Ferrari. McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen was third with a 1:19.279. A gap of approximately two seconds covered the field in both sessions, run in prime conditions, a far cry from the monsoon that hit the Fuji race last season. As always, it is hard to say if Glock's and Alonso's performances are indicative of what their cars can do on this track, the true test will be in qualifying tomorrow, but we can be fairly certain Hamilton and Massa are well matched. Once again Hamilton enters the last three races with a slim lead and looking to seal the deal. Can he avoid the mistakes of last year? The test begins tomorrow at 14:00 local time. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:22:06 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348184 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348184 Disappointment was on the minds of team principals Nick Fry (Honda), John Howett (Toyota), and Mario Theissen (BMW Sauber) at Friday's pre-race press conference. Disappointment that the series will skip North America entirely next season following word the FIA nixed Canada from the 2009 schedule. The three principals, all representing automakers with serious stakes in the U.S. and Canadian markets, made their thoughts known when questioned from the floor. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:27:06 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348171 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348171 The purpose of this article is to gauge the F1 popularity on this site. With the crazy championship coming down to the wire I would like to know how many fans of F1 there are. I don't care about points or the other bullshit I just want to meet the fans. So if you are a fan comment Yes. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 02:18:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348117 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348117 FIA president Max Mosley predicts hard times for Formula One in today's economic climate, warning problems could set in as early as 2010 unless radical cost-cutting measures are introduced. Highlighting the plight of the privateer, Mosley easily sees a point where the grid gets so small the racing isn't credible. But he also sees a time when the investment is no longer worthwhile for the manufacturers. One place he believes costs can be cut are on drivetrains. Plus, Canadan Grand Prix organizers say they learned their race was axed in the media, and Ferrari goes back to a traditional lollipop man. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:12:16 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/346859 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/346859 The Canadian Grand Prix has been left off the revised 2009 schedule, leaving the series with 18 races next season. The development means the World Championship will completely bypass North America next season. No reason was given for the decision. This year's race was marred with problems with the tarmac. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has also come under criticism for its age and lack of facilities, still, it was a popular venue for sponsors and teams alike. With Canada joining the USGP on the sidelines, it appears Formula One has decided there is no market for its product in the United States and Canada. That would seem to be a misguided opinion, to say the least. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:08:34 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/346246 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/346246 It took some time, but Bernie Ecclestone has finally responded to Luca di Montezemolo's criticism of what happened in Singapore, and it was vintage Bernie. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:33:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/345714 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/345714 Here's a bit of what's making news around F1 and in the motorsports world this weekend. -- Williams will stick with Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima next season, as well as current test driver Nico Hulkenberg. -- The Daily Mail reports Force India owner Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher brand is set to agree on a five-year $35 million shirt sponsorship deal with Queens Park Rangers, the football team owned by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore -- Autosport reports the local government is likely to reach a decision by the end of the year whether to grant approval for Donington Park's redevelopment plan. -- BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld became the first F1 driver to drive in Seoul, South Korea. -- Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves pleaded not guilty to tax evasion Friday. -- Andretti Green Racing announced it is entering the "world cup of motorsport," fielding an A1GP team this season. -- Make your voice heard in the ING F1 Racing Magazine Global Fan Survey 2008. Results will be released in December. Sat, 04 Oct 2008 13:16:43 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/344708 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/344708 Hot on the heels of Singapore's successful first night race, F1 Ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone is eager for other Far East races to follow suit. But organizers in Malaysia have said no, instead settling on a late afternoon compromise. Ecclestone hopes to make the Eastern Rim races more profitable for television by staging them at convenient times for European viewers, but Malaysia has balked at the cost of lighting up the circuit, instead following Australia's lead by starting later. It is believed the Japanese Grand Prix is Ecclestone's next target for night racing. Plus, Russia starts construction on an F1 standard circuit; proving there is more to winning than speed, Kimi Raikkonen is the fastest man in F1; and F1 drivers to compete for a cool million? Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:08:51 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/342472 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/342472 It was a difficult day for the Prancing Horse, but Luca Cordero di Montezemolo has not lost faith in his team. His thoughts on Formula One's first race under the lights were a little less positive, however. Plus, long-time Michael Schumacher manager Willi Weber is punished by a German court. Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:15:22 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/341506 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/341506 Fernando Alonso used an opportune safety car period to put himself into position to win the first F1 night race under the lights in downtown Singapore. Just as elated was Nico Rosberg, who took second. Lewis Hamilton recovered to take third, while Ferrari suffered a terrible day with Felipe Massa well out of the points and Kimi Raikkonen in the wall in the closing laps. For Alonso, it was a great achievement considering most wrote his challenge off after his car failure in Q2 yesterday. It has been a tough season at Renault, but while may are more concerned about his next job, the Spaniard took a moment to savor the result. The odds are now vastly improved for Hamilton, who stretched his lead in the drivers championship to seven, and saw the likely end of world champion Kimi Raikkonen's bid when the Finn clipped the controversial high curb at the turn 10 chicane and went into the wall. McLaren now leads the constructors championship, holding a one-point edge on their rivals from Maranello. The action continues in two weeks time at Fuji for the Japanese Grand Prix. Given the unpredictable nature of the Japanese weather, it should prove interesting. Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:59:56 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/340809 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/340809 It's Sunday afternoon again - but things are a bit different this time around. Formula One is about to stage its first ever night race around the streets of Singapore. While it's a brand-new event on an untried circuit, some things remain the same - title contenders Felipe Massa for Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton for McLaren will be squaring up on the front row. Sun, 28 Sep 2008 06:36:45 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/340443 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/340443 Felipe Massa put in a stunning lap to take pole from Lewis Hamilton and set up a front-row showdown between the title leaders at the Singapore Grand Prix. After almost missing the cut in Q2, Hamilton was more than happy to be on the front row. Kimi Raikkonen was third in the second Ferrari, and BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica took fourth. McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen will be joined in the third row by STR's Sebastian Vettel after Nick Heidfeld was penalised for blocking Honda's Rubens Barrichello in Q1. Timo Glock and the Williams pair round out the top 10. For Williams, it marked the first time this season both cars made the shootout. What had looked like a promising weekend for Renault went south in Q2 when Fernando Alonso slowed to a halt. The obviously crushed double world champion was left in 15th, just one position above his teammate, who again couldn't get out of Q1. Still, the Spaniard fared better than Giancarlo Fisichella, who, after crashing in the morning practice, crashed again in Q1 without completing a lap. Hamilton and Massa are separated by just a point, their teams, bitter rivals, separated by just five, and four races remain in the season. This race, on the other side of the world and the first ever run under lights, is a challenge both are eager to tackle. The action kicks off 10pm local time Sunday. Sat, 27 Sep 2008 21:05:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/340259 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/340259 The challenges of F1's first-ever night race have forced McLaren to abandon the search for aerodynamic perfection and fit headlights to Lewis Hamilton's MP4-23. The new look for the car was unveiled with a video and photos from the team, and Hamilton told the Singapore Grand Prix Thursday press conference that he would be running with the bank of four high-intensity lamps to improve downforce. It was, of course, all a hoax... Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:34:16 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/339681 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/339681 Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa continued their tight championship battle, taking the top two times for the day in the first practice session for Formula 1's debut under the lights in Singapore. Kimi Raikkonen was third in the second Ferrari. There was action a plenty on the track, with Red Bull's Mark Webber and Honda's Rubens Barrichello both wrapping up early after contact with the barriers, though both would return in the second session. Jarno Trulli made perhaps the most interesting news of the day, earning a fine for driving the wrong way on the track after a spin. In the second session, Fernando Alonso pulled a rabbit out of his hat to come out of nowhere and top the charts, edging both Hamilton and Massa. Things were a little calmer as the drivers adjusted to the green track and the unique conditions, though Toyota's Timo Glock did lose his front wing in the waning moments of the session. Reviews of the track so far have been positive, the novelty of night racing yet to wear off for many. The pit lane is providing one of the few question marks, both the entry and exit proving difficult to drivers on the racing line. Qualifying kicks off at a relatively late 10 pm local time Saturday. Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:53:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/339674 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/339674 Citing Article 125 of the International Sporting Code, the FIA rejected McLaren's appeal of Lewis Hamilton's 25 second penalty at the Belgian Grand Prix. Equating the stewards' decision to a drive through penalty, the FIA's five judges said such penalties are 'not susceptible to appeal.' McLaren and Hamilton were confident they had given back any advantage Hamilton may have gained by cutting the chicane. At the end of the day, however, it was irrelevant, as the appeal was deemed inadmissible. Plus, A heated exchange, and the full FIA statement. Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:22:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/337309 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/337309 The honors keep rolling in for Sebastian Vettel. Meanwhile, Red Bull's Dietrich Mateschitz says his young star is not for sale, no matter what Bernie Ecclestone may want. And La Gazetta dello Sport profiles F1's youngest winner. Plus, Monday marks the date of Lewis Hamilton/McLaren's appeal of the Briton's Belgian Grand Prix penalty. What effect will it have on the championship? Sat, 20 Sep 2008 22:14:54 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/335945 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/335945 Panasonic Toyota Racing takes a step into the unknown this weekend with the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix. Not only is this the first time the city state has hosted the Formula 1 World Championship, it is also the first time a Grand Prix has been held at night. The island of Singapore lies on the southern tip of the Malayan peninsula and, with an area of just over 700 square kilometres, it is the third smallest state to host a Grand Prix, after Monaco and Bahrain, but with over 4million inhabitants, it is a bustling metropolis. The new circuit, which is 5.067km long and features 23 corners, is located in the Marina Bay area of Singapore City and includes iconic landmarks such as the Singapore Flyer big wheel, the Esplanade and Raffles Boulevard. ... notes from The EDJE Sat, 20 Sep 2008 10:12:18 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/335701 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/335701 Come Shape the Future of Racing Fri, 19 Sep 2008 22:23:09 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/335586 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/335586 Pedro de la Rosa put McLaren at the top of the charts as teams put in a final day of preparation for the remaining four races of the season. Nick Heidfeld was second for BMW Sauber, and Renault's Lucas di Grassi was third, as the weather cleared in Spain after a rainy afternoon yesterday. Sebastian Vettel was back with Toro Rosso after logging yesterday's top time with future employer Red Bull Racing, while current RBR test driver and possible future STR driver Sebastien Buemi (confused?) was back with the parent squad. Today Vettel was good enough for fourth and Buemi fifth. Timo Glock (Toyota), Alex Wurz (Honda), and Nico Rosberg (Williams) rounded out the field in Spain. Meanwhile, Ferrari continued its three-day test at Mugello with Felipe Massa behind the wheel in the wet. The weather on the first two days was much more cooperative, with Luca Badoer kicking things off and Kimi Raikkonen was in action yesterday. Plus, MotorSport's Gordon Kirby asks, Does Chris Pook have an American F1 revival plan? Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:17:43 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/335513 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/335513 Sebastian Vettel gave Toro Rosso its maiden F1 as the German became the youngest driver to win a Formula One race at Sunday's Italian Grand Prix. A masterful drive in the wet saw the 21-year-old top McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen. Robert Kubica took third for BMW Sauber. Title challengers Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton finished sixth and seventh, and now just one point separates the Brazilian from drivers championship leader Hamilton. Plus, Vettel tops the third day of testing at Jerez in preparation of his next job, and STR looks at some possible replacements.. Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:49:30 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/334889 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/334889 We were lucky enough to be able to interview AJ Foyt Enterprises driver Darren Manning when he was over in England last weekend - here's part one, in which he explains why he's a lot happier racing in America than he would be in Europe and talks about the 2008 season with Foyt. Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:26:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/334732 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/334732 Concept Cars: Ferrari F460 Tifosi Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:29:07 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/333143 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/333143 Concept Cars: Ferrari F460 Tifosi Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:25:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/333141 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/333141 I just wanted to hug Vettel as he stood on the top step of the podium, what a brilliant first win and everything seemed so perfect for the Torro Rosso team (apart from Bourdais' stall at the start). Sebastien drove absolutely fantastically, he made no mistakes whatsoever and hardly held back, leaving the rest behind. The team must be so happy but even they couldn't believe it and I guess it won't sink in till the next few days! Congratulations to them and all the fans. I think we all deserved seeing a fresh face taking some glory in this crazy sport. There's no doubt about it that Vettel deserved this win and there's plenty more to come from this talented young man. Fernando Alonso gave his commiserations Vettel in parc ferme graciously, as he no longer keeps the record for the youngest Grand Prix winner in history. That's quite a big honour. Well, what do you all think of that race then? I don't have much to say really, to be honest! The safety car/rolling start was scary to watch, the spray and mist was just unbelievable. Kimi and Lewis managed okay, as did everyone really, and there was plenty of overtaking which kept the race interesting. But even despite that, I struggled to follow it properly and can you blame me: it was the same old story all over again for Kimi. Today was utter, concrete-hard, proof that it's down to the weather and the Ferrari's incompatibility with it. Kimi wasn't able to have a great start and as usual it only got better in the last few laps of the race which explains his amazing fastest lap time, a second clear of everyone else! Whereas Hamilton's McLaren was able to let his balls grow and pass Kimi and climb through the field rapidly, while Kimi still lingered in the back, struggling. What the hell does this show? Kimi is the fastest driver out there yet he couldn't manage to climb through the field, something which is actually a Kimi quality as we saw in his McLaren days. How is it possible, that Kimi stayed 14th for the first stint of the race? He was pushing, oh yes he was, he was even sliding and had a moment nearly in his chasing. Clearly, he's been held back once again by his car and the conditions it has trouble with. It's not just a coincidence that Kimi used to be able to get podiums and even win from starting far back on the grid, while today he couldn't even pass to save his life. It's extremely frustrating and I wonder how he feels about today's race, after being so happy with the car on Friday. From an interview taken after the race, reporters still have the nerve to ask Kimi stupid questions: Q. Are you satisfied with your race? Kimi Raikkonen: Do you think I am? Read the rest of Kimi's thoughts further below, and also try and participate in leaving your comments and views. Anyway, Hamilton only managed 7th today, and if you compare that to the podiums Kimi used to be able to manage in a McLaren from lower down the grid then I'm still quite content that Kimi is the best driver out there. I can brag about that quite proudly and not give a shit. His fastest lap is pure evidence of it. And don't get me started on the strategy for the race, what the hell Ferrari were doing with Kimi was an utter joke. He should have been one-stopping, only an idiot on the Ferrari wall would bring Kimi in to pit only to run about 9 laps more before pitting again. What on earth was that about? Please enlighten me, as I said I wasn't able to follow the race properly. Kimi pitted on lap 26, was very shortly fuelled and extreme wet tyres remained, and then pitted again to change to intermediate tyres on lap 36. He basically lost all he gained, well tried to gain, in those 9 laps. Switching to intermediates on the first stop would have been really risky but at least Kimi would have known earlier to deal with it and he could have finished in the points later. Massa couldn't do anything either. He started 6th and finished 6th. Can the world's greatest drivers, especially in the Ferrari team, be that incompetent? I'm just shocked. Kimi could't pass a flipping Force India, for heaven's sake. I'm just shocked. Actually, even Kovalainen was a disgrace and serves him right having to stand on that podium looking like a right novice compared to Vettel and Kubica. Hamilton may be an annoying git and waffle his arse off but at least he could manage to gain some places, he pulled some great moves. The new generation of drivers that we see today are the life and future of F1 indeed. This may be sounding like a complete rant, it probably is, but my point is that...it's looking hopeless now. I only managed to keep my hopes up after Spa despite the terrible ending because that was Spa. Here at Monza, on their home ground, Ferrari couldn't do anything. They made a complete mess of it, in my opinion. Vettel was too strong, and the weather this weekend obviously helped, but if the next few races continue with this kind of downpour then Ferrari might aswell start focusing 100% on next year. They are useless in these conditions. It took Kimi, the fastest driver as the stats show, a round of laps just to pass one car, whereas Lewis could take on 3 in one lap. I feel bad for Kimi now, he sounded so positive after Friday and I don't know why he did. The car just lacked everything in the race. It was only Kimi who shone through in the end, not the Ferrari (sorry to the Tifosi, but that's the truth as it's been all season). He took his ninth fastest lap of the season, out of 14 races. My goodness. He's a flying Finn alright. Just pity that the car can't handle warming up in time when it counts. It takes the whole race for the car to come alive, not Kimi. It takes the whole race for the car to enjoy the track drying, not Kimi. Okay, I've done enough of the whinging now, but I hope you get my point. This race sucked to the max, and only Vettel's drive and win saved it. Kubica and BMW's silent determination has paid off and he is now comfortably ahead of Kimi in the championship, and Kimi is 21 points adrift the lead. Which is what it would have been after Spa if Hamilton didn't receive a penalty. Instead of working their butts of to ensure Kimi stays in the fight,they couldn't do nothing this weekend. Ferrari weren't favouring Massa either, which makes it worse. Now we go to Singapore and rain is also with a 60% chance there so I'm so excited for that! I just can't wait to see how Ferrari can get out of this one *rolls eyes*. Apparently, Kimi had a dry set-up for the race which explains the poor first half of the race. To finish on a more positive note, and I'm obliged to really, Kimi is the fastest driver out there. We all know it. It's just the way things go sometimes. This season hasn't gone very well for him. He's been unlucky in some races, he's been struggling big time with his car, and just when it looks like it got out of the deep end, it sinks again. Here in Monza, he couldn't pull off his strong fight to the podium as he did in Fuji 2007 because I think Ferrari did something really wrong with the downforce set-up for the race, their strategy was poor and there was a general lacking of pace, on the car's behalf ofcourse. Kimi wasn't lacking anything, which makes it bitter as usual. I'm not just saying it to defend him of a poor result. We've seen it time and time again in these wet races from Ferrari this year. But Kimi will keep flying, that's his job ~ Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:18:15 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/333138 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/333138 WET TRACK A TREAT FOR SOME Monza. It's the fastest track on the circuit?and moisture on the track can cause problems for some, such as Lewis Hamilton who chose the wrong tires in qualifying-or the moisture can work magic for others such as Sebastian Vettel, who became the youngest driver ever in the Sun, 14 Sep 2008 15:11:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/332818 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/332818 Youngest ever Formula One driver to drive a Grand Prix. Youngest to lead a race in Formula One history. Youngest driver to score points in a Grand Prix. Now you can add youngest to take pole, as Sebastian Vettel took advantage of Monza's best Spa impersonation to hand STR its maiden pole position in a wet, wet, wet qualifying session for the Italian Grand Prix. Vettel's time of 1:37.555 was enough to keep McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen at bay. The Finn was the only thing standing in the way of a Red Bull family affair, as Mark Webber put his RB4 in third and Sebastian Bourdais picked up fourth in the second Toro Rosso. The grid is well shaken for Sunday's race. More rain, the great equalizer, is in the forecast. It should make for some interesting strategies. Plus, Giorgio Pantano locks up the GP2 championship. Sat, 13 Sep 2008 19:32:03 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/332562 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/332562 By Jonathan Noble Friday, September 12th 2008, 14:13 GMT Q. It is looking very good today? KR: It is probably the best that the car has been. Little by little we have found what we want for the car and at least today it was pretty good. Q. You have extended your contract, are you more positive now? KR: I haven't been worrying about anything. It was my decision, so I knew what I could do and what is possible. It doesn't change anything for this year or the future - I still try to do the best I can. And hopefully now we have started to find the way we want and hopefully we can get a good result. Q. In the race conditions do you feel you are on a par with the McLaren? KR: Today it looks like we are faster. I am very happy with how things are today. Q. Was signing a new contract a difficult decision to make? KR: No. I enjoy it here. Of course when you have a hard time it is sometimes not easy, but it doesn't mean you don't enjoy the driving, or I am not motivated. It is just not fun when things are not always as you want, but we have been working hard and getting things where we want which is the main thing. Q. So retirement was never an option then? KR: I never said it was. It was all you guys. It was not what I said. I said I had a contract for the next year at least and then we see after that. I have a couple more years and we look when the times comes for what happens after that. Q. Why did you decide to stay at Ferrari? KR: I always had a contract for next year anyway. I never said I was going to retire, it came from you guys. I still enjoy it. I still drive as well as I can. Sometimes when the results are not coming it is not such good fun but it doesn't mean that I don't enjoy it. It was not a very difficult choice. I enjoy working with the people, so I am happy. Q. So an easy decision to make? KR: I knew that I had next year so I could have waited even longer, but we came to a solution with the team and everyone happy. Q. And you feel Ferrari are best placed to help you win another championship? KR: I wouldn't go anywhere else. I won last year and we are still not out this year. I still enjoy it, even though sometimes it is not such good fun. When the results are not coming, it is nothing to do with the team or me – it is just that we didn't get it right together. We are making things go in the right direction though. Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:41:02 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/332326 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/332326